The sweet — and familiar — simplicity of Peter’s wintry pursuits earned Keats’ “The Snowy Day” immediate accolades from readers and reviewers alike, in addition to the 1963 Caldecott Medal and eventual placement on the New York Public Library’s 100 Most Important Children’s Books of the 20th Century.
When “The Snowy Day” debuted, few children’s books characters looked like Peter, whom Keats painted as an African-American child. His skin color plays no role in the plot but was nonetheless noteworthy — and, for some, life changing.
“It was an important book when it was published. It was groundbreaking. But it’s actually more important and more relevant today, which isn’t true of many 50-year-old books,” says Regina Hayes, president of Viking Children’s Books. “It influenced so many African American artists even though Ezra was not. He was white, he was Jewish, he was from Brooklyn.” (read complete article at NY1.com)
