“Keats made Peter’s world so inviting that it beckons us. (This book is also available in Spanish, as Un dia de nieve.) The quiet fun and sweetness of Peter’s small adventures in the deep, deep snow is perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.Įzra Jack Keats was also the creator of such classics as Goggles, A Letter to Amy, Pet Show!, Peter’s Chair, and A Whistle for Willie. Universal in its appeal, this story beautifully depicts a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. In 1962, a little boy named Peter put on his snowsuit and stepped out of his house and into the hearts of millions of readers. New York Public Library's #1 book on the list of “Top Check Outs of All Time” This celebrated classic has been shared by generations of readers and listeners, a must-have for every child’s bookshelf and a perfect gift for the holiday season. When he saw those signs, he changed his name to Ezra Jack Keats.The magic and wonder of winter’s first snowfall is perfectly captured in Ezra Jack Keat’s Caldecott Medal-winning picture book. 'There were literally signs in windows that said: 'Jews need not apply.' Ezra was born with the name Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz. After serving in the Army, Keats returned to face discrimination at home. As a child, Keats wanted to become an artist, but his father died when he was a teen, World War II broke out, and his dreams were put on hold. City streets, sidewalks, stoops - everything that I held so dear.'Īs she worked on the biography, Pinkney learned that Keats was also a city kid, the child of immigrants who fled anti-Semitism in Poland.

'And here was this book that made my life, my experience, valid. 'Up to that point, there were many picture books but they were in rural settings,' she says. When Pinkney was asked to write a book about Keats, she says she jumped at the chance 'like a kid on a sled.' The Snowy Day was her favorite book as a child she says it brought her comfort to see her own life reflected on the page. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title A Poem for Peter Subtitle The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of the Snowy Day Author Andrea Davis Pinkney, Lou Fancher, et al

The snowy day paperback