The Snowy Day is firmly grounded in youth. And as our protagonist, Peter, goes out to explore his world, he's in no hurry to grow up. He's too busy taking in the world around him and marveling at the snow to want to do anything but live in the moment, and that's refreshing. So often, books about being young have characters who wish they were older, but not our Peter. He knows he'll be ready for the snowball fights with the big boys one day, but not quite yet.
Questions About Youth
- How old do you think Peter is? How do you know?
- If Peter were older, say a teenager, how might his snow day activities be different? How might that change the tone of the book?
- Why do you think Peter steers clear of the snowball fight?
- Have you ever had a day like Peter's snowy day? Explain.
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Even today, more than fifty years after it was first published, The Snowy Day still perfectly portrays the way a young child might enjoy playing in the snow.
The Snowy Day is harder to relate to today because kids don't spend whole days playing in the snow like Peter anymore.