The Memory Coat (Hardcover)

by Elvira Woodruff (Author), Michael Dooling (Illustrator) "Long ago, a young girl named Rachel and her cousin, Grisha, lived with their family in a small town, far away in Russia..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ellis Island

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
An immigrant boy's tattered woolen coat helps secure his entrance to America in this thoughtful picture book. Grisha, whose parents have died, now lives with his cousin Rachel's boisterous family in a Russian shtetl. Grisha misses his parents terribly, though he finds comfort in playing storytelling games with Rachel ("they were the best of friends") and in wearing the now-ragged coat sewn by his mother. But after cossacks terrorize the Jews of the shtetl, Rachel's family flees to America. At Ellis Island an inspector notes a scratch on Grisha's eye and marks his coat, indicating that he is rejected. Luckily, quick-thinking Rachel turns Grisha's coat inside out, allowing him to pass with the rest of the family. Woodruff (The Orphan of Ellis Island) steeps her tale in history, and at times the abundance of scene-setting detail bogs down the story's pacing. Dooling's (Mary McLean and the St. Patrick's Day Parade) evocative oil paintings range from low-contrast two-color portraits to full-color scenes; many exude great warmth. A black-and-white spread depicting a huddled band of people, with anxious, strained faces, is particularly memorable. Endnotes supply facts about the plight of Russian Jews in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the mechanics of immigration and the role of Ellis Island. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-A moving story of a family emigrating to the United States from Russia at the turn of the century. To while away the days in their small village, or shtetl, Rachel makes up stories and her orphaned cousin draws pictures in the dirt or snow to illustrate them. Although Rachel's mother offers to make Grisha a new coat, the boy clings to his threadbare jacket because it reminds him of his mother. When Russian soldiers come to round up the Jews, the family is forced to flee and makes the long, arduous journey to America. Grisha is nearly turned away by immigration authorities at Ellis Island because of a cut on his eye. Rachel saves the situation when she turns his shabby coat inside out to hide the doctor's chalk mark. Realistic yet impressionistic oil paintings in subdued tones evoke scenes from village and farm life in the old country, while sepia-toned illustrations depict the hardships of the voyage and the grimness of the customs inspection. A touching story of immigration and the resiliency of those who underwent the transition, told with the fondness of a cherished memory.
Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590677179
• ISBN-13: 978-0590677172
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #334,612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely, sentimental story, June 7, 2000

By A Customer

I purchased a copy of this book for a friend whose great grandparents immigrated from Russia and entered the United States through Ellis Island and then purchased one for myself to read aloud to my third grade students. The paintings are beautiful and haunting; some in color, some in sepia tones. The story itself is heartwarming and sentimental.

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Book, April 24, 2009

A Kid's Review

My Favorite Book

My favorite book was The Memory Coat. Why is this my favorite book? I love this book because at the time I was reading it, we were learning about it in social studies. It was about immigration and how hard it was.

I feel it was very hard to get into the U.S. I think the most interesting part of the story was very sad. It was when they wouldn't let him in because he got a black eye. That was when he hit his eye on a basket. So they wrote an E on his jacket. It stood for eye. He turned his jacket inside out to get into America. That took a lot of courage.

Jonathan
DME

5.0 out of 5 stars The Memory Coat, April 23, 2009

A Kid's Review

History has often seemed depressing at times. However, during history we can't just sit down and cry. If I could choose one impression The Memory Coat has shown to me in confidence, it would be that one. This book has shown me just how grueling history can be.
A book like The Memory Coat, I'd recommend to any age group. This book even has a message for little kids of don't give up, even if things seem dull. History can repeat its self. The one wrong move you make is giving up. The one question The Memory Coat left hanging was where we would be without pure support like this.
Arianna
DME