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| Peter's Chair book and doll (1995), photo courtesy of Sherry Howard, Myauctionfinds.com |
After reading To Buy or Not to Buy Ezra Jack Keats' Peter's Chair, I searched online for this mini book-doll combination and discovered the price of $5 that Sherry Howard paid was a pure steal! This led to a search for additional books written by Ezra Jack Keats featuring Peter (and hopefully accompanying dolls).
Keats' The Snowy Day (1962) is one such book. It also happens to be the first children's picture book to feature an African American protagonist. Learning this left me wondering why I had not read The Snowy Day as a child and why I had not read it to my own children or grandsons. I searched the Internet to locate the plush Snowy Day doll, Peter, and the book to add to my dolls with books collection and next exhibit of the same title.
Shortly thereafter, based upon the auction title and description: SNOWY DAY DOLL - EZRA JACK KEATS (HARDCOVER) NEW, I purchased what I was misled to believe was a doll-book combination from an eBay seller who sent only the plush doll. After communicating with the seller about my displeasure, I was forced to open an eBay case in order to receive a full refund to include a reimbursement for return shipping. Yes, I still wanted the doll, but I did not want it from a seller who took his or her time to address my issues with the purchase nor from one whose description was less than honest. Before this issue was resolved with that seller, I found another Peter doll on Amazon.com for a little less than the other. What was described as a first edition The Snowy Day book by Keats with a copyright of 1962, was purchased from Abe Books for under $4. (The book is not actually a first edition; it is described on the title page as first printed in 1962; but I'm okay with that since I purchased the book for the content and condition.)
Plush Peter and book are finally here, together.
Listen to and see the animated The Snowy Day story here.
View episode 1 of The Snowy Day here.
Read about the author, Ezra Jack Keats, and see a photo of the little lad who inspired him to write The Snowy Day and six additional books featuring Peter here.
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Although Keats wrote a total of seven books featuring his Peter character, to my knowledge, only three dolls have been fashioned after Peter's appearance in these books: The Snowy Day (1962), Peter's Chair (1967), and Whistle for Willie (1964). dbg
I remember the book Snowy Day Peter. I used to babysit a lot when I was a teenager, and that book was on a few book shelves. I never knew there was an accompanying doll.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of these books or these dolls. I love your dolls with books exhibit.
ReplyDeleteVanessa - I am glad The Snowy Day is part of your memory. I asked my daughter the other day if she was familiar with The Snowy Day, the first children's book with an African American protagonist. She answered, "By Ezra Jack Keats? Yes." I was happy to learn that she has shared it with her kindergarten through second grade classes in the past. She didn't know there was a Snowy Day Peter doll, however.
ReplyDeleteThanks Roxanne. I need to make time to share the dolls with books exhibit with the community more often.
dbg
I used to love reading this books to my son. Never knew about the doll. How cute.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful that you read Snowy Day to your son, Brini. I made an effort to purchase and read books with AA illustrations to both my children, too, which is why I am surprised The Snowy Day slipped past me.
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