''Peter's Chair'' is a 1967

children's A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The ima ...

by American author and illustrator

Ezra Jack Keats Ezra Jack Keats (né Jacob Ezra Katz; March 11, 1916 - May 6, 1983) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for '' The Snowy Day'', which won the 1963 Caldecott Medal and is considered one of the most importa ...

Background

''Peter's Chair'' is the third in a series of books by Keats, following the 1963 Caldecott Medal winner '' The Snowy Day'' (1962) and '' Whistle for Willie'' (1964), that follow an African American boy named Peter throughout his childhood. The book, edited by

Ursula Nordstrom Ursula Nordstrom (February 2, 1910 – October 11, 1988) was publisher and editor-in-chief of juvenile books at Harper & Row from 1940 to 1973. She is credited with presiding over a transformation in children's literature in which morality tales ...

, is the first in the series to be published by Harper. It was originally set to be titled ''The Blue Chair''. The story of ''Peter's Chair'' addresses family conflicts such as

sibling rivalry Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not. In childhood, siblings generally spend more time together than they do with parents. Sibling bonds are influenced by factors such as parental ...

and running away from home, echoing events in Keats' own childhood. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' called the story "a soupcon of security for displaced preschoolers."

Plot

Peter has a new baby sister, Suzy. First his father paints Peter's old cradle pink, then his crib. Then his parents want to paint Peter's blue chair. "Let’s run away, Willie," he says to his dog. They do, Peter taking his chair with him. However, he finds that the chair is too small for him, and he returns home. The final two pages show Peter sitting in an adult-sized chair and helping his father paint his old chair pink.

Adaptations

In 1971 in an iconographic film produced by

Weston Woods Studios Weston Woods Studios (or simply Weston Woods) is an American production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded ...

Loretta Long Loretta Mae Long ( Moore; born October 4, 1938) is an American actress. She played the character of Susan Robinson on ''Sesame Street'' from 1969 to 2016. Long is also a consultant and public speaker on issues of multiculturalism and education ...

narrated the story.

Sophie Aldred Sophie Aldred (born 20 August 1962) is an English actress and television presenter. She has worked extensively in children's television as a presenter and voice artist. She played the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace, in the television series ''D ...

also read the story in a 1992 episode of '' Words and Pictures'' featuring the letter G.

References

{{Portal, Children's literature 1967 children's books American picture books Books by Ezra Jack Keats Sequel books