The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Format: Picture Book
Whose it’s for: Children
Winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal and The Library of Congress’s Books that Shaped America award.
A young boy named Peter awakens to find that while he was sleeping, snow has piled up outside his window. Peter puts on his red snowsuit and heads outside for a winter adventure. Peter makes snow angels, snow balls, and marvelous tracks in the snow. All the things a child would do when their city is blanketed in snow. Young children will relate to Peter and his wintery adventures, where snowbanks seem like like mountains waiting to be climbed, and snow so deep it’s hard for little legs to walk through. Like Peter’s desire to play with older children, young listeners are reminded that sometimes you are just too small and you’ll have to wait until you get bigger.
While reading The Snowy Day to a child, it’s hard not to reminisce about your own fun childhood memories of playing in the snow. Peter’s adventures are familiar, realistic and oh so charming! Children and adults will appreciate Ezra Jack Keats simple story and beautiful illustrations. Share this story with a child, talk about your own snowy memories and ask them about theirs. Then, on the next snowy day, head outside and have an adventure, just like our beloved protagonist Peter.
In 2020, The New York Public Library announced that The Snowy Day was the most checked out book in the 125 year history of the Library!
In 2017 the U.S. Postal Service issued a collection of Forever stamps featuring four images from The Snowy Day.
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