Ezra Jack Keats Poster & Resources

Learn about Ezra Jack Keats today, tomorrow, and on a snowy day!

Grade Span: K-2

Themes

Ezra Jack Keats reflected the Jewish value of healing the world through his inclusive approach to literature. His art is a celebration of community. It invites young readers to value diversity and embrace the identities of underrepresented communities. His legacy is of an artist who promoted social justice through the power of reading and learning. 

• Healing the world
• Celebrating community
• Valuing diversity
• Promoting social justice

About

Born Jacob Ezra Katz to Polish Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, NY, Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983) was a giant in the field of American children’s literature. Ezra introduced the world to the character of Peter, an African American child, in The Snowy Day, a book that changed our country, according to the Library of Congress. The Snowy Day earned Ezra the Caldecott Medal in 1963 for its stunning illustrations and inclusive storytelling. Ezra went on to illustrate and write over 20 beloved children’s books including Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, A Letter to Amy and Pet Show! He based the lives of his multiracial characters on his own childhood but added loving parents, friends and pets. He wanted no child to be an outsider. His groundbreaking representations of African American and underrepresented communities helped usher in generations of multicultural children’s literature. 

For more information on Ezra Jack Keats visit ejkf.org

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