African American Children Literature

(Keats, 2001)

Note: If Peter could only learn to whistle, than his dog, Willie would hear him and come running. But nothing Peter does seems to help. He tries spinning around and around but it only makes him dizzy. He draws a long line with colored chalk; he walks along a crack in the sidewalk. He even wears his father's hat and tries running away from his own shadow! It's not until Peter least expects it that his wish comes true, and he blows a whistle that brings Willie running.Caldecott award-winner Ezra Jack Keats tells his delightful tale in simple, easy-to-follow writing, and with his bold, colorful illustrations — of yellow-and-pink bricked buildings, barbershop poles, and girls skipping rope — he captures perfectly a summer's day in the city as seen through the eyes of a child.