While browsing Amazon Prime for a movie to watch with my son, I stumbled upon an animated adaptation of The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. It took me back to my childhood, reminiscing about reading the delightful tale of Peter, a little boy clad in a bright red snowsuit, exploring a snowy wonderland with my mom.
Now, Peter’s adventures are being celebrated with a new set of four Forever stamps from the United States Postal Service. These stamps showcase beloved scenes from Keats’s iconic book and will be available for purchase either individually or in a collection of 20.
Though many are familiar with Peter’s story, fewer know the significance of his character. The Snowy Day is celebrated as one of the earliest illustrated children’s books to feature a Black protagonist. Ezra Jack Keats, originally named Jacob Ezra Katz, was the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. He created The Snowy Day as his first self-illustrated children’s book after years of illustrating other works. Until then, he had often included children and people of color in the margins of his illustrations but had never placed them at the center of their own narratives. The character of Peter was inspired by a photograph of a young Black boy that Keats had saved from a magazine.
The book was published in 1962 during a pivotal time in American history when the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum. By portraying Peter as a Black child, Keats was providing representation for those who had been marginalized. At that time, depictions of Black individuals in media were largely negative or nonexistent. The book, released just a year before Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, offered a desperately needed positive image for Black children, who were witnessing daily injustices against their communities.
Visual representation matters, especially for children. Picture books serve as powerful tools for kids to see themselves reflected in stories. “There was a teacher who wrote into Ezra, saying, ‘For the first time, the kids in my class are using brown crayons to draw themselves,’” shared Marissa Lane, director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation in a 2012 interview with NPR. “These were African-American children who previously used pink crayons. They now had a character that looked like them.” Peter later appeared in several other works by Keats, including Whistles for Willie.
As we mark the 55th anniversary of The Snowy Day, it’s important to recognize that while there has been progress for Black Americans, challenges remain, especially within the publishing industry. Despite an increase in stories featuring Black characters, the availability of books by authors of color is still limited.
The legacy of Peter in his red snowsuit continues to inspire change and representation in literature. The commemorative stamps will be available from October 4, with options for pre-order online.
For more information on the importance of representation in children’s books, check out this insightful article on home insemination kit and see how it connects to broader themes of equality in storytelling. Additionally, Make a Mom provides an authoritative perspective on family-building options. For further insights into fertility, this is an excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination from Science Daily.
Summary
The Snowy Day, a beloved children’s book featuring a Black protagonist, is being honored with a commemorative stamp series by the USPS. The story, published in 1962, was groundbreaking for its representation during a pivotal time in the Civil Rights Movement. As we celebrate the book’s legacy, it highlights the ongoing need for diverse voices in literature.