The Snowy Day

Keats, Ezra Jack.  The Snowy Day.  New York:  Penguin Group, 1976.  

The Snowy Day presents the story of a young boy, Peter, who wakes up to discover that it has snowed overnight.  The book follows Peter's adventures in the snow.  That same night, Peter dreams that the snow has melted, but when he awakes the next morning, he realizes that it has snowed more.  He embarks on another day of fun outside.  

Keats's picture book is charming and playful.  When Peter balls up snow to keep in his pocket for the next day and then realizes, later, it's missing, Keats captures the naive innocence of childhood perfectly. For young children, it can teach noises, such as the snow crunching under his feet, directions because his toes were pointing in and out, as well as enjoying nature.  It also features an African American as the main character, which can help readers identify with similar or varying races.  

The illustrations are simple but colorful.  They resemble a collage, with colors, objects, textures, and patterns that seemingly overlap.  Additionally, the snow, which covers the pages, contains muted watercolors and evokes a lighthearted spiritedness. 

Reviews:

Elleman, Barbara. "The Snowy Day And The Art Of Ezra Jack Keats." School Library Journal 57.12 (2011): 144.Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.
"In 1962, when Keats's The Snowy Day landed on book shelves, it became an immediate favorite of children and adults alike, received accolades from critics and reviewers, and was awarded the 1963 Caldecott Medal."

Connections:

The Scholastic Web site contains an Ezra Jack Keats Study Guide.  (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=541)

Visit the Ezra Jack Keats Virtual Exhibit at the University of Mississippi.  (http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/keats/main.html)

Have students create their own versions of the book; for example, The Sunny Day.

Students could read other books that feature Peter, such as A Letter to Amy and Pet Show!.

Brodie, Carolyn S. "The Snowy Day By Ezra Jack Keats." School Library Monthly 26.4 (2009): 24-26. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.