Poetry

Title: The Snowy Day

Author: Ezra Jack Keats




About the Author: Admired as much for his inventive, colorful illustrations as his simple, earnest stories, Ezra Jack Keats literally changed the face of children s literature by introducing African-American characters into a mostly white genre. His gentle, big-hearted books have been loved by generations of children of all races.

Age Level: preschool-8

Synopsis: This is a story about a little boy named Peter who goes outside to play on a snowy day. He takes a journey and explores many things throughout the day. Before he comes inside, he makes a snowball and puts it in his pocket. When he goes to bed he dreams that the snow
is gone but he wakes up to another snowy day!

Pre-Reading Activities: The excitement of the first snowfall of the year. What do you like to do when you play in the snow? Have you ever built a snowman? What materials do you use when you build a snowman? Discuss with the class why it snows, how it snows, and why it’s cold. Allow and encourage students to ask questions.

Post-Reading Activities: What was your favorite part of the story? What kind of things did Peter do on the snowy day? What did Peter put into his pocket before he goes back inside? After the reading students will receive three pieces of paper with three different sized circles on them. They will cut the circles out and glue them one on top of the other. The two bigger circles (the body of the snowman) will have lines in the middle of them. The students will then write a description about what they enjoy doing on a snowy day. When they are finished writing, they may decorate their snowman, and put a face on the smallest top circle. The snowmen will be handed in and hung up on the wall.

My Reflection: This is such a wonderful book! It is a classic! The little boy in the story is able to experience something new for himself. Any reader of all ages can relate to this book. This book also delves into minorities and race and could have a much deeper meaning when critically analyzed. The illustrations are wonderful and the book is a simple story of a boy exploring a snowy day.

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