Oh, this book just tugged at my heartstrings in the best kind of way! The family in this story is sweet, and loving, and they share hand-me-downs, as many families do. The main character is patiently waiting to get her sister's big coat when she has outgrown it, but it feels like it is taking FOREVER! One day, after she finally receives it, she is walking to school wearing the beloved red coat, and she sees something that changes her perspective about the coat completely. It is a sweet story of selflessness, of not looking away from problems, but actively helping to deal with them, and of caring for your fellow neighbors. I absolutely loved this one and cannot wait to purchase it for my school library!

This book is very a sweet look at children's complex emotions. It is easy to relate to how much Elise wanted that coat, despite it being a hand-me-down. In some ways it represented a sign of growing up, finally being able to wear the "big girl coat". And how she treasured it, as well as how her friends were so excited for her to have gotten the coat was very refreshing, as in too many instances being seen by one's peers in cast off clothing is a stigma. The encounter with the homeless woman and child was heartbreaking, but that Elise gave her sacred coat to the cold little girl was a bit predictable, but not in a bad way. I think it was a nice example of kindness without any fanfare or backpatting for Elise, reinforcing that being kind does give you the warm fuzzies. Overall a sweet book for children.

The Coat by Séverine Vidal is a touching story of how a child learns the true meaning of giving.

Elise waits and waits for her sister Mia to outgrow the perfect, beautiful red coat that will one day be hers. Then, an unexpected encounter changed everything Elise believe about that coat, leading her to realize the joy of giving to others.

Short, sweet, and right to the point, Vidal creates a marvelously told story that displays goodness and kindness. With beautiful artwork by Louis Thomas, The Coat will definitely touch the heart. Every home and school library will want to own a copy of this uplifting story.

Highly recommended!

I was reading through this book on my phone and on such a small screen the print was too small for me to read so I enlarged it and moved the screen back and forth to see everything. I got to the end of the story and thought there was a glitch or something and I'd missed a page or two so I went back to read it again. Nope. Still the same number of pages. I was confused and wondered why it didn't show the girl giving her coat. It showed her giving something to eat and then she was at the school gate but it never showed her there coatless. I liked the sentiment that the girl would be warmed by giving to a child in need but I'm not sure that kids are going to get it without a little more to show the giving. I mean she gave the homeless girl something to eat and then she is talking about the coat. What? Food=coat? I wanted more.

Also, I was confused by her giving her the red coat specifically. Both coats belonging to the girl in the story are used. No matter which coat she gives away she is giving a used coat. Why not give away the other coat? Yes, sacrificing is important but I just felt it was an unnecessary sacrifice since either coat would have kept the homeless girl warm.

Basically, this story was just okay for me. I probably wouldn't read it multiple times with the kids I babysit. And I think they would be bored quickly with it anyway.

Need a picture book to make you cry? This is the book for you. Told with grace and honesty, this story shows us how something as simple as a coat can change your circumstances. Elise has been waiting for the day that her older sister's coat will finally be hers! When the fateful day comes, she notices the homeless family shivering outside in cold. Over the course of a few days, we see how Elise decides to pass on the warmth and happiness she feels to the young girl with nothing to keep her warm. She shares her hat and scarf with the mother for good measure. I was impressed by the level of sacrifice the author chose to convey. Elise gave all of her cold-weather clothing she was currently wearing AND was late to school because of it. She didn't wait to bring her old cold the next day, she didn't wait to ask her mother, she just did what she could to help in the moment. This book will offer an opportunity to discuss homelessness and what we can do to ease the struggle of our neighbors in a child-friendly format.

Inside The Coat, there was a great act of kindness on behalf of the little girl. I couldn't help wondering though, why that coat? Why the red coat you dreamed about getting for what seemed like forever. Why not share your other coat instead? I loved the messages of giving and kindness, but I was also wondering what the little girl would now do without her coat.

This book was heartwarming. It's a perfect age appropriate book for elementary kids to thing of others and the needs of other families. The ending of this book was cute, but abrupt. I kept trying to turn the page, thinking there had to be more. The pictures were engaging and cute.

Elise has been wanting the red coat for just about forever. Finally, her sister outgrows it, and Elise can wear the beautiful, perfect coat wherever she wants. But on the way to school, she sees a girl on the street who has no coat or hat or gloves or sweater. Elise tries to ignore the compassion she feels, but she has to make a choice between her own wants and the needs of others.

Ah, what a heart-wrenching little book. Some people say that helping the homeless is a complicated problem, but through a little girl's eyes, we see that ignoring someone in need isn't the answer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this Story and it’s beautiful, heartwarming message. Elise has wanted her older sister’s red coat for the longest time. When her sister outgrows the coat, she gives it to Elise. Elise is excited and plans to wear it everywhere. One day, Elise passed by a homeless woman and her daughter. She notices that the little girl is cold and doesn’t have a coat. Elise feels sorry for the girl and faces a difficult choice. Should she keep the coat that she’s always wanted or give it to the little girl? Ultimately, Elise chooses to give the coat to the little girl.

The message was absolutely sweet and I love that it teach readers to be kind and how to share.

This is such a sweet book with engaging illustrations. I read this to the 4 and 2 year olds that I nanny; the 2 year old was just interested in the illustrations but the 4 year old enjoyed the story amd illustrations. The 4 year old had much excitement over the coat in the story because she loves her backpack that was a hand-me-down from her older sister. She also had a few questions at the end of the book that we talked about for a bit.
Overall, this was a wonderful story that would be best for children over 4. It has a beautiful message within it's pages and I throughly enjoyed it.
I am very grateful to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #netgalley for providing me with this #ebook that I was able to sit down and enjoy with my 3 year old. He really enjoyed it, and this book teaches a very valuable lesson.
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This book is about little Elise who wants her sisters bright red coat so bad that she is counting down the days until it's hers. Finally she is big enough to fit it and wears it to school. However, on her way to school she runs into a homeless mother and daughter who are freezing. She doesn't understand the feeling she gets from seeing them. She eventually understands and makes a very hard decision.

The author does a stellar job showing how Elise wants wants wants her sister's hand-me-down red coat. So when she finally gets it, author Vidal perfectly evokes Elise's joy at being able to wear it.

The actual giving it away to the more-needing girl on the street is less thoroughly evoked, probably intentionally by the author. One sentence, one page, and one picture conveys the act of passing the coat to someone else. I'm not sure that is enough. What was Elise's thoughts and feelings? I don't think we can assume what went on in Elise's head (and heart).

A beautiful book, and a subtle but powerful observation that most people, when encountering the homeless, "look away, check their watch or phone," as if nothing were wrong. Thanks to NetGalley and Flyaway books for the chance to think through this digital arc.

Told from a child’s point of view, The Coat introduces children to many great messages/themes of patience, compassion, kindness, materialism and homelessness. Elise longs for her big sister’s red winter coat and rejoices when she is finally big enough to wear it. Her excitement is short-lived when she walks to school and passes a child on the street who is suffering from the cold weather. The next day Elise chooses to give her coat to the homeless girl and finds the joy of helping others outweighs the joy of her coat.

The illustrations were beautiful and engaging, and the moral of the story was wonderful. The author provides great discussion opportunities for families. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I wish the end showed more of Elise at school, cold, but happy, to really wrap up the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flyaway Books and Séverine Vidal for an advance copy.

Introduces children to compassion and charitable giving through the story of a hand-me-down coat. The main character Elise desires her big sister's winter coat and rejoices when she is finally big enough to wear it. Her joy is short-lived though when she sees a child experiencing homelessness and suffering from the cold weather. Elise just can't pass by without helping.

I really did want to enjoy this, and of course I did like the overall moral of the story.

A young girl has waited ages for her older sister to finally outgrow her red coat so that it can finally be hers! She’s waited ages, and its finally time! She wears her new (to her) coat to school one day when she notices a homeless woman and her child on the sidewalk, being ignored by all who pass them.

The following day, the girl makes the choice to give her coat to the young girl and comes to realize that the joy of helping others outshines the joy we find in material possessions.

The moral was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. I personally feel like it would be better for the girl to have collected the clothes she was no longer wearing to give to the less fortunate, instead of giving away the coat that finally fit her properly.

This is an interesting book, told from a small child’s point of view. She has been longing for a hand-me-down coat from her sister. It is just what she needs. It fits perfectly. She loves it, and her friends love that she has it.

And then, she sees a homeless woman and child, shivering in the cold. She doesn’t know what to do. No one else seems to see them. They look the other way, they ignore her. Is that what she is supposed to do too?

And so, we learn that despite loving the coat so much that she dreams about it at night, she is willing to give it up to the child so she won’t freeze.

A story in compassion, when the rest of the world just keeps walking by.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Sweet story, lovely illustrations. Great message. But I felt it ended a bit abruptly. Maybe another page or two showing more clearly that she was at school, cold, but happy she gave away the coat. Thanks to author, illustrator, publisher and NetGalley for preview copy.

A sweet little book with an important message but I think it gets lost a little. There is so much build up to this glorious red coat (I'm not sure most kids are THAT excited about a hand me down coat!) that the ending is almost anticlimactic. I would have liked to see more emphasis on how it's important not to look away and that it always feels better to give...even better when giving away a prized possession, to someone else who truly needs it more than you do.

A beautifully illustrated picture book offering a simple,very effective lesson in compassion. The story is relatable & told at a child's level & the accompanying pictures go right along with it. It's a very nice story to share with a little one, & might inspire some good conversation. I'd guess the target audience might be 4-8 y/o's? A good book for every library!
I received a complimentary e-ARC from publisher Flyaway Books via NetGalley in return for reading it & offering my own fair/honest review.

I never experienced a book that discussed homelessness in the way that this sweet book does. I recommend this story to many classrooms so that children can understand sympathy, empathy, and caring for their fellow people, including children their age.

Furthermore, the pacing's quick, and the illustrations are lovely.

4/5