The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack Keats
- Lexile
- 500L
- Grade range
- Grades K–2
- Age range
- Ages 3–7
- Pages
- 32
- First published
- 1962
- Genre
- Picture Book
- ISBN-13
- 9780670867332
Where to find this book
About this book
Peter wakes up to a snow-covered city and spends the day exploring. Keats's 1963 Caldecott Medal winner was the first major US picture book to feature a Black child as protagonist without making race the subject. The book is a fixture of K-1 winter units and a frequent reference in primary-grade ELA standards.
Themes
- winter and seasons
- city childhood
- first-person exploration
- everyday wonder
- representation in picture books
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· Kindergarten gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B K picture book exemplar (Caldecott Medal 1963)
- recommended· Kindergarten grade · New Yorksource: NY Next Gen Standards K — NYC-set picture book
- recommended· 1st gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B grade 1 picture book exemplar
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Snowy Day?
- The Snowy Day is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–2, with a Lexile measure of 500L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Snowy Day?
- The Snowy Day has a Lexile measure of 500L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Snowy Day?
- The Snowy Day appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Snowy Day banned in schools?
- The Snowy Day does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does The Snowy Day explore?
- Central themes in The Snowy Day include winter and seasons, city childhood, first-person exploration, everyday wonder, representation in picture books. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 500L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades K–2 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.