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Keats's Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury
Ezra Jack Keats is widely acknowledged as one of the first people to feature realistic, friendly, multi-ethnic urban settings in his picture books-forever changing the landscape of children's literature in the process. Now this beautiful collection brings together nine of his best-loved stories, including the 1963 Caldecott Medal-winning book The Snowy Day and Caldecott Honor book Goggles! , plus Whistle for Willie , Peter's Chair , Apt. 3 , and others. Also included is artwork from an unfinished picture book, The Giant Turnip , published here for the very first time. An introduction by celebrated critic of children's literature Anita Silvey outlines Keats's career and inimitable contributions. In addition, five of the most important writers and illustrators working in the field today share their thoughts on Keats and the legacy he left behind. An afterword describes his incredible life, from his childhood in Brooklyn to children's book legend.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2002
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
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 18, 2020
There are 10 Ezra Jack Keats stories collected in this Treasury and there is also autobiographical information about Keats and then there are other famous artist who talk about what the man was like and his work ethic.
The stories are:
The Snowy Day
Whistle for Willie
A Letter for Amy
Peter’s Chair
Goggles!
Jennie’s Hat
Hi, Cat!
Apt. 3
Louie’s Search
Pet Show!
Anita Silvey talks about Ezra and his life’s work, his biography. We hear from other artists in the field like:
Jerry Pinkney
Simms Taback
Reynold Ruffins (I haven’t heard of him)
Eric Carle of Hungry Caterpillar fame.
It’s a lovely book and so nice to have so many excellent Ezra stories together. I actually own this book and glad I got through it all. He wrote 22 books in total for kids, so I still have quite a bit to track down. I wish they did these collections for all the big authors of children’s books. They are so nice to collect them together and easier to fit on the shelves.
These stories have some real artwork in them. We are lucky to have Ezra Keats in our histories.
The stories are:
The Snowy Day
Whistle for Willie
A Letter for Amy
Peter’s Chair
Goggles!
Jennie’s Hat
Hi, Cat!
Apt. 3
Louie’s Search
Pet Show!
Anita Silvey talks about Ezra and his life’s work, his biography. We hear from other artists in the field like:
Jerry Pinkney
Simms Taback
Reynold Ruffins (I haven’t heard of him)
Eric Carle of Hungry Caterpillar fame.
It’s a lovely book and so nice to have so many excellent Ezra stories together. I actually own this book and glad I got through it all. He wrote 22 books in total for kids, so I still have quite a bit to track down. I wish they did these collections for all the big authors of children’s books. They are so nice to collect them together and easier to fit on the shelves.
These stories have some real artwork in them. We are lucky to have Ezra Keats in our histories.
January 21, 2020
I absolutely love the works of Ezra Jack Keats, but I prefer the format of the individual books over that of the anthology. I feel that the anthology sacrifices the artistic aesthetic for space, combining multiple panels per page and separating the text from the pictures, which changes the overall presentation and is a disservice to the art as a whole. I do appreciate how the stories are broken up with different artists sharing their experiences with the author and the brief biography at the end. This is definitely a book I would recommend for fans of Ezra Jack Keats, but for the newcomer to Keats I would recommend picking up a copy of The Snowy Day or any of his individual books first, especially when reading with a little one.
March 31, 2026
Keats was one of my favorite picture book authors growing up as I read many of his books growing up and still like diving into again. “Neighborhood” is a special collection of his well-known stories that focuses on children’s adventures, all presented in multi-illustration collages. The foreword, and afterword, center on Keats’ life growing up and how his memories would play a part in a lot of his works with his unique paper collage-style artwork. While reading his book, we also get to read essays by other beloved authors who talk about Keats and how they even gained inspiration from him. There’s also some bonus rough sketches of his work and some from a never-completed work.
“The Snowy Day” - Peter plays outside after a big snowfall and finds a lot of excitement.
“Whistle for Willie” - Peter wants to learn how to whistle for his wiener dog Willie while playing around his neighborhood.
“A Letter to Amy” - Peter reluctantly invites Amy, a friend to his birthday party.
“Peter’s Chair” - Peter is jealous of his old baby stuff being handed down to his baby sister Susie.
“Goggles!” - Peter, Willie and his friend Archie are being chased by older boys who want their motorcycle goggles.
“Jennie’s Hat” - Jennie gets a new fancy hat that later gets a more beautiful look.
“Hi, Cat!” - Archie and Peter entertain the neighborhood kids with a surprise by a stray cat.
“Apt. 3” - Two brothers try to find where harmonica music is playing in their apartment building.
“Louie’s Search” - Louie has a big adventure when he picks up an old music box in his neighborhood.
“Pet Show!” - Archie and other kids participate in a neighborhood pet show.
Each book brings a simple and reflective story of children curious of the world, have an adventure with a big surprise before the end. I love how some kids from other books also appear in other kids stories. Keats’ illustrations just feel so unique and colorful with “Jennie’s Hat” being the most artistic, yet also brilliantly illustrates urban areas. That’s why I see Keats’ works as timeless and unforgettable, they make you feel like a curious child.
A (100%/Outstanding)
“The Snowy Day” - Peter plays outside after a big snowfall and finds a lot of excitement.
“Whistle for Willie” - Peter wants to learn how to whistle for his wiener dog Willie while playing around his neighborhood.
“A Letter to Amy” - Peter reluctantly invites Amy, a friend to his birthday party.
“Peter’s Chair” - Peter is jealous of his old baby stuff being handed down to his baby sister Susie.
“Goggles!” - Peter, Willie and his friend Archie are being chased by older boys who want their motorcycle goggles.
“Jennie’s Hat” - Jennie gets a new fancy hat that later gets a more beautiful look.
“Hi, Cat!” - Archie and Peter entertain the neighborhood kids with a surprise by a stray cat.
“Apt. 3” - Two brothers try to find where harmonica music is playing in their apartment building.
“Louie’s Search” - Louie has a big adventure when he picks up an old music box in his neighborhood.
“Pet Show!” - Archie and other kids participate in a neighborhood pet show.
Each book brings a simple and reflective story of children curious of the world, have an adventure with a big surprise before the end. I love how some kids from other books also appear in other kids stories. Keats’ illustrations just feel so unique and colorful with “Jennie’s Hat” being the most artistic, yet also brilliantly illustrates urban areas. That’s why I see Keats’ works as timeless and unforgettable, they make you feel like a curious child.
A (100%/Outstanding)
October 6, 2015
This book contains 10 of Keats' picture books, plus his friends' stories about him, etc. My favorites are: The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie. Then, Peter's Chair, A Letter to Amy. The rests are fine, but I think the more painterly pictures of his later books are, although they are very nice, lack the bold simplicity that made The Snowy Day shine so much.
For adult readers, the Introduction is quite interesting as well. According to it, Keats was severely criticized for featuring an African-American boy in The Snowy Day--because Keats was a white man, he had "no right to fashion books about black characters; in doing so he was stealing money from legitimate African-American creators." Gosh. I have a feeling that African-Americans authors were more upset at him than whites were.
For adult readers, the Introduction is quite interesting as well. According to it, Keats was severely criticized for featuring an African-American boy in The Snowy Day--because Keats was a white man, he had "no right to fashion books about black characters; in doing so he was stealing money from legitimate African-American creators." Gosh. I have a feeling that African-Americans authors were more upset at him than whites were.
March 16, 2021
Whistle For Willie:
The tale follows the character Peter and his short, but eventful journey of attempting "a real whistle." The reader is able join Peter in his determined efforts of achieving a whistle and visually explore the abstract and colorful renderings of Peter discovering how to do so. Readers will walk and turn with Peter as he is inspired in the street to learn how to whistle from a bystander and his dog. In wanting to do so, Peter tries, but can't seem to let out a good whistle so he chooses to spin "round and round" and make himself dizzy instead. Soon, Peter is accompanied by his own dog, Willie, and thinks it would be a be a real treat if he could hide and whistle out loud to make Willie wonder where such a whistle came from. However, Peter once again tries and lets out no whistle, leaving Willie to keep on walking by. Peter then moves forward in journey and partakes in drawing chalk trails and dressing up like his father to, "make him feel more adult," and perhaps the getup could help let out a tuned whistle, again, no whistle came out. Soon after Peter sees his dog Willie again in the street and he makes yet another try and whatda' know, Peter lets out "a real whistle." The story comes to close with Willie excitedly revealing the talent to his parents and exercising his skills with Willie to make an errand run for the family The simplistic and intriguing tale is accompanied by vividly colorful and Keats-styled illustrations that add life and excitement to story. Keats technique of collage and use bold colors certainly allude to The Snowy Day; however, Whistle for Willie brings a more upbeat and faster-paced story of another childlike adventure of Peter's, and this time accompanied by his pup.
A Letter To Amy:
The book follows a slightly-more-grown-up Peter on his quest to send a letter out to a girl named Amy, in order to invite her to Peter's birthday party. Peter takes a risk as he steps out into the stormy weather filled with "flashes of lighting and thunder," to get this letter mailed to (his crush) Amy. However, through the artful and energetic renderings of Keats, one reads and sees Peter lose grip of the letter and it is sent whirling through wind and soon landing towards no one other than Amy herself! However, Peter desperately not wanting her to know quite yet, bumps into her, takes the letter, and mails it, which prompted Amy to take off crying. But readers can relax, because Amy makes her debut right before Happy Birthday is sung and the letter to Amy proved to be a success nonetheless. Keats hold true to illustrative styles from his previous self-authored/illustrative works; however, the aspect that may dazzle readers most is his paintings of reflections and weather throughout the story. One image where Peter is holding the envelope and Amy is recovering from being bumped into shows the intriguing rendition of a stormy sky and rain puddle accurately portraying the reflection of both Peter and Amy. Another noteworthy illustration is where Peter is thinking Amy, "would never come to his party," and the illustration cuts off the upper-half of Peter's body and showing his "mixed-up reflection," which help convey the mood of the story in that moment very effectively. Overall, A Letter to Amy is another dazzling work of Keats and proves to be a fuller story compared to other already written works.
The tale follows the character Peter and his short, but eventful journey of attempting "a real whistle." The reader is able join Peter in his determined efforts of achieving a whistle and visually explore the abstract and colorful renderings of Peter discovering how to do so. Readers will walk and turn with Peter as he is inspired in the street to learn how to whistle from a bystander and his dog. In wanting to do so, Peter tries, but can't seem to let out a good whistle so he chooses to spin "round and round" and make himself dizzy instead. Soon, Peter is accompanied by his own dog, Willie, and thinks it would be a be a real treat if he could hide and whistle out loud to make Willie wonder where such a whistle came from. However, Peter once again tries and lets out no whistle, leaving Willie to keep on walking by. Peter then moves forward in journey and partakes in drawing chalk trails and dressing up like his father to, "make him feel more adult," and perhaps the getup could help let out a tuned whistle, again, no whistle came out. Soon after Peter sees his dog Willie again in the street and he makes yet another try and whatda' know, Peter lets out "a real whistle." The story comes to close with Willie excitedly revealing the talent to his parents and exercising his skills with Willie to make an errand run for the family The simplistic and intriguing tale is accompanied by vividly colorful and Keats-styled illustrations that add life and excitement to story. Keats technique of collage and use bold colors certainly allude to The Snowy Day; however, Whistle for Willie brings a more upbeat and faster-paced story of another childlike adventure of Peter's, and this time accompanied by his pup.
A Letter To Amy:
The book follows a slightly-more-grown-up Peter on his quest to send a letter out to a girl named Amy, in order to invite her to Peter's birthday party. Peter takes a risk as he steps out into the stormy weather filled with "flashes of lighting and thunder," to get this letter mailed to (his crush) Amy. However, through the artful and energetic renderings of Keats, one reads and sees Peter lose grip of the letter and it is sent whirling through wind and soon landing towards no one other than Amy herself! However, Peter desperately not wanting her to know quite yet, bumps into her, takes the letter, and mails it, which prompted Amy to take off crying. But readers can relax, because Amy makes her debut right before Happy Birthday is sung and the letter to Amy proved to be a success nonetheless. Keats hold true to illustrative styles from his previous self-authored/illustrative works; however, the aspect that may dazzle readers most is his paintings of reflections and weather throughout the story. One image where Peter is holding the envelope and Amy is recovering from being bumped into shows the intriguing rendition of a stormy sky and rain puddle accurately portraying the reflection of both Peter and Amy. Another noteworthy illustration is where Peter is thinking Amy, "would never come to his party," and the illustration cuts off the upper-half of Peter's body and showing his "mixed-up reflection," which help convey the mood of the story in that moment very effectively. Overall, A Letter to Amy is another dazzling work of Keats and proves to be a fuller story compared to other already written works.
November 24, 2015
I have been in love with Ezra Jack Keats's work ever since I saw an exhibit about him at University of Southern Mississippi about eight years ago. So when I got the chance to check out this collection of ten stories, I jumped. His stories are a little bit dated, but I just love the characters and stories, they are so relatable and fun. The introduction was written by Anita Silvey and there are stories from famous children's book author/illustrators like Eric Carle, Reynold Ruffins, Jerry Pinkney and Simms Taback documenting their experiences with the Keats himself. There is also Keats's booklist and a biography of the author/illustrator in the back of the book . The first book is the Caldecott-winning book A Snowy Day (1962), which I just love and have reviewed before. Next is Whistle for Willie (1964) about Peter (the African-American child from A Snowy Day) who wished he could whistle and tried so hard to do so and practiced so much, that by the end of the book, he can! His parents and Willie the daschund are so proud of him. A Letter to Amy (1968) is the 3rd book and is again about Peter. This time he decides to write a letter to his friend Amy to invite her to his birthday party, and plans on mailing it, but it blows out of his hand during a rainstorm and he ends up chasing it all over the place. In the process he kind of upsets her because he runs in to her, but won't let her see the letter because he wants it to be a surprise. He thinks she will not come, but she does and makes his birthday party special because of her presence. The fourth and fifth stories are Peter's Chair (1967) and Goggles! (1969), both of which I have reviewed before. The sixth story is a new one to me, called Jennie's Hat (1966). It is about a young girl named Jennie who is waiting for a hat from her aunt, but when it arrives, she is disappointed because it is such a plain hat. She imagines the kinds of things she could have on a hat, and then goes outside to feet the birds. She was still thinking about hats the next morning when she observed the women with colorful flowered hats outside her window and at church. As soon as she gets outside wearing her plain hat, all the birds bring "red and violet flowers, and leaves, colored eggs, and a paper fan" as well as "pictures of swans and pink valentine" and decorate her hat. She is delighted with her new hat now! Hi, Cat! (1970) is the next book, and it is kind of a weird one. It is about Archie, one of Peter's friends, gets into a giant paper bag puppet named Mister Big Face. He is attacked by a cat who bursts through once side and Archie goes through the other. Then they try to do a "tall dog show" but the cat interrupts again. This was probably my least favorite story. Apt. 3 (1971) is the next story and it is about Sam and his little brother Ben who live in an apartment building in the city and hear someone playing a sad harmonica song but can't figure out who it is, so they wander around the building trying to figure out who it is. Eventually they discover that is is the blind man in Apt 3 who was playing and he plays some more "purple and grays and rain and smoke and the sounds of night" (great way to describe the colors of the sound of music). The ninth story is with Louie, the kid with the bag on his head, and is called Louie's Search (1980). It was another of the really weird stories. Louie goes searching through his neighborhood and sees a truck with furniture on it. A music box falls out of the back of the truck and the owner (a man named Barney) jumps out and accuses Louie of taking it. He eventually apologizes, and lets Louie keep the box. Barney takes a shine to Peg, Louie's mom, and keeps coming back to visit her. Eventually he marries her. The last story was Pet Show! (1972) and involves Peter and his friends Archie and Roberto. They see a sign for a pet show and go to collect their pets. Everyone stands in a line and gets "a prize for something." Archie comes up with an original pet and also gets a blue ribbon. Recommended for ages 3-7, 3-1/2 stars.
November 29, 2012
This book is an essential read for someone who wants to grasp the history of picture book writing, or American History. Keat's artwork is breathtakingly perfect in composition. He uses color like a fine race car driver perfects his course. He dares to make his own handmade paper before Eric Carl appeared on the scene (and he encouraged Eric Carl to write). He mixes media with a grace hard to comprehend-- because I think the term hadn't been invented yet. He changes the world of children's book writing as much as Maurice Sendak, but is forgotten over time. Take a look at Keats' Neighborhood and you too will wish that an entire Smithsonian were dedicated to Illustrators. They have as skills as good as any Andy Worhol, and much more profound things to say.
February 16, 2012
I loved reading about Keats and how he became an illustrator and how The Snowy Day was first published. Many of the 10 books of his I hadn't read before, and it was nice to see the range of his subjects and overall mood of his body of work, but they do lose something by being squeezed onto this book's page format. I love the long rectangular shape of their original publication and the way the paintings read. This book was worth checking out from the library, but for my (fantasy) collection, I'd prefer to own each book individually.
January 5, 2014
What a beautiful collection! It not only contains 10 of Keats' most well-loved books, it also provides insight into the artist - from the perspective of other artists he influenced. This will be added to my library shelves rather than my son's, we'll continue to read Keats' stories in board book form until he's a little older. :)
April 24, 2018
This book contains a few stories. Each are quite good but what makes this book my favorite are Keats' illustrations. His illustrations are incredibly beautiful and creative and I love the colors and textures that he plays with.
November 4, 2010
With the exception of The Snowy Day, I just did not find the stories in this treasury very compelling.
August 15, 2012
Beautiful!
November 25, 2013
wonderful, absolutely a collection to own!
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June 25, 2018
Keats's Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury is a collection of ten children's picture books written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. It also contains a short biography of the author, four testimonials of authors and illustrators that have memorable interaction with Ezra Jack Keats, and an introduction showing how Ezra Jack Keats worked.
Ezra Jack Keats is one of the first – if not the first who used children of color starring in his books. Long before multicultural characters and themes were fashionable, Ezra Jack Keats crossed social boundaries by being one of the first American picture-book makers to give the black child a central place in children's literature.
This anthology collects ten stories that Ezra Jack Keats have written and illustrated. All seven Peter books were included in this anthology, which was real interesting seeing Peter grow up from his innocence childlike wonder in The Snowy Day to how mature and well flushed character he became in Pet Show! The three other characters used are Louie in Louie's Search, Jennie in Jennie's Hat and Sam in Apt. 3. It was also how amazing to observe how Ezra Jack Keats grew as an illustrator as well. From simple, but colorful construction paper-like cut-out like collages to a mix media of collage and oil like paintings.
The testimonies included also brought out what an amazing person that Ezra Jack Keats was – Jerry Pinkney, Simms Taback, Eric Carle, and Reynolds Ruffins described how they first met Ezra Jack Keats and how he encourage each and one of them to follow their artistic dreams. It was a wonderful testimonial to what sort of a person that is Ezra Jack Keats.
For the most part, I really like these children picture books collected in this anthology. There is one book that disconnected me and that was Jennie's Hat – nothing was really wrong with the book itself, it was well written and illustrated, but I just didn't like how magical-like or impossible the ending was, but it just irked me for a second and didn't deterred me from my enjoyment of the anthology.
All in all, Keats's Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury is a wonderful collection of children picture books that is written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats – a visionary before his time.
Ezra Jack Keats is one of the first – if not the first who used children of color starring in his books. Long before multicultural characters and themes were fashionable, Ezra Jack Keats crossed social boundaries by being one of the first American picture-book makers to give the black child a central place in children's literature.
This anthology collects ten stories that Ezra Jack Keats have written and illustrated. All seven Peter books were included in this anthology, which was real interesting seeing Peter grow up from his innocence childlike wonder in The Snowy Day to how mature and well flushed character he became in Pet Show! The three other characters used are Louie in Louie's Search, Jennie in Jennie's Hat and Sam in Apt. 3. It was also how amazing to observe how Ezra Jack Keats grew as an illustrator as well. From simple, but colorful construction paper-like cut-out like collages to a mix media of collage and oil like paintings.
The testimonies included also brought out what an amazing person that Ezra Jack Keats was – Jerry Pinkney, Simms Taback, Eric Carle, and Reynolds Ruffins described how they first met Ezra Jack Keats and how he encourage each and one of them to follow their artistic dreams. It was a wonderful testimonial to what sort of a person that is Ezra Jack Keats.
For the most part, I really like these children picture books collected in this anthology. There is one book that disconnected me and that was Jennie's Hat – nothing was really wrong with the book itself, it was well written and illustrated, but I just didn't like how magical-like or impossible the ending was, but it just irked me for a second and didn't deterred me from my enjoyment of the anthology.
All in all, Keats's Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats Treasury is a wonderful collection of children picture books that is written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats – a visionary before his time.
December 2, 2025
First off, my withholding of that final star has nothing to do with the source material. Ezra Jack Keats was a national treasure, and every book included in this treasury is excellent.
My problem is that it seems to be most of the "Neighborhood" stories Keats wrote, but not all. Keats, through his work, created a rich, fascinating neighborhood of diverse characters who would show up in each other's books— sometimes just in the background, opaque to a casual reader— and reflect the true multiplicity of the American urban experience. This would have been amazing if the treasury just included all of the books written about its characters.
But Louie, a young boy who seems to be on what we now call the autism spectrum, gets short shrift. The treasury includes Louie's Search, in which he finds a new father, but omits The Trip, in which his spectrum identity is explored with an almost-anachronistic empathy, Regards to the Man in the Moon, a book that shows how he interacts with his fellow kids, and his first appearance in Louie.
I'm not sure if any other Ezra Jacks Keats books are set in or in relation to the Neighborhood, but I find it galling that an anthology would include, as far as I can tell, every related book except three of Louie's. Plus, I'm not sure that Apt. 3 even takes place in the Neighborhood— unlike the other stories, it contains no connective tissue to the shared setting— and I'm fairly certain that Jennie's Hat, with its almost-suburban vibe, doesn't. They had the space to present a unique creation in its entirety and they biffed it.
My problem is that it seems to be most of the "Neighborhood" stories Keats wrote, but not all. Keats, through his work, created a rich, fascinating neighborhood of diverse characters who would show up in each other's books— sometimes just in the background, opaque to a casual reader— and reflect the true multiplicity of the American urban experience. This would have been amazing if the treasury just included all of the books written about its characters.
But Louie, a young boy who seems to be on what we now call the autism spectrum, gets short shrift. The treasury includes Louie's Search, in which he finds a new father, but omits The Trip, in which his spectrum identity is explored with an almost-anachronistic empathy, Regards to the Man in the Moon, a book that shows how he interacts with his fellow kids, and his first appearance in Louie.
I'm not sure if any other Ezra Jacks Keats books are set in or in relation to the Neighborhood, but I find it galling that an anthology would include, as far as I can tell, every related book except three of Louie's. Plus, I'm not sure that Apt. 3 even takes place in the Neighborhood— unlike the other stories, it contains no connective tissue to the shared setting— and I'm fairly certain that Jennie's Hat, with its almost-suburban vibe, doesn't. They had the space to present a unique creation in its entirety and they biffed it.
June 18, 2021
There’s a reason Mr. Kent’s stories remain classics year after year. Their charming simplicity tells of a world seen through the bright eyes of children, awash with their imagination, curiosity and boundless willingness to play. Ezra’s children, almost without exception, are active. They chase after dogs, run from bullies, scamper through the halls, etc. their activities take place in a familiar urban world of wooden fences, tenement stoops, apartment halls and construction sites, all conveyed in Mr. Keat’s unique style.
Multiple ethnicities abounded in his youth and the author brought them into his stories. But like many I will always remember him for having chosen an African-American boy as the protagonist of The Snowy Day, with young Peter in his iconic simple red hooded parka.
Multiple ethnicities abounded in his youth and the author brought them into his stories. But like many I will always remember him for having chosen an African-American boy as the protagonist of The Snowy Day, with young Peter in his iconic simple red hooded parka.
June 20, 2023
This is a collection of several simple children's stories written and illustrated by Jack Keats in the 60s and 70s.
There is an introduction and a couple of inserts by other artists, who knew and/or were influenced by him, or who simply appreciate him. It's really interesting - Keats chose to tell multi-racial children's stories at a time when American children's stories were mainly about white children. For that he drew criticism from both sides - for creating these stories as a white man, and for creating these stories at all.
It's a conversation we're still having, so it's not hard to believe that he experienced controversy, but it's still hard to believe this art could spark anything other than joy. They're really wonderful. He was a truly talented artist, and these are sweet stories, full of innocence and fun. I love looking at them.
There is an introduction and a couple of inserts by other artists, who knew and/or were influenced by him, or who simply appreciate him. It's really interesting - Keats chose to tell multi-racial children's stories at a time when American children's stories were mainly about white children. For that he drew criticism from both sides - for creating these stories as a white man, and for creating these stories at all.
It's a conversation we're still having, so it's not hard to believe that he experienced controversy, but it's still hard to believe this art could spark anything other than joy. They're really wonderful. He was a truly talented artist, and these are sweet stories, full of innocence and fun. I love looking at them.
December 19, 2020
Compendium of 10 of Keat's books/stories...with a nice biographical introduction, photos or Keats & his works, and some other author's commenting on their relationship with Keats.
February 15, 2021
Some really charming books, interspersed with interviews from other illustrators on how Keats influenced them.
April 13, 2023
I love this author. "A Letter to Amy" and "Apt. 3" are my favorites by him.
January 31, 2026
Absolutely loved this book! The author interviews enhanced the significance of Keats writings.
August 9, 2024
We have fallen in love with EJK and his style of both storytelling and visual art. So we loved this book.
December 13, 2016
When I had my son, I bought him this treasury for his library, remembering how much I loved these stories when I was a child, and it remains one of my favorite books in our collection. The saturated colors, the warm, diverse and naturalistic ambience of the neighborhood his characters inhabit, the brilliant way Keats captures childlike curiosity and discovery through Peter and his friends, and the timelessness of the stories. As a children's librarian, I feel like these pretty much epitomize the concept of "core collection" books.
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October 22, 2012This is a great collection.
In between the stories are interviews or articles with other children's book authors and illustrators, such as Eric Carle.
I love having so many of the stories in one binding.
In between the stories are interviews or articles with other children's book authors and illustrators, such as Eric Carle.
I love having so many of the stories in one binding.
October 17, 2022
Ok, super cool. I love reading the short essays about EJK and how his work changed picture books and made a mark on others. It was fun learning about him!! Plus I got to read a few of his books that I’ve never found at the library.
April 13, 2017
I did not know anything about Ezra Jack Keats other than of course having read "The Snowy Day" numerous times. This book provides a good overview of his groundbreaking career, plus commentary by other author/illustrators including Eric Carle whose own career Keats helped launch. There are also 10 complete Keats picture books featured to get real feel for the urban landscapes, faces and characters that he began weaving his stories around in the early 60s.
April 24, 2017
This anthology of Ezra Jack Keats includes 10 of Keats' stories, as well as biographical material and the reflections of several important author friends on Keats. I was familiar with the ground-breaking The Snowy Day, but was thrilled to discover a whole collection of books that depicted life for these friends in their urban neighborhood. The bio in the back shares sketches for a book that Keats never published, as well as special secrets like the fact that Keats himself appears in a couple of his books (look for him in Pet Show and Louie's Search). I prefer reading the books as stand-alone books, but this was a great way to read many of his books together.
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