When
Whistle for Willie was first published in 1964, The New York Times wrote "Mr. Keats' illustrations boldly, colorfully capture the child, his city world. and the shimmering heat of a summer's day." Now the story of Peter, who longs to whistle for his dog, is accessible to even the youngest child in a durable board book edition, with reinforced pages, a handy trim size, and safe, rounded corners. Ezra Jack Keats, who died in 1983, was the award-winning author of such children's favorites as
The Snowy Day, which won the Caldecott Medal, and
Goggles, a Caldecott Honor Book.
Ezra Jack Keats (1916–1983) is the Caldecott Medal winning author of
The Snowy Day, which broke ground in 1962 as one of the first picture books for young children to portray a realistic, multi-cultural urban setting. Since its initial publication,
The Snowy Day has come to be regarded as both a children’s classic and one of the most important picture books ever written/illustrated. Ezra Jack Keats’ legacy lives on in the popularity of his most famous character, Peter—the star of
The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Peter's Chair, A Letter to Amy, Goggles, and others. Visit the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation online at www.ezra-jack-keats.org
