The Snowy Day

by Ezra Jack Keats

Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York: The Viking Press, 1962. ISBN 0-670-65400-0.

A Snowy Day tells the story of a young boy named Peter, who experiences the joy of snow. He wakes one morning and looks out his window. To his amazement, it had snowed and as far as his eyes could see, snow was everywhere. He ventures out and shares with us the many “snowy” adventures he experiences throughout the day. He walks this way and that way in the snow, climbs up the snow and slides down the snow. Wanting to hold on to the joy of the day, Peter places in his pocket a snowball; he then returns home and excitedly shares with his mother his day of snow-filled adventures. The story reaches a conflict when right before bed; Peter reached into the pocket of his coat to learn that his snowball was gone. Unquestionably upset, the story climaxes when Peter falls asleep and dreams that all the snow is gone, melted away by the sun. The resolution comes when Peter awakens the next day to see to his delight, that the snow is not only still there but also, more snow is falling.

A Snowy Day is the winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal.

The main character of this picture book is Peter. Peter is an adventurous young boy, who is full of curiosity and energy. As I am sure we can all think of a child, whether boy or girl, who can be a “Peter”; I am just as sure that there are many children, who can compare themselves to Peter. Peter’s character comes to life throughout the story through the illustrations and his behavior and actions. The author’s choice of words clearly portrays to us the young child that Peter is. For instance, after putting on his snowsuit, Peter did not walk outside but rather, as children do when excited; he ran outside. Although he thought it would be a blast to have a snowball fight with the older boys, Peter knew that he shouldn’t for of course “mom” would not approve!

The plot of this story is quite believable to children. Peter is enjoying playing in the snow yet, it is time to go home. He is so excited and anxious for the following day to arrive so that he can continue on with his adventures in the snow so much so that he worries and has a nightmare that the snow will be gone the next day; just like the snowball that he had placed in his pocket. The resolution is reached when Peter awakens to not only see that the snow is still there but that more snow is falling. The illustrations gracefully support the story moving it right along.

The setting of the book is depicted through not only the text of the story yet, also through the first illustration. The story begins with the text reading, “One winter morning…” The illustration displays Peter looking out of his bedroom window into a crisp blue morning sky. Throughout the remainder of the story, I would say that the setting is more of a “generalized modern community” and not critical to the story. As the story moves along, I felt that there was an unspoken reference to time and place. Peter is playing outside in his neighborhood. When he packs his snowball into his pocket and returns home; there is an unspoken sense of the time now being evening. On page 28, it does read “Before he got into bed…” and on the following page the illustration shows Peter in bed sleeping. On the last two pages of the story, the text and illustrations once again work together to create the setting.

The Snowy Day is a story, which just as simply as the title reads, simply highlights the adventures of a young child enjoying a snowy day. I would say that there is no deeper meaning which is forced upon reader or audience. One may infer an innocent appreciation and love for nature and an appreciation for the delightfulness of new experiences and wanting to cherish and hold on to the awesomeness of it all.

I would describe the style of this book to be direct and simple yet, effective. On each page, the author manages to create a wonderful story about a young boy and his adventures in the snow using approximately one to four basic sentences. The use of description and action words are used effectively to create each scene and draw the audience in; “Crunch, crunch, crunch, his feet sank into the snow.” I can imagine children attempting to walk with their toes pointing in and again with their toes pointing out. The illustrations appear to be a combination of abstract and realism. The illustrations almost possess a surrealism that uniquely adds warmth to the story and appropriately mirrors the story.

The illustrations completely complement the story. They not only illustrate the words of the story however, they add warmth to the story and move it quite nicely along. The illustrations are presented in a combination of abstract and realism. The colors used throughout the illustrations create an almost dreamlike quality. The style is appropriate to the story and illustrates the essential details of the story. For instance, the various foot print patterns, which Peter creates in the snow, the smile on the “smiling snowman”, the children having a snowball fight, etc.

Although The Snowy Day “broke the color barrier in mainstream children's publishing”, this book captures the excitement all children share regardless of race or culture. I would not say that the story utilizes any stereotypes and is modernly represented.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Now in a sturdy board-book format just right for youngest readers, Ezra Jack Keat’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.” —Publishers Weekly

The Snowy Day, a 1963 Caldecott Medal winner, is the simple tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. Keats's illustrations, using cut-outs, watercolors, and collage, are strikingly beautiful in their understated color and composition. The tranquil story mirrors the calm presence of the paintings, and both exude the silence of a freshly snow-covered landscape. The little boy celebrates the snow-draped city with a day of humble adventures--experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. Awakening to a winter wonderland is an ageless, ever-magical experience, and one made nearly visceral by Keats's gentle tribute.
The book is notable not only for its lovely artwork and tone, but also for its importance as a trailblazer. According to Horn Book magazine, The Snowy Day was "the very first full-color picture book to feature a small black hero"--yet another reason to add this classic to your shelves. It's as unique and special as a snowflake. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. —Amazon.com Review

RELATED ACTIVITY:
There are many creative activities one can incorporate with this picture book. From simply having children draw and color snowmen and snow angels to discussing topics such as what their favorite snow activity is. In association with the part of the story where Peter created his footprints in the snow; print outs can be made of various animal footsteps and children can guess which animal made which footprint.