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Summary: "The Snowy Day" written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats follows Peter as he adventures in the snow. Peter makes tracks, builds a snowmen, attempts to join a snowball fight, makes snow angels, and brings home a snowball. To his dismay, after his bath he finds his snowball has melted. Peter dreams the snow has melted but is pleasantly surprised when he wakes to find fresh snow on the ground. He calls to his friend to begin a new, snowy adventure.

Analysis: In this story, Peter's mother makes a brief appearance while she prepares him for bed. During this time, and even now, this is a typical gender role of a mother. Peter's snow day consists of a solo adventure through the neighborhood. He encounters older children and decides their snowball fight is not the right fit. This is one of few stories centered around a POC during this time. Interestingly enough, the author is Jewish. It has been criticized that he should not have written about another race. However, the story does not touch upon race or stereotypes. Peter displays an independence that is not common today. For example, he spends his day alone wandering around with no friends or authority figures to keep him company. This story depicts childhood as a time to explore and play. The author created a character any child can identify with. The joy of waking up to a snowy day and playing in the snow is relatable to any child who has experienced this weather. There is no gender role that Peter takes on. He does hold the power since he decides what and when he would like to complete his activities. Peter rarely talks, so the reader must infer his mood through illustrations, his actions, and the text. The relationship between Peter and his mother is nurturing. He shares stories from his day, while she helps him undress.

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Summary: "Miss Rumphius" written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney follows Miss Rumphius' journey to spread beauty throughout the world. Upon her grandfather's advice to do something to make the world better, she embarks on a lifelong journey. The story follows the cities and countries she travels to. She returns home and years later, upon falling ill, she decides to create a more beautiful world. She plants lupines and creates a more beautiful community.

Analysis: The characters in this story are white and there is no diversity. Miss Rumphius is displayed as an adventurous go-getter. At one point, she climbs Mount Everest. A feat not commonly accomplished by women. The story is told through a child's memory. Children take the backseat for nearly the entire story since it centers around Miss R's adult life. In the end, her great-niece feels inspired and decides to make the world more beautiful upon hearing Miss Rumphius's advice. I believe the text shows readers and the children in the story, a strong person to emulate. The wisdom and power is held by adults. While the narrator is a child, the main character is an adult. Miss Rumphius does not take on gender roles. She does not have children and spends her adult life traveling. She rides camels, climbs a mountain, and travels to an exotic island where she meets the king of a fishing village. The goal of the story is for the children in the family to create a beautiful world. This is for them to determine how they can complete this task. At no point is taking on traditional gender roles described as a goal. Rather, the independence of a single woman is displayed through the text and illustrations.

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Summary: "Amazing Grace" by Mary Hoffman is a story of triumph. Grace uses her vivid imagination to portray many characters from stories, such as "Anansi."  Grace loves to act out characters and is thrilled when her teacher announces they would do the play "Peter Pan." Grace would like to play Peter, but her peers tell her that is not possible because she is a girl and Peter is a boy's name. In addition to the name, students point attention to the fact that Grace is Black, and Peter is not. Grace's grandmother takes her to attend "Romeo and Juliet" and Grace discovers a Trinidadian playing Juliet. Feeling inspired by this representation, she auditions for Peter and earns the role.

Analysis: There are many norms present. Through her classmate's disapproval of her desire to play Peter, you can see gender and race factoring in. This sends a strong message about gender and race. Grace is a cheerful child, but does not take on the typical gender norms of this time period. Through the language and illustrations the author is inspiring and providing children with a character to emulate. Grace's Nana tells her "You can be anything you want...if you put your mind to it." This is providing a mindset we as educators strive to instill. Grace is surrounded by strong women. Her mother and grandmother hold much of the power as they work to show her race and gender do not limit her opportunity to play Peter. They use their wisdom to show her an example of a white character played by a POC. This story displays white and black characters, predominately. With the exception of an illustration of her class that displays many students of differing ethnicities. The values of her white peers, who feel she should not play Peter in the beginning, were shared by many during that time period and even today.

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Summary: "Alma and How She Got Her Name" written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal displays a child's self-discovery as Alma learns to love her name she once felt was too long. Her father gives her the story behind each of her names: Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela. She learns to love each of her names as she finds she has been named after family members.

Analysis: The text contains many Spanish words to add to the authenticity of this diverse text. When Alma learns of her grandmother Candela, the illustrations display Candela protesting for human rights. The people carrying signs all contain Spanish text. Alma is named after many strong women in her family. This displays a strong feminine lead. While this story is named after the main character, each family member Alma is named after is provided with a description and illustrations that depict their accomplishments. Alma's father shows wisdom. I believe he has the power because he informed Alma and was able to help her reach a point of loving her name. The author provides readers with a character they can emulate. At the beginning of the story, Alma is unhappy with her name. She does not find pride in it until she learns each name's origin. This change in behavior is reminiscent of "Chrysanthemum." Each illustration and character is Hispanic and this is relatable for many Hispanic children. While this story revolves around Alma's journey to learn her name, she takes on a background role with her father as the story teller.

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It is clear to see how children have changed in literature throughout the decades. We began in 1962 with "The Snowy Day." This showcases a child with enormous independence not seen today. There is only the presence of an adult once. This story is unique in that the main character and mother are Black. "Miss Rumphius" is unique because it shows a strong female lead who does not conform to gender norms. The narrator is a child who ends the story with the hopes of making the world more beautiful. There are no characters of color, and I find it interesting the way to make the world more beautiful, could be planting flowers. In more modern texts, children are encouraged to create change. Similar to "The Snowy Day" "Amazing Grace" revolves around main characters who are Black. Additionally, Grace does not conform to gender or race norms. This story shows a shift in story-telling through messages of growth, confidence, and the ability to do what you want regardless of race and/or gender. The message of love and self-growth visible in "Amazing Grace" and "Alma" is indicative of texts you see in current times. Additionally, the main characters represent races not commonly seen in older picture books. Finally, "Alma" contains text in English and Spanish, showing the shift toward a country that is not predominately White. Each text was truly a reflection of its time. Whether it addresses race, gender, or contains neither, I was not very surprised by what I found.