Ezra Jack Keats was known for his striking mixed media collages and for his stories. Keats was awarded the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1963 for The Snowy Day. During his many years of creating illustrations for other authors, Ezra Jack Keats had never seen an African American child as the hero in a children's picture book. He determined that when he wrote his own books, a black child would be the hero. The Snowy Day is the tale of Peter, a little African American boy who lives in the city, and his delight in the first snow of the winter.
While Peter's joy in the snow will warm your heart, Keats' dramatic illustrations will have you shivering! I recommend this book for three- to six-year-olds. It is one of seven picture books by Keats about Peter. For more of Keats's stories, see Keats's Neighborhood. Compare prices. (Viking Juvenile, 1962. ISBN: 0670654000)
