A girl is crying out for the cast-off winter coat from her older sister, until she isn't. There's little point in going further for this – it's not something I'd recommend.

In Severine Vidal and Louis Thomas's picture book "The Coat," Elise can't wait for her chance to wear her older sister Mia's red coat, and she longs for the day for Mia to outgrow the coat so that it can be hers. When she gets it, she thinks nothing can quell her excitement... until she sees a mother and daughter sitting outside in the snow without the proper clothes. The image haunts Elise, until she decides what to do..

"The Coat" can help young readers learn about empathy and giving. As lovely as the story is, Elise's actions might be taken a bit too literally by young readers, so adults should be ready to debrief the ending and provide possiiblities on how to help others. (I'm sure Elise's mom might have some concerns with Elise's actions, even if they were noble and well-intended).. Nevertheless, the book's message is an important and much-needed one.

I will definitely be adding this book to our collection.

This is a beautifully illustrated story that talks about an important yet hard subject of homelessness. Kids look at the worlds problems through different lenses than adults and this touches on how they process these situations.

Wow. Just wow. I absolutely loved this book.

The story, the message and the illustrations.

What a wonderful story to show children the important of being kind to one another.

It made me tear up at the end

Such a beautifully intended book.

I loved the premise and loved the ending even more.

The illustrations capture the story wonderfully and I feel this should be on every parent's to read to kids, regardless of whether they are an only child or not.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wonderful story. I love the beautiful message of care and sharing kindness. Great illustrations too!

This beautifully illustrated book is a wonderfully written book for children on a complex social justice issue. I absolutely love the concept and execution. The book is easily approachable for children and makes a complex issue digestible. It also gives a very tangible way to help others and would be an excellent book to read with children to learn why we give clothes and coats to others.

I received this title as a NetGalley ARC. I appreciated receiving this title as most books I receive are for middle grades or young-adult readers. From page one, I was surprised by the story. It was nice to read about a character who was excited to receive a hand-me-down jacket from her older sister. Having grown up in a household that valued possessions and gave or was given hand-me-downs, I could relate to the main character. From the title, I anticipated "the coat" being important to the story. I presumed the main character would be given the coat as a goodwill gesture, not as a practical family matter. It was predictable that the main character would give her coat to the girl who didn't have one, but it did not take away from the joy the character feels knowing she helped another. Our school has a coat drive every year; this title would be a great way to introduce the event to our younger students.

Little Elise has been waiting for SO LONG for her big sister to outgrow that beautiful red coat so that it can be handed down to her. FINALLY - her wish comes true. She wears the coat to school, and it makes her feel like a princess. But, there's just one little fly in the ointment . . . Elise can't get the vision she saw on her way to school out of her head - a little homeless girl and her mother shivering in the cold. And, so, Elise decides to make an incredible sacrifice.

This is a lovely book with a touching sentiment, though the tale is somewhat marred by the muddled ending.

SPOILER: Elise gives away her much-longed-for coat (and her hat and scarf) to the girl and her mother. I honestly didn't get this until I read some of the reviews. One simple illustration of Elise without her outerwear entering the school building would have gotten the message across much more clearly, instead of just the picture of the now warmer mother and daughter.

This could make a wonderful read-aloud, and generate some conversation about homelessness, and charity.

3.5 stars

Happy Publication Day!

This was a tough one to rate because my initial reaction was very positive. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and the overall message is a positive one. The story itself is very sweet and I love that even as Elise looked forward to wearing her sister's red coat with great anticipation, her heart was moved when she saw someone in great need.

What I struggled with was that even as Elise gave what she had, somehow her older sister never noticed that she wasn't with her and so she ended up freezing by the school gates, although they did mention that her thoughts kept her warm.

I think this book has an excellent message, but I wish there had been a little bit more discussion on how children and their families could find a way to help those less fortunate than themselves. Even if they had added some discussion questions at the end, I think that would have been helpful. I'm concerned that a child reading the book on their own might feel like they should do the same thing. I love the spirit of this book, but it needs a little something extra to take it the rest of the way.

Again, I love the illustrations, and I think this would be a great book for a parent to read to their children and use it for discussion, at least at a level that a young child might understand. It's a book that could also be used in a preschool classroom to teach empathy and kindness.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: The Coat
Author: Séverine Vidal
Publisher: Flyaway Books
Storylady Says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm a fan of everything coming out of Flyaway Books lately and "The Coat" is no exception! A story about anticipation, big heartedness, and seeing people differently than others do, Séverine Vidal's emotional tale leads the reader through growing anticipation of when the protagonist, Elise, will receive a red coat as a hand-me-down from her sister. But what will Elise do with the coat when she finally receives this gift? Charmingly illustrated by Louis Thomas, this heartwarming story and images will leave readers knowing a little more about the true nature of giving when it starts in the heart. A must have picture book for starting conversations about homelessness.

Today is book birthday of "The Coat!" Coming soon to the Lightbulb Heart library!

ARC from NetGalley

A simple heartwarming picture book about a little girl who can’t wait to inherit her big sister’s red winter coat, but soon discovers there is more to life than being warm. Sometimes giving our warmth away is the best way to show love and achieve inner warmth. A subtle lesson on caring for others, this story will resonate with the picture book crowd while subtly imparting a valuable lesson. 3.5 stars rounded to 4. The one fault is the pictures never show the girl actually giving away her coat. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story that would have worked wonders had it incorporated some changes in its approach.

Elise has finally got her hands on her elder sister’s “perfect red coat”, a hand-me-down she has been eagerly waiting for “since forever”. The very next day, she proudly wears the coat and sets off to school, making sure her precious coat is safe. On the way, she spots a homeless woman sitting with her little daughter on the roadside. Elise feels sad that the girl isn’t as warm as she is but she walks on. All today long, the thought torments her. The next day, Elise spots the little girl again shivering in the cold. You know what Elise will do next.

Elise is a precious little girl who is portrayed just as a child of her age would be. She is peppy, bright, mischievous and impatient. At the same time, she is caring and concerned about the well-being of others.

The thought of the story is wonderful. It carries a warm vibe despite being set during winter. However, I wasn’t happy with the way the ending was written. There were many wasted opportunities here:
👉 The turnaround was too abrupt. Elise had been so excited about that red coat; why did she give that very coat away to the homeless girl instead of donating her old coat that she didn’t plan to use anymore?

👉 Elise is shown to have a healthy and communicative relationship with her mother and her sister. Why didn’t she broach the topic of the homeless duo with them? Children reading the story would have learnt the value of direct communication had Elise done so.

👉 Elise ends up donating not just her beloved coat to the girl but also her scarf and her woollen cap to the girl’s mother. Children should be taught that there’s a limit to giving. When we give at the cost of depriving ourselves, it isn’t healthy. (One reason why I now hate “The Giving Tree” though I liked it in my childhood.)

👉 Elise was walking to school with her elder sister but ends up being locked out of school as she become late because of her interaction with the homeless duo. How come her elder sister didn’t even realise that her little sister hadn’t reached school?


This story was originally published in French as ‘Le Manteau’ in 2020. It is aimed at the 3-7 year age group. The content is a little more text-intensive than is common for this age range. There are about 2-3 paragraphs on text on each page. The vocabulary level is easy, no worries there.

The illustrations are lovely. As the story is set during winter, there is a lot of white on the pages, which makes the colour detailing on the characters pop out. Elise with her big bright eyes and curly hair was cute. That said, the sketches don’t show Elise’s face on the final two pages, a detailing that might have reduced the feeling of abruptness to a certain extent.

All in all, a thoughtful book with a good message that will work better under adult guidance about setting limits and relying on conversations rather than assumptions.

2.5 stars.

My thanks to Flyaway Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Coat”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is such a sweet story about a young girl who gives away her coat to a child who needs it more than she does. The illustrations are in a vintage, watercolor style (which is my absolute favorite) and they are beautiful!! I would buy this for the pictures alone.

A children’s book that gives great examples of empathy are wonderful! How true it is, that life can sometimes be penguin cold, or even the people around you. I love the beautiful empathy the main character has, and having an example of this in illustration form for a child is just inspiring. It gives opportunity to discuss and relate to your life. Wonderful book! Perfect time of year for this read. LOVED IT!

Thank you Flyaway Books, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Elise has been waiting forever for her sister to pass down a red coat. When Elise finally receives it and wears it walking to school, her joy is short lived when she sees a girl sitting on the sidewalk with her mother, both suffering from the cold.
While the story states that Elise shared food with the girl, I wish it had shown Elise giving the prized red coat to the girl in addition to the last picture. Good book to open up a discussion with children about those who are less fortunate.
#NetGalley #Flyaway Books #The Coat

Wonderful story about generosity and thinking of others! Simple, heartfelt and beautifully illustrated., even the littlest listeners should be able to figure out what our thoughtful main character does with the red coat that she has yearned for. Older readers should be able to discuss feelings and changes in those emotions as Mia’s little sister goes from wanting her older sister’s coat, to finally having it handed down to her and then giving away something precious to a stranger in need. Wonderful book with a myriad of uses, especially during Coats for Kids drives or any emphasis on kindness and giving.

Interesting. Reading the little girl comes across a homeless mother & child on the steps outside. Our Elise is wearing her sister's hand-me-down coat which is warm and she has "waited forever" for. Elise thinks about the child, and the next day brings her a bag of candy.
I had thought the book would take a turn, perhaps Elise telling her mom about the girl, offering her coat, or one of her hand-me-down's to her, not candy. It was also strange they were still on the steps of the town hall.
Thanks to NetGalley & Flyaway Books for the chance to preview in exchange for an honest review

I am very torn about writing this review.

The story revolves around a young girl named Elise, pining for her older sister’s beautiful red coat. When the day comes she is finally big enough to wear the hand-me-down, she is ecstatic. That is until she sees a homeless mother and young daughter sitting near the town hall. She is quite sad at the thought of them having no winter clothes.

This is where the story lost me. We see Elise go home, worry all night, then the next day when she encounters the homeless family again, she offers them a sack of candy. In the next image we see the homeless girl wearing the beloved red coat while the mother wears Elise’s hat and scarf. The jump was much too abrupt for the age of the intended audience.

I felt like too much pressure was put on Elise and the obvious choice would be to discuss the situation with her own family first. This would create the perfect opportunity to open age-appropriate discussions with young readers.

I understand the concept of teaching children about homeless situations and those who aren’t as fortunate. But the story has too many gaps for me to be comfortable in highly recommending it.
Why did the older sister go on to school without Elise? Was Elise’s good deed supposed to keep her warm? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have Elise discuss the situation with her family, then assemble a bag of her hand-me-downs and more to help the homeless family?

I understand the story was originally published in French. Perhaps, it lost a bit of continuity in the translation.

All that said, the book is wonderfully illustrated and I do believe in the overall message. But, I also think that it will require some adult guidance in making the story meaningful for most children.

I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Coat by Séverine Vidal. It is a charming story with wonderful illustrations. Sweet Elise is a young girl who can't wait to receive a beautiful red coat that belongs to her sister. She waits what seems like forever to grow big enough for the coat to fit her. The big day finally arrives and Elise wears the new-to-her coat to school. On the way she sees a homeless girl and her mother and realizes how fortunate she really is.