What do you think?
Rate this book
Louie #3
Louie's Search
After moving to a busy new neighborhood with his mother, Louie decides to explore and see if there is anyone he might like as to have as a father.
39 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Ezra Jack Keats
125 books379 followersEzra Jack Keats was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating The Snowy Day, which he also wrote. Many of Ezra’s stories are about a group of friends growing up in the city. The neighborhood they live in looks like the streets where Ezra grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
He was born Jacob Ezra Katz, the third child of Polish-Jewish immigrants Benjamin Katz and Augusta Podgainy. The family was very poor. Jack, as he was known, was artistic from an early age, and joyfully made pictures out of whatever scraps of wood, cloth and paper that he could collect. Benjamin Katz, who worked as a waiter, tried to discourage his son, insisting that artists lived terrible, impoverished lives. Nevertheless, he sometimes brought home tubes of paint, claiming, "A starving artist swapped this for a bowl of soup."
With little encouragement at home, Keats sought validation for his skills at school and learned about art at the public library. He received a medal for drawing on graduating from Junior High School 149. Although unimpressive-looking, the medal meant a great deal to him, and he kept it his entire life. Keats attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where he won a national contest run by Scholastic for an oil painting depicting hobos warming themselves around a fire. At his graduation, in January 1935, he was to receive the senior class medal for excellence in art. Two days before the ceremony, Benjamin Katz died in the street of a heart attack. When Keats identified his father's body, he later wrote, "I found myself staring deep into his secret feelings. There in his wallet were worn and tattered newspaper clippings of the notices of the awards I had won. My silent admirer and supplier, he had been torn between his dread of my leading a life of hardship and his real pride in my work."
His father's death curtailed his dream of attending art school. For the remainder of the Great Depression until he was drafted for military service in World War II, Keats took art classes when he could and worked at a number of jobs, most notably as a mural painter under the New Deal program the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and as a comic book illustrator. At Fawcett Publications, he illustrated backgrounds for the Captain Marvel comic strip. He spent his military service (1943-45) designing camouflage patterns for the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1947, he petitioned to legally change his name to Ezra Jack Keats, in reaction to the anti-Semitic prejudice of the time.
Keats spent most of 1949 painting and studying in Paris, realizing a long-deferred dream of working as an artist. After returning to New York, he focused on earning a living as a commercial artist, undoubtedly influenced by his father's anxieties. His illustrations began to appear in Reader's Digest, The New York Times Book Review, Collier's and Playboy, and on the jackets of popular books. His work was displayed in Fifth Avenue store windows, and the Associated American Artists Gallery, in New York City, gave him exhibitions in 1950 and 1954.
In his unpublished autobiography, Keats wrote, "I didn't even ask to get into children's books." In fact, he was asked to do so by Elizabeth Riley of Crowell, which brought out his first children's title, Jubilant for Sure, written by Elisabeth Hubbard Lansing, in 1954. To prepare for the assignment, Keats went to rural Kentucky, where the story takes place, to sketch. Many children's books followed, including the Danny Dunn adventure series, by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, and an ethnographic series by Tillie S. Pine and Joseph Levine, beginning with The Indians Knew. All told, Keats illustrated nearly 70 books written by other authors.
In 1983, Keats died at the age of 67 following a heart attack. His last projects included designing the sets for a musical version of his book The Trip (which would later become the stage production Captain Louie), designing
He was born Jacob Ezra Katz, the third child of Polish-Jewish immigrants Benjamin Katz and Augusta Podgainy. The family was very poor. Jack, as he was known, was artistic from an early age, and joyfully made pictures out of whatever scraps of wood, cloth and paper that he could collect. Benjamin Katz, who worked as a waiter, tried to discourage his son, insisting that artists lived terrible, impoverished lives. Nevertheless, he sometimes brought home tubes of paint, claiming, "A starving artist swapped this for a bowl of soup."
With little encouragement at home, Keats sought validation for his skills at school and learned about art at the public library. He received a medal for drawing on graduating from Junior High School 149. Although unimpressive-looking, the medal meant a great deal to him, and he kept it his entire life. Keats attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where he won a national contest run by Scholastic for an oil painting depicting hobos warming themselves around a fire. At his graduation, in January 1935, he was to receive the senior class medal for excellence in art. Two days before the ceremony, Benjamin Katz died in the street of a heart attack. When Keats identified his father's body, he later wrote, "I found myself staring deep into his secret feelings. There in his wallet were worn and tattered newspaper clippings of the notices of the awards I had won. My silent admirer and supplier, he had been torn between his dread of my leading a life of hardship and his real pride in my work."
His father's death curtailed his dream of attending art school. For the remainder of the Great Depression until he was drafted for military service in World War II, Keats took art classes when he could and worked at a number of jobs, most notably as a mural painter under the New Deal program the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and as a comic book illustrator. At Fawcett Publications, he illustrated backgrounds for the Captain Marvel comic strip. He spent his military service (1943-45) designing camouflage patterns for the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1947, he petitioned to legally change his name to Ezra Jack Keats, in reaction to the anti-Semitic prejudice of the time.
Keats spent most of 1949 painting and studying in Paris, realizing a long-deferred dream of working as an artist. After returning to New York, he focused on earning a living as a commercial artist, undoubtedly influenced by his father's anxieties. His illustrations began to appear in Reader's Digest, The New York Times Book Review, Collier's and Playboy, and on the jackets of popular books. His work was displayed in Fifth Avenue store windows, and the Associated American Artists Gallery, in New York City, gave him exhibitions in 1950 and 1954.
In his unpublished autobiography, Keats wrote, "I didn't even ask to get into children's books." In fact, he was asked to do so by Elizabeth Riley of Crowell, which brought out his first children's title, Jubilant for Sure, written by Elisabeth Hubbard Lansing, in 1954. To prepare for the assignment, Keats went to rural Kentucky, where the story takes place, to sketch. Many children's books followed, including the Danny Dunn adventure series, by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, and an ethnographic series by Tillie S. Pine and Joseph Levine, beginning with The Indians Knew. All told, Keats illustrated nearly 70 books written by other authors.
In 1983, Keats died at the age of 67 following a heart attack. His last projects included designing the sets for a musical version of his book The Trip (which would later become the stage production Captain Louie), designing
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 18, 2020
So, I had another old review from living with my family. I'm posting it now. I hardly remember this story and I can't say I'm a fan of it.
Review
One day Louie goes out of his house with a bag on his head trying to catch the interest of a man who might want to be his father. As he’s walking he sees a moving truck that a music box fell out of and he picks up to give it back. The man sees him and calls him a crook and drags him back to his apartment to yell at him and his mother all the while accusing the kid of being crooked and sneaky. The mom soothes him and he realizes the boy was trying to help him. He gives him the music box and the yelling man and the mom begin dating. The end is a marriage.
This makes me nervous. The man was gruff and angry and this is the man your going to marry and have for a step-dad??? This had a feel of the beginning of domestic violence to me. I didn’t care for it. Poor Louie.
Nephew hated this one. There wasn’t anything fun or exciting about this. He needs some magic something if there is drama. He didn’t like the old man. He gave this 1 star.
Review
One day Louie goes out of his house with a bag on his head trying to catch the interest of a man who might want to be his father. As he’s walking he sees a moving truck that a music box fell out of and he picks up to give it back. The man sees him and calls him a crook and drags him back to his apartment to yell at him and his mother all the while accusing the kid of being crooked and sneaky. The mom soothes him and he realizes the boy was trying to help him. He gives him the music box and the yelling man and the mom begin dating. The end is a marriage.
This makes me nervous. The man was gruff and angry and this is the man your going to marry and have for a step-dad??? This had a feel of the beginning of domestic violence to me. I didn’t care for it. Poor Louie.
Nephew hated this one. There wasn’t anything fun or exciting about this. He needs some magic something if there is drama. He didn’t like the old man. He gave this 1 star.
July 8, 2020
DNF
My 6yo son burst into tears half-way through. Lots of angry adults, yelling at a little boy searching for a dad. It was too much for us.
My 6yo son burst into tears half-way through. Lots of angry adults, yelling at a little boy searching for a dad. It was too much for us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2018
Louie's Search is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, which tells a story about a boy named Louie in search of something very important – a father. It is the third book of four books in the Louie series.
The text is rather simple and straightforward. It is a story about a boy named Louie and he's on a quest to find a new father. His search doesn't go all too well when he is accused of stealing by Barney and was brought home to confront his mother, Peg. Louie is just a wonderful character and is too precious for words. The illustrations are wonderful done and is reminiscent of oil paintings and depict the text exceptionally well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Louie is on a quest to find a father and in order to do that he thought he would walk around a neighborhood trying to attract someone that could possibly his new father. His search didn't end well as he is accused of stealing and brought home to confront his mother. It wasn't love at first sight, but a friendship between the two adults was formed and at the end of the story they were married.
All in all, Louie's Search is a wonderful children's book a boy trying to find a father and finds him in the most unexpected place.
The text is rather simple and straightforward. It is a story about a boy named Louie and he's on a quest to find a new father. His search doesn't go all too well when he is accused of stealing by Barney and was brought home to confront his mother, Peg. Louie is just a wonderful character and is too precious for words. The illustrations are wonderful done and is reminiscent of oil paintings and depict the text exceptionally well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Louie is on a quest to find a father and in order to do that he thought he would walk around a neighborhood trying to attract someone that could possibly his new father. His search didn't end well as he is accused of stealing and brought home to confront his mother. It wasn't love at first sight, but a friendship between the two adults was formed and at the end of the story they were married.
All in all, Louie's Search is a wonderful children's book a boy trying to find a father and finds him in the most unexpected place.
April 1, 2017
The Louie books are weird. Although, I like this one.
Read
July 12, 2011Feeling unnoticed Louie decides to put on “some funny things”. He hopes that he will be noticed by “someone he’d like for a father”. On his quest he encounters neighbors, community workers and his future (step) father. This is a really adventurous story. I hope that children will see that adventure is in their own neighborhood. This book would be great for a lesson on community workers. It would also be nice to read this book on a Friday and have the students take pictures of their neighborhood over the weekend to share with their classmates on Monday.
October 19, 2020
Louie wanted to be noticed in his new neighbourhood and he very much wanted a father. One day he dressed in unusual and funny clothing and set out to see if he could find someone he'd like and who would like him in return.
Louie came upon a big truck on which was piled old furniture. When something fell off the load, Louie picked it up to be helpful. The man who owned the truck thought he was stealing from him and chased Louie down the street. What happened after that changed Louie's life in an unexpected good way.
Louie came upon a big truck on which was piled old furniture. When something fell off the load, Louie picked it up to be helpful. The man who owned the truck thought he was stealing from him and chased Louie down the street. What happened after that changed Louie's life in an unexpected good way.
May 25, 2014
It's hard for a little kid to get noticed in a neighborhood full of busy people. And Louie isn't looking for just anyone to notice him -- he's looking for a father. Louie's story, as meaningful today as it was when first published more than twenty years ago, proves that love can be found in the most unusual places.
July 23, 2015
It's a bit scary when Barney follows Louie home and berates him. And far fetched when he marries Louie's mom. The silhouette usage of Barney is genius though. The artwork is fantastic, especially if Barney's closeup face and of the wedding celebration with all the different ethnicities represented. Keats was an artistic genius undoubtedly.
April 19, 2014
This is the last in the 'Louie series' wherein Louie goes about his neighborhood in search of... well, I won't give it away. The pictures and story are all typical Ezra Keats, but somehow the ending to the story just didn't seem reasonable. But still, it has a happy, if unrealistic ending.
August 17, 2014
Don't like Louie's step-father.
February 22, 2015
I love this book about how a series of events can lead to something really wonderful.
May 5, 2015
I really liked this book and how all of the events in the story led up to something really special.
December 3, 2015
Visually beautiful, but a quick-paced, strange-ending story.
February 9, 2019
I found this book boring and oddly-paced. The unique illustrations throughout the book were my favorite, but the plot was a little lackluster.
March 23, 2017
In this story they have a large representation of people in the community. This is in terms of appearance and color. They do seem to be of a low economic status as it seems that many of the people that Louie passes seem to be homeless, many buildings seem broken down and in need of repair. One thing I did appreciate though was the fact that they were not viewed or depicted in a way that was dehumanizing. Like much of Keats work the pictures make great use of shadows and water colors. Especially in the scene where Louie fell and was being accused of stealing the music box that had fallen off of the toy truck. Although he was on a search for a father figure, it seems like of far fetched that the one person who actually stopped to him ended up being the man that his mother marries and becomes his step dad. I think this book is a good one to show that sticking to your values and believing in people can turn a situation around. I just wish that the story was a bit more cohesive.
August 10, 2024
I read the fourth Louie book first, in which we meet Louie's adopted father. I got the impression that the man is in role of the father, but this book ends in a wedding. The man seems like a potential abuser, though... so, I had to think about it.
I think that what Keats did was show an adult who is also searching. He's alone, he's unpracticed at dealing with people, he needs a family. Look how quick he was to apologize! Mom has experience with at least one man, Louie's father... let's give her credit for being able to figure out that this new guy is actually ok.
Keats was an optimist. Please don't be a cynic.
After all, most people are pretty darn decent. Read Humankind: A Hopeful History if you don't believe me.
I think that what Keats did was show an adult who is also searching. He's alone, he's unpracticed at dealing with people, he needs a family. Look how quick he was to apologize! Mom has experience with at least one man, Louie's father... let's give her credit for being able to figure out that this new guy is actually ok.
Keats was an optimist. Please don't be a cynic.
After all, most people are pretty darn decent. Read Humankind: A Hopeful History if you don't believe me.
February 11, 2025
Louie is on the hunt for a father. He makes some unusual choices with his clothing so he will get noticed. Unfortunately the folks in his neighborhood are all so busy, he just seems to get in the way. His attempt to help a junkdealer named Barney blows up into accusations of stealing.
So Louie ends up going home with an angry Barney right behind. Then the unexpected happens and Barney makes friends with Louie's mother. How long will it be before Louie gets exactly what he was searching for?? Not long.
As with other Keats books, there are watercolor illustrations with a collage look. Love all the neighborhood details and the many diverse folks living near Louie.
So Louie ends up going home with an angry Barney right behind. Then the unexpected happens and Barney makes friends with Louie's mother. How long will it be before Louie gets exactly what he was searching for?? Not long.
As with other Keats books, there are watercolor illustrations with a collage look. Love all the neighborhood details and the many diverse folks living near Louie.
September 25, 2017
This is a great story about Louie and his search for his father. While he is out looking through the neighborhood, he meets Barney. Barney accuses him of stealing his music box. Louies mother has to calm down the matter and we realize that perhaps Louie's search could be drawing a close. A great story about unique circumstances in the lives of children. Some children may have experienced this scenario themselves.
October 3, 2021
Apparently this is book 3 in a series. I grabbed it off the shelf because I’ve liked everything by Keats. But this one started strangely. Then we thought we’d accidentally skipped a few pages. Finally it was over and Louie’s mom married (IMO) a questionable fellow. I might have to go back to the beginning on this one…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2020
Kind of an odd storyline. The illustrations are filled with color and patterns, patterns, patterns!
January 21, 2021
Book three of the Louie series and more magic from Keats.
The way he draws you in and makes you care for the characters is some kind of magic, especially when you think these are picture books.
The way he draws you in and makes you care for the characters is some kind of magic, especially when you think these are picture books.
March 4, 2021
Maddie liked that Louis got a dad. She also likes to give everything five stars.
December 29, 2021
Kind of dark and scary... I would not want this guy as a step-dad and I'm not sure that a happily-ever-after is a satisfying or happy ending here. Just no..
January 21, 2022
This book is about not judging a book by its cover and recognizing that first impressions are not always what they seem.
February 28, 2022
Reading Keats' books alongside Nahson's illuminate how autobiographical his work was. From the content to the collaged environment. This book was bittersweet and relatable.
June 2, 2023
"Barney visited Louie and Peg again and again. Then, one Sunday, at the end of summer... ❣️
February 3, 2026
What sucked was that I got Louie from the library and Louie’s Search was on the inside. I guess a misprint?
But what sucked more? The actual story
But what sucked more? The actual story
February 19, 2015
Realistic Fiction. This is an adorable story about a boy wandering the streets because he wants to be noticed and, most importantly, he wants to find a father. I think this would be great to use in a classroom read aloud when discussing the concept of time within a story or a beginning, middle, and end. I would use this in a 1-2 grade classroom. The artwork within this book is wonderfully detailed and I think that students would really enjoy the vibrant colors as well as the story. It also would be great when tied into a lesson about what to do when you find something/an object that doesn't belong to you or when discussing prediction in a story (what do you think Louie will find?, What do you think Louie should do with the music maker?, etc.). All in all, I thought the story was very cute, easily to relate to, and full of beautiful pictures!
April 18, 2011
Louie went for a walk looking for someone, father to notice him. He finds a music box that had fallen out of a truck. As the truck began to move the man in the truck started to yell at Louie. He thought that Louie stole the music box instead of trying to pick up the box and putting it back on the truck. The mans name was Barney and he become a "father" to Louie.
Activities:
- Word wall with vocab words from the story(words from the story)
-Flannel board story- retelling the sequence of events in the story
- reenact the story on a snowy day
-record the story on tape
-Chart- What do you think is going to happen in this story- Just showing the cover of the book
-family tree
-weather journal
-go for a walk and write about what you saw. Journal
Activities:
- Word wall with vocab words from the story(words from the story)
-Flannel board story- retelling the sequence of events in the story
- reenact the story on a snowy day
-record the story on tape
-Chart- What do you think is going to happen in this story- Just showing the cover of the book
-family tree
-weather journal
-go for a walk and write about what you saw. Journal
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews