Ezra Jack Keats

Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983), an American writer and illustrator of children's books, is best known for his Caldecott Medal-winning The Snowy Day (1962), which pioneered multiculturalism in mainstream children's literature by featuring an African American protagonist, Peter, in collage-style illustrations. He authored and illustrated 22 books, including Whistle for Willie and Peter's Chair, and illustrated nearly 70 others, earning accolades like a Caldecott Honor for Goggles! and recognition as one of the most influential 20th-century children's authors by the New York Public Library. Ezra Jack Keats Foundation