goldjay's Full Review: Ezra Jack Keats - The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day is a classic and can be found in almost any preschool classroom as well as in many homes. It is a story that anyone who lives in a snowy climate can relate to. Written by Ezra Jack Keats and published in 1962, it is also a Caldecott Medal winner. The Caldecott Medal is “awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children,” according to the American Library Association website.
The Story
A boy named Peter wakes up to find what every child dreams about, an overnight snowfall! He is able to go outside and play in the snow. He walks in the snow leaving different kinds of footprints, he drags a stick in the snow, and uses the stick to knock snow out of a tree. At one point, he sees other children having a snowball fight and he dreams of joining them but knows he is still too small so he goes to build a snowman and make snow angels instead. He pretends to be a mountain climber and then slides down the hill. Just before going inside, he makes a snow ball and puts it into his pocket “for tomorrow.”
His mother is waiting for him in the house and he tells her all about his adventurous day while she takes off his wet clothes and puts him into a warm bath. Peter goes to sleep that night and dreams that the sun melts all of the snow but, instead, he finds that there has been yet another snowfall so he goes out to play again but this time he plays with his friend. By the way, he did check for the snowball he had left in his coat and while the book leaves it to your imagination that it melted, Peter does find the wet spot where it had been!
Why I like this Story
This story is a great introduction to snow for even the youngest children who may not have seen (or remember) snow. I would read it in my preschool classrooms every year at the beginning of winter. Once it did snow each winter, I would read it again, asking the children if they had tried making different kinds of footprints or dragging a stick or any of the other things Peter did in the snow. It was great for the children to see things in the story that they could actually do themselves! I read this story to kids as young as age 2 and as old as 5 or 6 years old and all enjoyed it every time and asked to have it read again and again.
What is Special About this Story?
The illustrations in this story are absolutely wonderful. They really show a child’s world through the artwork. The steps in the snow, the snow angels and even the snowman are just the way a kid would make them! Each page is so well done!
Each page only has a maximum of about 26 words. Many pages have even less so it is a book that can be read in less than 5 minutes so even your most restless 2 year old can hear the whole story. Yet, with some discussion, for example, “what happened to the snowball?” the story can be expanded upon and appropriate for an older child. After reading the story through the first time, I like to re-read it for older children and have them walk in different ways that would make the different kinds of footprints that Peter made in the story. The children always enjoy this.
This story also depicts a black child as the main character. He seems to live in an apartment building as at the end, he called to his neighbor across the hall. This is different from so many books where a white kid lives in a house with a backyard. It introduces kids to different people and different lifestyles, to which there are many kids who can relate!
Recommendations
I would highly recommend this book. It is a simple story that many children can relate to and even if you live in a warm climate, it may be fun to read about what children in colder climates experience. As mentioned, the pictures are excellent and all children will find them fun to look at, which makes this a fun book to read.
No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become...More at HotBookSale
In this book sparkling with atmosphere, a small boy experiences the joys of a snowy day. The brief, vividly expressed text points out his new awarenes...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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