He recalls, 'Upon reflection, I see my old neighborhood as an extension of the shtetl life these European Jews had experienced as children.

In his Caldecott Medal acceptance speech, Taback explained that Joseph Had a Little Overcoat holds a special significance for him, because it is 'set in a world I heard to much about as a child and tells a story which is so personal to me.' Taback's family belonged to a community organization that built their own cooperative housing project, which included a community center, science and sports clubs, art classes, and a library. Taback's Polish-Jewish heritage and his exposure to Jewish culture as a youth became an important influence on his writing of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. Taback was born on February 13, 1932, and grew up in a working-class Jewish neighborhood in the Bronx in New York City.

Taback's 'Happy Meal' box has been preserved as a display item in the collection of the national Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. In addition to illustrating some thirty-five children's books, Taback has been a commercial graphic artist for over forty years and has been recognized for designing the first McDonald's 'Happy Meal' box, a promotional packaging innovation aimed at children for the fast-food industry. Taback has distinguished himself by his innovative techniques of utilizing die-cut pages and detailed mixed-media collage illustrations to enhance the text of stories written and adapted by himself and others. INTRODUCTIONĬhildren's book author and illustrator Taback was awarded the 1998 Caldecott Honor Award for There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (1997), adapted from a traditional American song, and the prestigious 2000 Caldecott Gold Medal for the revised edition of his Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (1977 revised, 1999), adapted from a Yiddish folk song.

The following entry presents an overview of Taback's career through 2003. American illustrator and author of picture books.

Postcards from Camp by Simms Taback