Ezra Jack Keats, winner of the Caldecott Medal in 1963
for The Snowy Day, has written or illustrated more than 85 books for children.
Ezra Jack Keats children stories makes use of wonderful collages. The imagery provided is
reminiscent of experiences we all share in childhood - the fun of snow, a favorite pet,
your neighbors and life in Brooklyn, NY as a child in the 1940's.
A recurring character in Keats stories is a young boy by the name of Peter. Keats derived
the Peter character, not from himself as a child, as one might assume, but from a
photograph in a magazine. Keats was impressed by the expressions of the child in the
photograph.
Keats' positive portrayal of African American youth makes his books a welcome addition to
my children's library.
Keats was born on March 11, 1916 and died in 1983.
Binding: Paperback The Snowy Day, a 1963 Caldecott Medal winner, is the simple
tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during
the night. Keats's illustrations, using cut-outs, watercolors,
and collage, are strikingly beautiful in their understated color
and composition. The tranquil story mirrors the calm presence of
the paintings, and both exude the silence of a freshly
snow-covered landscape. The little boy celebrates the
snow-draped city with a day of humble adventures--experimenting
with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow
angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day.
Awakening to a winter wonderland is an ageless, ever-magical
experience, and one made nearly visceral by Keats's gentle
tribute. |
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 A
Letter to AmyClick to order via Amazon Binding: Paperback Generations of children have read, re-read, and loved Ezra Jack Keats's award-winning, classic stories about Peter and his neighborhood friends. Now, for the first time, Peter's Chair, A Letter to Amy, and Goggles! are available in paperback exclusively from Puffin. "A master of ingenious collages, [Keats] has made brilliant variegated pictures..." |
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 Peter's
ChairClick to order via Amazon Binding: Hardcover Generations of children have read, re-read, and loved Ezra
Jack Keats's award-winning, classic stories about Peter and his
neighborhood friends. Now, for the first time, Peter's Chair, A
Letter to Amy, and Goggles! are available in paperback
exclusively from Puffin. |
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 Pet
Show!Click to order via Amazon
Binding: Paperback Everyone is talking about the neighborhood pet show, and
Archie can't wait. His friends are bringing dogs and birds, and
he is going to enter the cat who lives near by. But when it's
time to go, the cat is nowhere to be found. The contest is about
to start. What can Archie do? |
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 Whistle
for WillieClick to order via Amazon
Binding: Hardcover When Whistle for Willie was first published in 1964, The New York Times wrote Mr. Keats' illustrations boldly, colorfully capture the child, his city world. and the shimmering heat of a summer's day. Now the story of Peter, who longs to whistle for his dog, is accessible to even the youngest child in a durable board book edition, with reinforced pages, a handy trim size, and safe, rounded corners. Ezra Jack Keats, who died in 1983, was the award-winning author of such children's favorites as The Snowy Day, which won the Caldecott Medal, and Goggles, a Caldecott Honor Book. |
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 GogglesClick to order via Amazon
Binding: Paperback This is the story of two boys who find a pair of motorcycle
goggles. They wear them long enough for a group of older boys to
try and take them. Fortunately the boys who found the goggles
are wiley enough to escape. The last line of the story is
cute..."Things look fine now!" |
Related Links
The Official Ezra Jack Keats Website
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/
Keat's Biography
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/keats/biography.html
The Snowy Day