Today I am sharing the book is A New Coat for Anna – a perfect book for this wintry time of year. We have read this book so many times throughout the years, and it’s especially perfect for the wintry months of December and January.
I originally found this classic when I rowed many books with my older two 9-10 years ago using Five in a Row. Literature unit studies are such a beautiful, gentle way to learn in the younger years. ❤
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A New Coat for Anna
Book: A New Coat for Anna
Author: Harriet Ziefart
Illustrator: Anita Lobel
A New Coat for Anna has been a long-time favorite of ours here at the Hill House. Like many classic, living books, there is a new topic to discuss every time we pull out this wonderful read.
A New Coat for Anna is a beautiful story of a little girl who is in need of a new winter coat. Anna and her mother live in a poor area, which is trying to recover from the economic effect of World War II.
No one has any money, including Anna’s mother to buy that new coat.
Even though Anna’s mother doesn’t have any money, she does have a few valuables, which she willingly trades to get the needed items for Anna’s coat.
She does business with a sheep farmer, a spinner, a weaver, and a tailor, in order to “buy” a new coat for her dear daughter.
Talking about A New Coat for Anna with Your Children
Like many books, A New Coat for Anna lends itself to a multitude of talking points for you and your children. Here are a few to get you started:
♥ Anna’s mother didn’t have any money to buy a new coat. How do you think she felt? How did Anna feel?
♥ What would happen if you didn’t have enough money for a new coat?
♥ Anna had to wait almost a whole year to get her new coat! There were so many steps she had to take to get it. How do you get a new coat? What are the steps that your mom takes to get a coat for you?
♥ What kinds of things did Anna’s mom have to give up for Anna to have her coat? Brainstorm things that aren’t tangible as well.
♥ Talk about the process of getting the materials for the coat: wool — spin into thread — dye the yarn — weave the cloth — measure for the coat and make the pattern — sew the coat — add the buttons.
♥ My my children and I first read this book years ago, we were able to visit a sheep farm in which the owner carded, spun, and then used a large loom to create her own fabric. She also gave us a few lessons in dyeing yarn. It was fascinating! I highly encourage you to see if there’s any opportunities in your area. Field trips make the books come alive!
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World Children’s Book and Learning Ideas
can I access this with my all access pass? I’m sorry but I’m not very techy and the 365 books looks like one I would very much like to do with our 6 yr old
Hey Tammy,
What exactly do you mean? Did you want to access a copy of the post to print out? Or the access to the printables that I link to?
I’m happy to help you figure it out, I’m just not sure what would be helpful to you.
Thanks!
xo, Lauren