Bibliography: Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York: Viking Press, 1962.
ISBN-13 : 978-0140501827
Plot Summary: The Snowy Day is a book written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. The books follows the main character, Peter through his snow day. Throughout the book Peter finds different ways to enjoy the snow, including trying to keep some for himself.
Analysis: Ezra Jack Keats’s book is such an important addition to any classroom library. The 1963 Caldecott winning book was the first color picture book to have a black main character. Students will connect with Peter, the main character and the joy he feels when he wakes up and and sees a blanket of white snow. The book follows a series of adventures any kid would love to experience on a snowy day. Students will see themselves in Peter when he tries to hold on to the beauty of the day by keeping a snowball in his pocket for later. The illustrations are vivid and beautifully done. The contrasting colors of the buildings and coats behind the stark white snow gives the book a happy, bright feeling of movement. Even when Peter returns home the illustrator continues to have the characters pop with a white wall color. It isn’t until bed time that the colors mute only to pop again when Peter wakes up and realizes he gets another snowy day.
Reviews:
“This classic book’s colorful illustrations won the 1963 Caldecott Medal, and in honor of its 50th anniversary a special edition has been issued. It includes 8 pages of special bonus material. Keats had a picture from Life magazine of a little black boy and for 22 years waited to illustrate a book using that child. The opportunity never came so he wrote his own and featured a black child named Peter. ” Marilyn Courtot: Children’s Literature
“Jack Keats’s classic The Snowy Day, winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal, pays homage to the wonder and pure pleasure a child experiences when the world is blanketed in snow.” Publisher’s Weekly
Awards: As listed on Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database
- Indies Choice Picture Book Hall of Fame, 2011, Winner, Picture Book
- Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1963, Winner
Connections:
Collect a variety of Ezra Jack Keats books to display in the classroom. Have students look for similarities in his style.
*Peter’s Chair- ISBN-13 : 978-0140564419
*Whistle for Willie- ISBN-13 : 978-0670880461
*A Letter to Amy- ISBN-13 : 978-0670880638
As a class, brainstorm things that are fun to do on a snowy day. Make a class chart the students can use to create their own writing. Illustrate using shaving cream mixed with liquid glue. The mixture will dry and create the illusion of show.
Accommodations:
Create sequence cards illustrating the activities Peter did on his snow day. Allow the students to retell the story by putting the cards in order.
Set up a sensory tub using magic sand. Have the students make marks in the sand just like Peter did in the book. In the tub, include objects that will leave a print or line. Students can even practice writing words or letters using the “snow”.
Give the students access to a device that allows them to watch an animated version of the book. Below is a wonderful option on youtube.
The Snowy Day Read-aloud, an Animated Story. January 5, 2018.
Li-Berry-ian 