The
Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, 1962
Keats, Ezra Jack. 1962.
The Snowy Day. Ill. by the author. New York City: Viking Penguin, Inc. ISBN
0-670-65400-0
Currently celebrating
its 50th anniversary, The
Snowy Day takes us through a day in the life of Peter, who on the first
page, is in awe of the snow-covered world he just woke up to. The reader
follows the inquisitive and adventurous Peter through his day of wonderment.
After putting on his red snowsuit, Peter starts exploring the snow-blanketed
city. He makes funny footprints in he snow and turns around to admire his
handywork. He finds a stick and smacks a snow-laden tree with it – and gets a
nice “plop” of snow on his head. He thinks twice about joining the older boys
for a snowball fight, and instead chooses to create a smiling snowman and some
snow angels. Then he pretends to be a mountain climber and climbs up a
“mountain” of heaping snow and slides down it. Perhaps the most charming part
of the story is when Peter gets home and decides to put a snowball in his
pocket to save for tomorrow. After his mother helps him out of his wet clothes,
Peter takes a bath and reminisces about his day. Before bed, he becomes very
sad when he discovers his snowball is no longer in the pocket of his snowsuit.
While he sleeps, he dreams that all of the snow melted away, but then he wakes
up to discover that new snow is falling! So after breakfast, he gets his friend
from across the hall, and they venture out into the newly fallen snow together.
Keats used collage, with cutouts of patterned paper, fabric and
oilcloth, homemade snowflake stamps, and spatterings of India ink with a
toothbrush to create the illustrations in The
Snowy Day. The pictures are beautiful in their simplicity, and help the
reader develop the story’s “movie in your mind” as each page is turned. Keats
used muted tones to reflect colors in the snow, and bright colors to accent
Peter in his red snowsuit, city buildings, the blue sky, and the big boys at
play. A big pink cutout bathtub is featured on one two-page spread with a
collaged mosaic tile floor underneath, while a thoughtful Peter sits in the tub
with a yellow rubber ducky and soap bubbles floating above. Patterned paper was
used to create Peter’s pajamas and his mother’s bright yellow dress. It is
fascinating to me that Keats handmade the snowflake stamps used on the last few
pages and inside cover pages. How many different snowflake patterns can you
count? Certainly for its time, this was a uniquely illustrated book.
This
classic children’s picture book, for ages 2-6, includes several firsts. It was
the first children’s picture book to feature a minority (African-American)
child as the main character. It was the first book that the author wrote and illustrated. The artistic techniques
that give this book its unique look were methods Keats had never used before. And
he was awarded his first Randolph Caldecott Medal for The Snowy Day in 1963.
Learning
connections could include:
- A more in-depth discussion of the techniques Keats used, and allowing students to use collage, stamps, and spatter techniques to create their own unique art.
- Students could write reflections about their favorite snowy day.
- A literature discussion could focus on the Caldecott Medal. Why do you think this book won? What is your favorite illustration in the book and explain why it is your favorite. Make sure students qualify their answers as specifically as possible, discussing materials, colors, or the depiction of a really snowy day. What should be included in an illustration for a snowy day? What would they include?
- Compare and contrast other Keats books, especially those that have Peter as the main character.
Reviews:
The
New York Times: “A
gentle story that tells its action eloquently in few words and in the frosty blues
and other beautifully combined colors of outstanding illustrations.” (1962)
Publishers
Weekly: “Ezra 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.” (1996)
The
Wall Street Journal: “The book
remains beloved because Mr. Keats so beautifully captures the wonderment of a
boy encountering his first snowfall.” (Jan. 2012)
Awards: The Randolph
Caldecott Medal, 1963
If you want to learn
more about Ezra Jack Keats and his body of work, here’s the official website of
the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation:
Works Consulted
"Biography: Ezra Jack Keats." The
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/.
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