The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack Keats
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is assigned in US schools at grades k–2, with a Lexile measure of 500L. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Snowy Day is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 500L
- Grade range
- Grades K–2
- Age range
- Ages 3–7
- Pages
- 32
- Reading time
- about 35 minutes (est.)
- First published
- 1962
- Genre
- Picture Book
- ISBN-13
- 9780670867332
Where to find this book
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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.
Why widely assigned
This Picture Book title, reads at early-reader complexity, typically at grades k–2. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on winter and seasons and city childhood; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
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: The First Academy — Kindergarten Read-Aloud & Early Readers Suggested Summer Reading
- 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
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912Lauren Tarshis · 590L
Where the Wild Things AreMaurice Sendak · 740L
Two DogsIan Falconer
The Mouse and the MotorcycleBeverly Cleary · 860L
See all books like The Snowy Day→ — matched on theme + reading level.
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.
- How long does it take to read The Snowy Day?
- It takes about 35 minutes to read The Snowy Day (32 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- 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.
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
- Tagged for: summer.