The Snowy Day Theme of Awe and Amazement

Little kids notice everything. If you don't believe us, take a walk with one and check out how quickly she sees that the moon is out during the day or that there's a plane in the sky. Adults get used to things like that and over time…they stop noticing them. Which is why it's always cool—once your childhood is behind you—to spend a little time with a child and get that feeling of awe and amazement back, even if just for a little while. That's what The Snowy Day does for a lot of people. It reminds them what it was like to experience something like snow for the first (or second, or third) time.

Questions About Awe and Amazement

  1. How does Keats communicate that Peter is experiencing awe and amazement?
  2. At what point in the story do you think Peter is most in awe or amazed by the snow? Why?
  3. Do you remember a time when you felt awe and amazement about something? When was it and what happened?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Keats's writing style is too calm and measured, which takes away from the sense of awe and amazement in the book.

Keats's calm and measured writing style helps to emphasize Peter's sense of awe and amazement.

The sense of awe and amazement in The Snowy Day is primarily communicated through the illustrations.