The Snowy Day. ISBN 0-670-86733-0. Ezra Jack Keats. 1962. Caldecott Medal. Ages 4-8. African American.

Young Peter spends a day outside after a fresh snowfall. In his red snowsuit, he discovers the wonders of snow as well as sadness when he realizes that he can’t keep the snow in his pocket to play with the next day. However, when he wakes up the following morning, more snow is falling for more adventures in the snowy city! The paint and collage techniques create a colorful backdrop for Peter’s snow-filled adventures. Peter’s red snowsuit among the white snow clearly presents him as the focus. The simple shapes and use of bold colors create a winter world which children would want to discover.

This classic book for young children could be used in the classroom in many ways. A winter theme would be an opportunity to introduce this book. The students could learn about the individuality of snowflakes, the solid and liquid forms of water, and the characteristics of winter. For older students, a social studies theme could be expanded to discuss geography, more specifically, the regions in the United States which are cold-weather regions and those that are warm-weather regions which do not generally experience snowfall. The Snowy Day could also be used in art to show a creative method of creating patterns and the beauty of simplicity in a work.