Module Two: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Bibliography

Keats, E. J. (1962). The snowy day. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary

This is the story of Peter, a young boy who spends a day outside exploring the snow-covered city. Peter is full of wonderment as he crunches through the snow, amazed at the imprints left by his feet and a stick, as well as the fun of making a snowman and snow angels. As the day wears on, he must eventually head home. Before he does, however, Peter saves a handful of snow in his pocket for later as a reminder of his adventurous day. That night, he's dismayed to discover the snow is gone and has fitful dreams that all the snow has melted away. With much relief, though, he wakes up to find another snowy day.

 

My Impression

As a child, The Snowy Day was one of my favorite books and, after this more recent reading, I am pleased to discover I'm just as charmed by this delightful book today. Like Silverstein's The Giving Tree, Keats manages to aptly portray strong emotion through simple images. Peter's pure adoration of the snow is evident from illustrative details like the fascination with his footprints and slide down the snow-covered hill: Peter stares down at his footprints, captivated by the direction of his toes in the snow, and throws his mitten-covered palms straight up in the air as he slides with abandon down the hill. Although Keats diverges from Silverstein's illustrative style with his use of colorful, collage-like images in mostly primary colors, both authors' ability to depict deep feelings through straightforward pictures remains consistent.

Reviews 

School Library Monthly (excerpt)
"Peter, a character in The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, wakes up one morning and discovers that a blanket of snow has fallen during the night (Viking, 1962). Peter's wondrous and joyous day of snow play ensues and he creates snow angels, tramps footprints in the snow, and knocks snow from a tree. Peter decides to save a snowball in his pocket for the next day.

The illustrations of Peter in his red snowsuit and his snowy wonderland are innovative collage and colorful watercolors. The character of Peter who was a young African American boy was groundbreaking in the children's literature of the time. Ezra lack Keats was awarded the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal in 1963 for the most distinguished picture book.

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation's Web site says that "this now classic book broke the color barrier in mainstream children's publishing. It is beloved by children, by their parents, and by their grandparents. The vivid and ageless illustrations, along with the classic text, have earned this book a place in the pantheon of the greatest children's literature ever produced in this country."

Book Links

"The author brought bold, bright color and collage to the forefront of children's literature, winning the Caldecott Medal and introducing children to a young African American protagonist named Peter who romps in the snow in this first book and who appears in subsequent stories set in an urban neighborhood."

Use in Library Setting

Given that Keats' The Snowy Day is considered especially significant because it broke the color barrier in children's publishing, becoming the first children's book to portray an African-American character, it could be used in a preschool story time program centered around acceptance of others, regardless of race, gender, age, religion, etc. The story could be used in conjunction with other books dealing with tolerance and acceptance, such as Dr. Suess' The Sneetches and Other Stories. Librarians could lead a discussion about the various ways people are different and how this is a positive thing.


Brodie, C. S. (2009). The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. [Review of the book The Snowy Day]. School Library Monthly, 26(4), 24-26.

Munson-Benson, C. (2006). 15 picture-book classics for preschoolers. [Review of the book The Snowy Day]. Book Links, 15(6), 66-68.

Image from http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2011/03/the-snowy-day/