The Snowy Day

 

Bibliography:

  Keats, Ezra. 1976. THE SNOWY DAY.

Plot Summary:

 The Snowy Day is about a boy who shares his experience of his day of being in the snow. He shares all the fun he has from walking silly to seeing different tracks, making a snowman, climbing a giant mountain, and more.

Critical Analysis:

 Ezra Jack Keats did a wonderful job writing one of the first books to portray a realistic, multi-cultural urban setting. There weren’t many books in this period that depicted children of color. This book became a classic and is still today a top children’s book. His illustrations portray what a child sees and does on a snowy day, and you can imagine being there. After writing his first book The Snowy Day he created his most famous character Peter.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

Caldecott Medal Book

“Keats made Peter’s world so inviting that it beckons us. Perhaps the busyness of daily life in the 21st century makes us appreciate Peter even more—a kid who has the luxury of a whole day to just be outside, surrounded by snow that’s begging to be enjoyed.” —The Atlantic

"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."—Publisher's Weekly

Connections:

 This book would be great to use when teaching personal narratives and talking about small moments when writing.

I would also get other Keats books to use as other examples of personal narratives. Such as:

-          -Whistle for Willie, 

-          A Letter to Amy

-          Peter’s Chair

-          Jeannie’s Hat

-          Hi, Cat!

-          Pet Show

-          Goggles

-          And more.