The+Snowy+Day

Book Review By Tracey Tangarife

The Snowy Day  By Ezra Jack Keats

**Bibliographical Data:** Original Publication Date- 1962 Publisher- Penguin Group ISBN-13: 9780140501827 Number of Pages- 40 Barnes & Noble Paperback Price- $6.99 Barnes & Noble Hardcover Price- $12.13 Age Range- 3 - 5 years

**Summary:** //The Snowy Day//, winner of the Caldecott Medal in 1963, is a children's book that tells the story of a little boy named Peter who has a day full of adventure in the snow. Peter wakes up one morning and looks ou his window to see everything covered in snow. Peter put on his snowsuit and went outside to play. Peter made tracks with his feet and found a stick to smack the snow on the trees. He wanted to play with the big boys who were having a snowball fight but he knew that he could not because he was not old enough. So instead, Peter decides to go make a snowman, snowangels, pretended to be a mountain climber, and slid down a mountain of snow. Peter wanted to save some snow for tomorrow so he makes a snowball and put it in his pocket, but when he goes to look at the snowball before bed, it isn't there. The snowball had melted. During the night, Peter had a dream that it was sunny out and there wasn't anymore snow on the ground. When Peter wakes up and looks out his window he sees that the snow is still there and new snow falling. In the end, Peter goes outside to play in the snow again, but this time, with a friend. **Review:** //The Snowy Day// was always one of my favorite childhood books. I always loved the book because any child that lives where it snows, can relate to the excitement and adventures that they have had when it has snowed. Even children who live where it does not snow would enjoy this book because they would learn about something that is very new to them and learn about all the fun and joy that snow brings. This book does not only tell a story, but also teaches a lesson. It teaches how it only snows when it is cold outside, and that heat makes snow melt, like it did in Peter's dream when it was sunny and inside his house where it was warm. //The Snowy Day// does an excellent job of capturing and illustrating the excitement, wonders, and imagination of a child when it snows. This is a book that can be read to children in the future, and they will enjoy, love, and cherish it just as much as everyone who knows it has.

**Analysis of a Literary Element:** The Snowy Day is a book that has become a big favorite and an unforgettable book. It has a wonderful story that can be told to children that they can easily relate to and love. But aside from a wonderful story, it has amazing illustrations to help tell it. The simple use of pastel and watercolors create a great and enjoyable image of all the fun activities children can do in snow. All the little things that make winter fun are witnessed through an easy, innocent story told through text and illustrations. For example, in the story Keats tells the reader about the way Peter walks in the snow and the way his feet leave footprints; and along with this text is an illustration of what Peter's footprints look like. Other examples that show how well the text and illustrations go together in this story are when Peter is makes a snowman, a snowangel, climbs up a mountain of snow and then slides down it; each activity is shown and easily distinguished in the illustrations Although the colors are very light and simple, they still work very well in the illustrations and are used in a creative way. The joy of winter, snow, and all the fun that comes with it were portrayed very well in Keats book through the illustrations easily earning it the Caldecott Medal.

**Author Biography:** Ezra Jack Keats was an author and illustrator and began writing children's books in the 1960s. Keats was born on March 11, 1916 in Brooklyn. Ezra Jack Keats is best known for introducing multiculturalism and being one of a first authors to have an african-american as the main character in many of his books, such as, //The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Peter's Chair, A Letter to Amy, Goggle!//, and many more. //T////he Snowy Day// was Keats' first picture book and was awarded the Caldecott Medal and is considered to be one of the most important American books of the 20th century.

**Video of //The Snowy Day//** media type="youtube" key="AA808AdC_cc?rel=0" height="315" width="420" align="center"

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