Customer Reviews

The Coat of Many Colors

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This book has great colors and interesting text, but it totally misses the point of the biblical account!

"The Coat of Many Colors" is somewhat accurate to the scriptural story, but there are enormous glaring holes. Rather than going into Joseph's slavery under Potiphar in Egypt, being tempted by Potiphar's wife, thrown into prison, given charge over the other prisoners, and interpreting the chief baker and chief cupbearers dreams, this account jumps right from Joseph's brothers selling him to interpreting Pharaoh's dream. Worst of all, the only one given an exalted name in this version is Pharaoh, who is called O Great One. What?? How is it overlooked that the point of this story was the immense care and intricate purposes of our great God?

The author completely missed the point of the Joseph story. Joseph's life was not random and it didn't just so happen that Joseph ended up as second in command of Egypt and was thus in a position to keep his family from starving. The biblical Joseph knew very clearly that it was God who directed his steps. His long story in the Bible ends with these words: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you in your children."

I can only guess that the author of "The Coat of Many Colors" was intending to take God out of the story altogether. She ends her version like this: "We have all learned many lessons since I first put on the coat of many colors."

This biblical account was not about learning lessons, it was about trusting God. This version has lovely illustrations, but taking out the main focus of the biblical account - that God was in charge all the while, and that He had intended all along to bring Joseph to Egypt for His own good purposes - takes the redemptive nature out of the story altogether. If you are considering buying this book to read to your child to teach them more about God, don't bother. He's not a part of it.

The Coat of Many Colors is one of many books about the Bible character, Joseph. This book retells the well-known story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, taken from the book of Genesis. The author highlights the key events in Joseph's life: his father giving him a special coat; his brothers' jealousies and their betrayal of him; his capture and enslavement; his interpretations of Pharaoh's dreams; his rise to power in Egypt; and his eventual reunion with his brothers.

The text contains both narrative and dialogue, bringing the characters to life on the page.

The illustrations, done mostly in shades of browns and yellows, like those found in a desert, are appropriate for a story set long ago in Egypt. They evoke a feeling of ancient Egyptian art. Borders, like those found on ancient poetry, have been added to each page.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review

Elegantly illustrated by the artwork of Pauline Baynes, The Coat Of Many Colors by Jenny Koralek is a picturebook retelling the Biblical story of Joseph. When his ten brothers became jealous of his coat of many colors, they decided to teach him a lesson. Joseph was sold into slavery - yet his astounding gift to interpret dreams would come to the pharaoh's attention, and Joseph taught him how to protect the land from the threat of famine. One day Joseph and his brothers would meet again, with repentance filling the brothers' hearts, all of them far wiser than they once were so many years ago. A powerful and timeless legend.

I bought 5 of these for a promotion our theater group did with our local library system and school district (called "hooked on Books"). We gave a few of these away to younger kids as a promotion for the show "Joseph & the Amazing technicolor Dreamcoat." The books were reasonably priced, well illustrated, and appeal to a variety of ages (i.e., enough "pictures" for parents to read to toddlers, but enough text to appeal up to 3rd grade level I would guess).
At any rate, it was a great book for what we wanted to achieve.

My friend referred to this story when she was going through a time of turmoil professionally .... and her comments perfectly say what the wisdom of this Old Testament tale says:

My life at times closely resembles Joseph in the Old Testament. His life is identical to mine! What happened to Joseph wasnt fair! Whe your own family sells you as a slave and your bosss wife has you wrongly imporisoned you tend to ask Lord, whats going on!!...Before God promoted Joseph to the palace, He wanted to know how hed hold up under pressure...In Genesis, when Josephs brothers finally stand before him as ruler of Egypt, Joseph tells them, You didnt do it to me, God orchestrated the whole thing. God intended it for good.

As for myself, it is hard to understand why I go through the fires of refinement...but I think somewhere down the line, God will be able to use all that painful stuff to bring my life into focus and accomplish His purposes.

I am reminded of a meal I had in a pizzeria during my travels to Rome this past August...the kind of place where they take a ball of dough, slam it down, twirl it around, flatten it, and then put it into 1000 oven. That is what is required for the pizza to hold all that good stuff they plan to put on top...I think I am that pizza dough and God as the person working it...Hes got some good stuff he wants to lay on me, but before He can do it Hes got to knock me into shape...