The Snowy Day- Book Review

1.      Bibliography

Keats, Ezra Jack. 1962. THE SNOWY DAY. New York City, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670654000

2.      Plot Summary

In the picture book The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats introduces us to Peter, a young boy who is excited to learn snow had fallen while he was asleep.  Peter starts his snow day adventure by admiring and experimenting with the snow.  He begins by simply walking through the snow to feel the crunch and discover the designs he can make with his feet and with a stick he picked up along the way.  Peter learns that poking a tree with snow on it will make the snow plop on your head.  He attempts to join a snowball fight but realizes he may not be old enough for that snow activity so he moves on to more age appropriate activities like building a snowman, making snow angels, and using his imagination to pretend to climb up a snow mountain and slid down.  Peter wants to preserve this memory by keeping a snowball in his coat which he quickly learns had melted away.  He is thrilled to learn the snow is still there the next day and he and a friend begin a new day of snow adventures together while the reader is able to reflect on their childhood snow days.

3.      Critical Analysis

Ezra Jack Keats use of simple sentences creates a childlike mood.  As you read, you truly believe you are in the mind of this young, curious, adventurous boy.  Readers experience what Peter is learning about snow with him.  Peter notices the “snow was piled up very high along the street to make a path for walking.”  Readers are able to imagine walking through the snow, feeling the “crunch” and how it feels to “walk s-l-o-w-l-y to make tracks.”  Keats presents the innocence and curiosity of the young boy by having him find a simply object, a stick, and create more fun with it in the snow.  Keats also has Peter attempt an adventure that he just may not be ready for (snowball fight with older kids) and he finds another activity to enjoy which many children can relate to.  Keats reveals Peter is not very familiar with snow at the end of the story by having the character try to keep snow in his pocket.  Readers can relate to the desire to hold onto a memory, but really you can just create more.

In Keats collage illustrations, he creates contrast in the snow by adding a variety of colors instead of just plain white snow.  The illustrations partner with the words in the picture book and help develop the plot.  Peter “…walked with his toes pointing out, like this:” and the illustrations show the footprints in the snow so readers can make the connections.  Keats created Peter to be a young African American child by having dark skin and hair which was an important aspect to this book in its age.    

4.      Review Excerpt(s)

The Caldecott Medal – 1963

Barnes and Noble – “Keat’s sparse collage illustrations capture the wonder and beauty a snowy day can bring to a small child.”

Horn Book Magazine – “the very first full-color picture book to feature a small black hero.”

5.      Connections

*Gather other Caldecott Medal winners from the previous year and year after.  Compare the books to see if there are any similarities and differences in the winners.

*For younger readers, students can practice vivid and descriptive adjectives by filling in the blank “Snow is __________.”