THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats

The Snowy Day

By Ezra Jack Keats

Keats, Ezra Jack. 1962. THE SNOWY DAY. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0590733249

Plot summary

               Peter is delighted his city is covered in a blanket of snow. He spends the day outside, using his imagination to make the most of the deep powder. He makes tracks, snowmen and snow angels, avoids a snowball fight out of his league, and climbs a mountain. Upon returning home to warm and clean up, he discovers his saved snowball tucked in his coat pocket is gone, and then dreams the sun melts all the snow away. His excitement returns when he wakes up to see the snow again and embarks to renew his adventures with a friend.

Critical Analysis

               Peter is a fairly typical imaginative, curious young African-American boy living in an apartment in the city. His character demonstrates the ability and creativity to enjoy exploring your surroundings alone. Though there is no strong conflict, the story chronicles how Peter chooses to spend his snow day, with the false resolution of the dreamed melting leading the excitement of a new snow day with a friend. The setting plays a major role in the story, though a generalized city, the snow creates the plot. Each turn of the page indicates a new activity for Peter.

The somewhat impressionist and abstract illustrations along with the bright color scheme lend a cheerful and inspire the imagination of the reader. A bold line of hilly contrast between snow and sky gives linear cohesion to the pages. The text even refers to the illustrations at times, as when Peter tries different ways of making tracks. The themes of exploration and imagination, finding adventure in familiar places, and solitary entertainment are presented lightly. The author uses onomatopoeia and repetition along with an observant tone to tell the story of Peter’s snow day in a simple, but endearing way.

Review Excerpts

Awards and Recognitions

Educators' Top 100 Children's Books, 2007 ; NEA Survey; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education; California

Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1963 Winner United States

Connections