The Snowy Day Forever Stamps

Value: 78¢ (1-ounce First-Class Mail rate – Forever)
Issued: October 4, 2017
First Day City: Brooklyn, NY
Printed by: Ashton Potter
Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20

Ezra Jack Keats, the celebrated author and illustrator, was born to poor Polish-Jewish immigrants but showed a love of art from an early age. As a child, he created imaginative works from scraps of wood, cloth, and paper. Although his father tried to dissuade him from pursuing what he feared would be a difficult life as an artist, he occasionally brought home tubes of paint to encourage his son’s talent.

Keats spent countless hours in the local library studying art and found comfort in school art classes. In junior high, he received a medal for drawing — a treasured keepsake throughout his life. In high school, he won a national oil painting contest and was honored for excellence in art upon graduation.

Following military service during World War II, Keats spent time in Paris before returning to New York, where he worked as a commercial artist. His illustrations appeared in Reader’s Digest, The New York Times Book Review, and Collier’s. He designed book jackets for popular titles and exhibited his work at the Associated American Artists Gallery in the 1950s.

Keats eventually wrote and illustrated 22 books of his own, often featuring children from diverse cultural backgrounds in urban settings. His stories addressed relatable challenges young readers face — welcoming a new sibling, standing up for friends, and coping with bullies — offering both comfort and empowerment through his heartfelt, visually rich storytelling.