STAIR At Home January Book of the Month: The Snowy Day

Posted by STAIR-Annapolis on January 20, 2021

Every month, STAIR staff thoughtfully selects the STAIR At Home Book of the Month. Each STAIR At Home student receives their very own, brand new copy of this book in addition to the other titles included in their monthly book packages. Students and volunteers use the Book of the Month to guide their discussions in our monthly STAIR At Home virtual Book Clubs.

The January Book of the Month is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

The Snowy Day tells the story of Peter, a young boy who wakes up one winter morning to find his familiar neighborhood transformed into a strange, snowy wonderland. He puts on his bright red snowsuit and heads out into the cold, taking readers on an adventure as he crunch, crunch, crunches along icy sidewalks, slides down slippery snowbanks, and explores the world around him.

Published in 1962, The Snowy Day has delighted generations of young readers with its evocative text and colorful collage illustrations.

But, there's much more to discover about this beloved classic!

• The Snowy Day was one of the first titles in mainstream children's publishing to feature a non-caricatured Black protagonist.
• Peter appeared in six more Keats' books published after The Snowy Day.
• The book won the 1963 Caldecott Medal, making it the first book with a Black main character to win a major children's publishing award.
• The Snowy Day is number one on the New York Public Library's "Top Checkouts of All Time" list, which spans the library's 125-year history.

We'll have more to share next month, when we introduce our February Book of the Month: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead.

Sources:
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
The Snowy Day Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.