Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A beloved jacket lives many lives in this affectionate story. It's made of heavy, tapestry-weight fabric, with a fuzzy lining and "four dazzling buttons down the front." In collage art, Baker (Love, Agnes) fashions the coat and other clothing from fabric scraps, creating duds that appear impressively real. Amelia, the jacket's first owner, has straight black hair and brown skin. Wearing the garment makes her so happy that she kicks up autumn leaves delightedly. "She wore it everywhere./ She wore it to preschool./ And to Auntie Kath's house./ And to the park./ And to bed." All too soon she outgrows it, and it goes to her younger sister Lilly; then, in a closet, it shelters a litter of kittens. At last, the jacket assumes a new form with the help of the sisters' creative mother. Lines by Pashley, making her picture book debut, are evocative and rhythmic ("It was soft, like dandelion fluff./ It was warm, like the afternoon sun"), with phrases that repeat like the chorus of a song. The story aptly draws its warmth from domestic comforts as it champions reusing precious things instead of throwing them away. Ages 3--7. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--Baker's soft, subtle collage-style illustrations pair perfectly with Pashley's sweet story about growing up, letting go, and allowing prized possessions to take on new life. Amelia's favorite jacket is no ordinary jacket. Soft like dandelion fluff, warm like the afternoon sun, and as comforting as a hug, it goes wherever Amelia goes: to school, then home, to the park, or to Aunt Kath's house. When Amelia outgrows it, the jacket is passed on to little sister Lily. The jacket has more lives, too, as a bed for kittens, and as warmth for Lily's favorite doll; but as it grows worn, it is nearly forgotten. Through their mother, the family finds the perfect way for this extraordinary jacket to bring comfort to the family for years to come.VERDICT Children and their favorite possessions are hard to part, and for good reasons! This heartfelt story is for every collection; readers will relate to the theme of growing up but not away.--Elizabeth Blake, Fields Corner Lib., Dorchester, MA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A special jacket flourishes in a family over time. It arrives in shiny, metallic gift wrap. The jacket has a rich, multicolored pattern in a nubbly, carpety texture and a white collar and cuffs like fleece or sheepskin. It has "four dazzling buttons down the front." Amelia immediately nuzzles it to her face, then proceeds to wear it everywhere--preschool, the park, bed--until the sad day it no longer fits. Now it's little sister Lilly's turn. Lilly, too, wears it everywhere: the library, the swingset, even--despite its warmth--the beach. Eventually Lilly outgrows it, and the family cat blissfully has kittens on it. When it's old, a bit worn, and a bit dirty, Mom remakes it into a teddy bear. The jacket seems to shift somewhat in size, which requires a small suspension of disbelief--no problem--but why does Mom make the jacket into a bear rather than passing it down as a garment to the youngest (third) sibling? (Surely not because the youngest sibling, short-haired, might be intended as a boy and the jacket is festive, even perhaps feminine?) This question, while baffling, doesn't override Pashley's toasty-warm story and Baker's captivating collaged layers of fabrics, papers, and textures. Amelia has light brown skin and straight black hair; Lilly has similar skin and corkscrew blonde curls; the toddler sibling has straight, straw-colored hair; and Mom has brown skin and wears her black hair in a bun. Snug and enchanting. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
