The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats

Peter in The Snowy Day

Written and Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

1962

The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is the first major exhibition in this country to pay homage to Award Winning Author and Illustrator, Ezra Jack Keats. Coincidentally, The Snowy Day featured the first modern African-American protagonist to be illustrated in a full-color picture book. At the date of it's publication, in 1962, America was experiencing the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the book was a catalyst for change in the Children's Picture Book Industry. Needless to say, Peter has become an inspiration for generations of readers, The Boog being one of them.

The inspiration for Peter goes much deeper than the writer/illustrator is credited for. The Ethnicity of Peter takes a back seat as Keats literally paints a modern community right before your eyes. Growing up in the inner city myself, I have always related to the work of Keats in a very visceral way. His books touch upon life through the eyes of a child; a child that lives in uncertainty, but views their surroundings with conviction. His use of urban settings is not surprising, as he himself grew up in Brooklyn.

Being one of our favorites, I have written about Peter before (here). Gladly, he remains a constant bedtime staple in our story book circulation.

The Exhibit, curated by The Jewish Museum, is currently at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA. and runs June 26 - October 14th 2012.

The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats Preview here.

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I am a Bunny

I am a Bunny
by Ole Riesom with illustrations by Richard Scarry
Published 1963 by Golden Books

Since my last post was a tad bit dark I decided to lighten things up a bit. I am a Bunny is a vivid account of Nicholas, a little bunny that enjoys the seasons, and shares his experiences throughout the year. In the spring he likes to sniff the flowers, and in the summer watches the frogs in the pond. In the fall, he watches the animals getting ready for winter, and in winter, watches the snow falling from the sky.


This is one of my favorite Richard Scarry books because the illustrations are so vivid but the real credit should be given to Ole Riesom, who was one of the most influential publishers of mass-market books for children. Mr. Riesom was vice president and art director of Golden Books Western Press from 1952 to 1972 and then vice president and associate publisher of the juvenile division of Random House from 1972 to 1990. Although he was most famously associated with Richard Scarry, he also worked with Dr. Seuss, Jim Henson and Sesame Street books, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Leo Lionni, Laurent de Brunhoff, Charles M. Schulz and Marc Brown. He also gave numerous young artists, like Joan Walsh Anglund, their start. The bunny in this book is named after his son Nicholas and remains in publication to this day.