Bibliographic Citation:
Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York, NY: Puffin, 1962. 40p. ISBN 978-0140501827
Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York, NY: Puffin, 1962. 40p. ISBN 978-0140501827
Awards/Selection Lists:
Caldecott Medal, 1963
Format Examined:
Paperback
Annotation:
A young boy wakes up to freshly fallen snow and spends the day having adventures outside.
Personal Reaction:
Ezra Jack Keats created a true classic with this story of a young child enjoying the day in the snow. The magic that a child feels at the wonder of snow, and all the new ways to play in it, come to life for children and adults who read this book. Keats quietly introduced the picturebook world to an African American main character for the first time in 1962 through Peter and his exploration of the snow.
Ezra Jack Keats created a true classic with this story of a young child enjoying the day in the snow. The magic that a child feels at the wonder of snow, and all the new ways to play in it, come to life for children and adults who read this book. Keats quietly introduced the picturebook world to an African American main character for the first time in 1962 through Peter and his exploration of the snow.
Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.
Themes/Issues:
Winter, snow, adventure
Winter, snow, adventure
Early Literacy Skill Value:
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.
Narrative Skills:
This book would work well in a dialogic reading setting. Children would be able to help tell the story through answering open-ended questions about what they think will happen, and why certain things happened in the story (such as when Peter puts the snowball in his pocket).
Phonological Awareness:
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.
Print Awareness:
The text is printed on each page in a simple, black font. The position of the words accentuates the illustrations, such as the words being printed on the bottom of the hill when Peter slides all the way down. The word "slowly" is written with dashes to draw the word out ("s-l-o-w-l-y") when Peter drags his feet to make tracks in the snow. These techniques draw attention to the print in connection to the illustrations to help tell the story.
Print Motivation:
This book inspires reading through a story that is easy for children to identify with.
Vocabulary:
Words pertaining to the consistency of snow are included in the text, including firm, heaping, and crunching.
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/
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