Artist and Writer Ezra Jack Keats

As his online biography recounts, "Long before multicultural characters and themes were fashionable, Ezra Jack Keats crossed social boundaries by being the first American picture-book maker to give the black child a central place in children’s literature." In case you aren't aware of Ezra Jack Keats and his books, particularly his Caldecott Medal winner, “The Snowy Day,” you will want to check out ”Keats's Neighborhood,” a collection of his popular stories for young children, illustrated with his unique artwork, a blending of gouache with collage.