The Tiny Woman’s Coat
October 12th, 2021 by jules
Here are some spreads from a lovely import, written by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Giselle Clarkson, each from New Zealand. The Tiny Woman’s Coat (Gecko Press, October 2021) tells the story of a miniature woman who, with the help of Mother Nature and its inhabitants, builds herself a coat to keep warm.
On the first spread, we see the woman shivering. She is so small, the air is cold, and she must be freezing. She needs a coat, but where will she get the cloth? What about scissors? A needle? Some thread? And so on? Well, the autumn trees speak up: They can have her leaves. The grey goose offers up its beak for snipping. The porcupine gives her one of its needles. A friendly horse and some wild wet weeds also lend a hand. Each gift is accompanied by sound effects: The leaves rustle, the goose snips, and the woman goes “stitch, stitch, stitch” as she sews with hair from the horse’s mane.
The text’s repeated elements are satisfying, and page-turns will delight young readers as they guess which creature or element of nature will next help the woman. It’s a simple and pleasing story, and Clarkson’s relaxed-line illustrations are playful and expressive. She depicts the tiny woman as having elf-like ears and conjures up a beautiful, windswept autumn world. Here are some spreads so that you can see for yourself.
Don’t let this quiet book pass you by.
‘Where will I get the cloth?'”
(Click spread to enlarge)
Rustle, rustle, rustle.”
(Click spread to enlarge)
Stitch, stitch, stitch.”
(Click spread to enlarge)
‘Where will I get some buttons?'”
(Click spread to enlarge)
(Click spread to enlarge)
THE TINY WOMAN’S COAT. Text © Joy Cowley 1987. Illustrations © Giselle Clarkson 2021. Edition © Gecko Press 2021. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Gecko Press.
Love to see we’re getting old/new books from abroad, though I wonder if the title and everything else stayed the same other than the illustrations (so often there’s the assumption that everything has to be changed for the American market).