If he wrote and illustrated his own book, Keats said he always knew the hero would be African American. He was, thus, one of the first authors to showcase a racially diverse protagonist in children’s literature. For example, he and co-author, Pat Cherr, featured minority children in their first work, My Dog is Lost! However, none of Keats's more than 30 illustration jobs featured black children prior to The Snowy Day. Keats’s experience living in tenement housing surrounded by children of different cultures and ethnicities can be seen as inspiration for several of his books.

] Following his service in World War II, he changed his last name from Katz to Keats to avoid anti-semitism and to find work in the book publishing industry.

Keats, born Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz, grew up in a poor Jewish family with immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York. Since its publication The Snowy Day has sold millions of copies and has been translated, adapted, and honored leaving a lasting impression on generations of readers. The book’s reception was largely positive, although some critics pointed out subtle stereotypes, such as how Peter’s mother was portrayed. Keats received the 1963 Caldecott Medal for his collage artwork, which made The Snowy Day the first picture book with an African American protagonist to win a major children’s award. Keats’ illustrations helped pave the way for more inclusive and diverse children’s literature. It features Peter, an African American boy, who explores his neighborhood after the season’s first snowfall. The Snowy Day is a 1962 American children's picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats.

The snowy day keats