The Coat is a wonderful story about coveting after and having great desire to have something but then also learning to be grateful and appreciative for what you already have and the power and pleasure of doing good for others. It is a simple story kids can relate to and is beautifully illustrated.

A tender and poignant, beautifully illustrated and told story from a child’s POV.
The snowy, wintery setting is amazing.
The story itself is both heartbreaking and hearwarming, and very realistic.
From one perspective, the story goes to an unexpected dark place, but it is highly true to reality. The change is a little abrupt.
From another perspective, which my child and I share, this is a much-needed conversation and the theme that the very small acts of kindness matter is highly valuable.
Fun? The first part of the book is fun.

"The Coat" by Séverine Vidal, illustrated by Louis Thomas, is a heartwarming children's book that beautifully captures the emotional journey of a young girl named Elise. The story begins with Elise admiring a red coat that once belonged to her older sister, Mia. Elise has long dreamed of wearing the coat, which symbolizes her growing up. Her anticipation turns to joy when Mia and their mom surprise her with the coat one evening. Elise's happiness is vividly portrayed as she runs down the hall, singing and thanking her sister.
Elise cherishes the coat and dreams of wearing it everywhere. The next day, despite her initial hesitation to wear it outside for fear of damaging it, she proudly steps out, reassured by her sister. As she walks, her joy and pride are evident, but her mood changes dramatically when she encounters a thin woman and a child sitting on the cold ground, poorly dressed for the weather. This sight deeply affects Elise, and she finds it difficult to sleep that night.
The following day, despite feeling cold in her warm coat, Elise tries to mimic the indifferent behavior of others. However, she cannot ignore the girl she saw the day before. Elise decides to offer a small act of kindness by sharing a candy she had saved, which brings a smile to the girl's face and warmth to Elise's heart. The story concludes with Elise missing the school bell but feeling warmed by her kind act, highlighting the power of empathy and compassion.
An important moment in the story is depicted in an image where Elise is absent, and only the homeless girl (wearing Elise’s red coat) and her mother are shown. This absence of Elise suggests a subtle message about the nature of kindness and altruism. By not featuring the protagonist directly in this moment, the focus shifts from individual recognition to the inherent value of assisting people in the community. The absence of Elise in the illustration emphasizes that true kindness does not seek acknowledgment but rather is about the act of helping others.
Louis Thomas's illustrations are rich and expressive, capturing Elise's emotions and the story's settings beautifully. The use of color, particularly the bright red coat against the cold, snowy backgrounds, emphasizes the warmth of Elise's heart. The detailed illustrations add depth to the narrative, making them an integral part of the storytelling.
"The Coat" teaches valuable lessons about kindness, empathy, and the joy of giving. It is a touching and beautifully illustrated book that resonates with both children and adults, making it a must-read for young readers.

The Coat Is the perfect book for teaching empathy and kindness. At my school, they have kindness chains on all the walls. This little gift of a book should be included on many of the kindness chains.
I admit, while reading this little gem, I was a bit disappointed. When I got to the next to the last page I felt a bit disappointed thinking “ok, she gave the little homeless girl candy”. Then I turned the page that had no words on it and the picture was magic. Yes it does bring tears to your eyes.
The artwork was beautiful and the writing, yet simple, was just enough for great classroom discussions. Being a speech pathologist I look for books that have vocabulary we can discuss and making inferences about what might happen next
The story: Elise is a little girl who has waited and waited for the day her sister outgrows a beautiful red coat with wide lapels and lots of pockets. She is not patient and asks frequently when she will get the coat. One day her mom and sister give her a beautifully wrapped box and she knows she has finally gotten “HER” red coat. The next day she wears it proudly and warmly. While walking to school she sees a homeless mom with her daughter, the same age as Elise, sitting out in the cold with nothing but summer clothes. The weather, as Elise likes to call it, is “penguin cold”. We can only surmise what the ending could be, but the ending is well worth it.
I can’t wait to read this with some of my kids at school. I know they will love it as much as I did.

This is such a sweet, beautiful book. Elise is part of a caring family and she is so excited to be getting big enough to wear her older sister's gorgeous red coat. Sadly, she keeps passing by a less fortunate family on her way to school, and she sees that others are ignoring them. The ending is expected but I still got a tear in my eye at this young child's caring and generosity. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

I would certainly utilize this picture book as a mentor text in my classroom. It is really cute, and it has a great meaning that comes through at the end of the story.

The Coat is a sweet story that shows a little girl's process and acts of kindness. This is a great story to read to students to discuss kindness and how they can demonstrate kindness to others. Another great theme is respect, thoughtfulness, and philanthropy. This would be a great addition to any teacher's classroom.

Cutest little story with great meaning. The ending warmed my heart. Highly recommended for all ages.

'The Coat' by Séverine Vidal is one of those books that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. "When it's bitterly cold (penguin cold!), is there anything better than having the perfect coat?" Elise has been patiently waiting for her sister Mia to outgrow her beloved poppy red winter coat. The wait is finally over. When it finally becomes hers, she is overjoyed! She is so excited about going to school in her new coat. Her view of the world changes when she sees a homeless mother and daughter out in the freezing winter weather, without anything to keep them warm. Despite everyone's excitement for Elise's new coat, she was sad and it hurt. That night, she couldn't sleep. Do you know what Elise did the next day when she saw the girl and her mother? You will have to read the book to find out.

The book was wonderfully heartfelt, and I would highly recommend it for the classroom as well as for the home. There are several great lessons in this book, including patience, gratitude, thoughtfulness, and giving.

Thank you NetGalley, Flyaway Books, and Séverine Vidal for the copy of The Coat.

The Coat is an endearing story about a girl named Elise who is extraordinarily excited to get to wear her sister’s hand-me-down coat. The story emphasizes her excitement when she is able to start wearing it. Elise is then faced with a situation that shows Elise’s kindness.

With beautiful illustrations and a well-written story, this is a great book to demonstrate kindness, empathy, and thoughtfulness,

This is a heartwarming story of a young girl's experience of empathy and giving. Many children will identify with wearing a coat that an older sibling or friend has passed down. Even before the ending climax, I enjoyed this story because of its positive depiction of sharing and re-wearing clothes -- not asking for something new. The little girl's selfless gift to a girl who needs it more than she does is a lovely example for young readers.
This book will make a good read-aloud in school or at home.

Such a sweet book about a red coat! I love the message this book gives about thinking of others and sharing with them.

The Coat is a wonderful children's book about a girl who is looking forward to wearing her older sister's coat when she outgrows it. She's been admiring this coat for years and been looking forward to the day it's hers. However, on her way to school she sees a family who have no coats and are homeless. By the end of the book she gives her coat to this family and their little girl, realizing that she doesn't need it as much as they do. I loved the message and how it is an accessible introduction to the really challenging idea of homelessness and how we can help others. This would be a great holiday book or addition to any classroom or any library.

With the same beautiful empathy as “Those Shoes”, “The Can Man”, and “Lily and the Paper Man”, Séverine Vidal has crafted a simple, yet stunning book with which which readers will instantly connect. All of us can remember a piece of clothing that we - at one time or another - coveted for what surely seemed like forever. And with “The Coat” Vidal makes all of us desperately want that little red coat.

The opportunities for rich discussion as a classroom read aloud abound as the story unfolds. Why do you you think that Elise wants the coat so badly? Have you ever wanted something like this? Did you have to wait for it? What did that feel like? How do you think Elise feels?

By the time Elise goes to school and sees the family, the chance to engage readers in deep, higher-order thinking abounds. What can you infer from the illustrations? What might the author be telling us about about where Elise lives? How do you know?

I love this book for many reasons. The kindness it shows, the empathy’, the vast range of emotions it draws out from this little girl wrestling with big questions, and above all, the deeply embedded humanity it reveals.

+I received a free advance copy review and I am reviewing it voluntarily.+

This is such a beautiful and heartwarming story. The capacity that children have to care for others and notice things that others don't or even wish to ignore, is one of my favorite parts of life. I hope people read this to their children and nurture their compassion and kindness while they're still young.

This is a sweet little story told without actually "telling" the ending which I like and found refreshing since it gives room for discussion when reading with or to children.

Elise is the younger sister who has coveted her big sister's red coat for a long time. When she is finally able to wear the coat, she does so with much pride as she walks to school with all her friends knowing she finally got the red coat. What they do not know is what is deep in Elise's heart once she saw a homeless mother and child; child about Elise's age. (In the real world, I have the strong feeling the child would have been in school but then the story could not happen in the way it did.)

The day after Elise has seen the homeless mother/daughter, Elise stops as she walks to school to give the girl a bag of candy, (Spoilers here but I figure adults are reading this,not children.) Elise "stayed for a moment," which caused her to be late for school and while she waited to be able to get into the locked school gate, she was cold...but she "didn't mind. " Nothing is said but the observant child will notice that in the final picture (no words), themother/daughter are together with the child in a red coat and the mother in a scarf and hat.

For me, I found this a wonderful story for children to learn about how important it is to care for others in the world around them. At no time did the author state that Elise shared with her family about the homeless people she had seen yet the sight of them affected her greatly. To show such empathy for another person is a great thing at any age; for a young child to show it, it wonderful.

What a great way to discuss caring for others with children. I think, in all honesty, this is a book better to read aloud to students as you discuss the pictures. At the end, showing kids the final picture to see what they understand would be important. There are children who won't "get it," but for those who do, it is priceless. A wonderful book to read at the holidays when many school do activities to encourgae children to give to those less fortunate.

If you want to picture book to make you cry, this one will do it. There are so many things to love about this book. First off Elise is a little girl and the one thing she really wants is to be big enough for her sister’s hand me down coat. It’s red, it has a big pocket, a hood, and it is absolutely perfect. She can’t wait for it to be hers. The day comes when she gets the coat. She wears it to school but on the way, they see a mom and a little girl out in the cold with no coats. She goes back home but feels yucky because something is wrong. She realizes that people look at their phones, they look away, they did everything to pretend not to notice the mom and the little girl in the cold. The next day Elise said “Hi”. Elise accidentally got locked out of school while it was cold, but not too cold. What I love is that the author doesn’t tell you what Elise did, you see it in the pictures. You see it in the authors words that her thoughts were enough to keep her warm. This book didn’t have to say Elise gave away her coat, no one made Elise giveaway her coat. Elise did it because it was the right thing to do and didn’t need to brag or point out that this good deed was done. I love this book! it’s well done and well-illustrated. The story is a joyful sadness that is important for kids to experience growing up.

The Coat is the beautiful and moving story of Elise and the red coat. The coat belonged to her older sister for what seemed like forever, and Elise dreamed of it being hers one day. When she finally grows into it and gets to wear it herself, she sees a homeless woman and a girl about her age out in the cold. The girl doesn't have a coat to keep her warm.

Elise tries to walk past them, to ignore the girl who could use her help, but she just can't! She ends up giving her precious coat to the homeless girl. Such a heartfelt message for kids to see empathy and a caring heart and how you can make a difference for someone.

❤️ Wonderful book, beautiful message, lovely illustrations. Must-have for your home or school library! ❤️

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

A heartwarming story about a sweet girl who has so much excitement and care in her heart. I loved the character so much. Her enthusiasm for such a small thing as a jacket was nice to read.

Words and pictures are equally extremely important. This sweet book has both. Excellent! Will definitely be using this book for a lesson!