A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of the Snowy Day

Gr 2-4--Pinkney dives into the life and work of Ezra Jack Keats, specifically focusing on The Snowy Day and his creation of the main character, Peter. Using poetry (what the author refers to as "collage verse"), mainly addressed to Peter, Pinkney pieces together Keats's biography, tracing spots where early versions or hints of Peter can be found, and reflects on what a monumental event the publication of the picture book was and still is. Students will learn about Keats's early life, his tireless dedication to provide for his immigrant family, his love and pursuit of art, and how he changed his name from Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz to Ezra Jack Keats to avoid anti-Semitism in the United States after World War II. Pinkney's verse seamlessly weaves together story and fact to craft an intimate conversation about the artist's history and impact. ("Brown-sugar child, /when you and your hue/burst onto the scene, /all of us came out to play.") Readers familiar with Keats will notice allusions to his other works throughout. The illustrations complement the text, and Keats's own style, by using mixed-media collages of prints, fabrics, photos, and paint, all of which capture the liveliness of the urban setting and historical points. This uplifting telling ends with a discussion of the cultural importance of Peter and how Keats's vision paved the way for authors and artists to look for and include children of color in their work. VERDICT This celebration of a visionary children's book author and illustrator is a lovely addition for most collections.--Briana Moore, Elmont Memorial Library, NY

This formidable biographical poem pays homage to Ezra Jack Keats while speaking to Peter, the fictional African-American hero of The Snowy Day, the story of a black boy playing in the snow, remarkable among 1960s children's stories in which "the delight/ was all white." Pinkney (Rhythm Ride) goes deeply into Keats's motivations, describing how "Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz," a child of struggling Polish immigrants, progressed from grocery store sign painter in Brooklyn to WPA muralist to comic book artist. After his service as a draftsman in the WWII Air Force, "Ezra did something many Jews did/ when the want ads said: / 'No Jews Need Apply' " and changed his name to one that "had a nicer ring to it--for some." Pinkney emphasizes that "Discrimination had formed Ezra's/ understanding of what it meant to be/ different./ This also led to you, brown-sugar boy." The character of Peter, warmly addressed as a "cocoa sprite" who is "filled with brown-sugar whimsy," developed from a series of photos of a child that Keats clipped from a 1930s Life magazine. Pinkney describes the snow of Peter's day as "nature's we-all blanket," an inclusive force ("When Snow spreads her sheet, we all glisten"), while Fancher and Johnson (Shh! Bears Sleeping) mime Keats's collages, creating a gentle ambience for Pinkney's wordplay and confident voice. Though an established classic, The Snowy Day has received renewed attention from the We Need Diverse Books movement, and Pinkney's poem sheds fascinating light on Keats's long-lived achievement. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Nov.)