Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Summary:
This is a beautiful book about a boy name Peter who woke up one morning, looked out his window and saw the roof tops of buildings across from his house covered all with snow. It literally covered everything that he could see, so after he ate breakfast he decided to go out for some fun. The snow was piled up so high that he could hardly walk outside. He decided to walk further so he could make tracks pointing his feet up and down and see it melt in the ice. When he came across something sticking out he saw that it was a stick so he pulled it out, and started hitting the snow covered trees. He came across some big boys playing snowball fight and thought it would be fun to join them, but quickly found out that he wasn't old enough when he started getting hit left and right. So he left and went to play alone building snowman and angels. Just before heading home he pretended to be a mountain climber and slid all the way down on the snow. When he got home he told his mother all about his adventure while she undress him from the soaked clothes he was wearing. Before he went to bed that night, he checked his pocket for the snowball that he had put inside earlier but found nothing, he was so sad. So while he slept he dreamed of the snow and how the sun had melt it away, when he woke up the snow was still there and so he called out to his friend and they both went outside to play in the deep cold snow.
Biography:
Keats, E. J. (1998). The Snowy Day. New York, NY: Scholastic Incorporated.
My Impression:
This is an ideal book for someone that isn't afraid to experience the snow alone. Peter did not stop to think about anything or anyone else but wanted to see for himself how the snow felt and enjoy being in it. I like how there is no adult around to tell Peter what to do and what not to do, because usually having an adult or parents around would have limited him from going outside. Peter would have probably been told to wait until someone else is there to go outside with. I admire that Peter took the chance of exploring alone and not nagging for someone to take him out. As an example, here at home I get all wired up if I find my grand children playing outside without my knowing, yet the swing is right in the front of our house. I'm afraid that they might get hurt and I'm not there, or someone might just take them without me knowing. I wouldn't want my grand babies to go out alone, yet this little Peter went on his own and still went home in time for dinner. I don't think his mother knew he was gone. The author's story just gave this child the courage to go out there and have fun.
Professional Review:
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| By Celia Wren Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 You might as well store an icicle on a lighted gas burner as try to find a musical-theater equivalent for the beloved picture book "The Snowy Day." The 1962 children's tale by Ezra Jack Keats tells of hushed awe and solitude: Celebrating a recent snowfall, the book's young protagonist, Peter, wanders alone through a nearly deserted winter landscape, making snow angels, sliding down a slope and engaging in other simple pleasures. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/performing-arts/the-snowy-day,1212957/critic-review.html Library Use: I would have the children work in groups. Have the kids cut out shapes of mountains from card boards and decorate them with materials and glue them on a big poster board. They can also use cotton balls for snow and glue them also on the poster board. Each group will explain their projects and librarian can put them on the wall to show their work. Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31mg_1eJ9HGh5GRxGKz5NfkbAezr_ZpFJzeGfJ5rullTsYeNcDqmXh7M-iM3Yl5FPAAFpbIHGicDTXql_qIEoRI_y8u3VS2CefOTGX365BGsFGPkx9A3oBa1tXWuYQ1anrais5BJ1bkM/s400/snowy+day+Peter.gif&imgrefurl=http://printnest.blogspot.com/2009/07/snowy-day-by-ezra-jack-keats.html&h=300&w=260&sz=9&tbnid=vHIw0Y-Ct9q1-M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=78&zoom=1&usg=__tg6VvT2GpFR5dFZPhpncqBhiV8s=&docid=WbsTRzBlPfZGbM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QdBWUIGkLaiXiQLTjYHoBA&ved=0CCIQ9QEwAQ&dur=559 | |||||||||||||||||||
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