2. Youngest of 3 children from Polish
immigrants of Jewish descent. Born March 11,
1916 as Jacob Ezra Katz.
3. Keats grew up in Brooklyn New York. The
Depression made life challenging for the
Katz family. It was difficult to provide
food on the table while trying to afford the
rent in their crowded tenement apartment
housing.
4. Honoré Daumier (French artist)
Third Class Carriage (1962)
During his senior year in High school, Ezra won National Scholastic
contest, while also receiving a scholarship for a fine arts school in
Manhattan. The day before graduation his father died of a heart attack.
Ezra has the responsibility of his family.
5. 1962 Published
1960 Attempted to co-author first
childrens book
1954 Began career in
Children’s books
1949 Anti Semitism in
America..went to Paris for
1 year
1948 Legally changed name
from Jacob Ezra Katz to
Ezra Jack Keats
1943 Joined the Army for
WWII
Graduated High
School
Illustrator for
Captain Marvel
6. 1962…. 1967… 1968… 1969… 1972…
The Civil Rights Depression, Everyday child Personal Community
Era poverty experiences experience Maturity
Desegregation Sibling jealousy Community Bullying Locate the author
Prejudice/accepta Acceptance Inner city life for Peter is now
nce Peer pressure children adolescent
Personal
experience
Ground-breaking Peter is jealous Peter sends a Peter and his Peter’s friend
creation of an that his new baby special invitation friends find a pair Archie can’t find
African American sister is receiving to a girl. He is of motorcycle his cat. The cat
Character. Posed his belongings. wary of what his googles, but also finally shows but
much controversy friends might say. must outwit is mistaken for
of white man bullies. another’s pet.
portraying AA
community.
7. Caldecott Boston Globe NY Public
Horn Book Library
(influential)
1963 1970 1996
1970
8. Author of 24 Books
Illustrator of 83 Books
Died in 1983
9. Keats, Ezra J. Keats’s Neighborhood: An Ezra Jack Keats
Treasury. Penguin Group, New York, NY. 2002
http://www.readwritethink.org/
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/
Editor's Notes
Illustrated over 85 books and wrote 24
The tension was thick for the Katz children. Although Keats’ mother was nurturing and supportive of her sons talents as an artist. The father would not support this talent, for it was not something that could pay the bills. Ironically when the father lost his job, Ezra was able to paint store signs, and sell his paintings in order to help support the family.
Father would take him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Told him if he wanted to make money painting he would have to paint pictures of famous people. EJK felt differently and was highly inspired by the painting by Daumier Third Class Carriage
