Famous for his inclusion of multicultural characters and themes in his children's books, as well as for his unique collage style of illustration, he won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for his now-classic picture book The Snowy Day. His other notable works include Whistle for Willie, Goggles!, Clementina's Cactus, and Regards to the Man in the Moon.
During his high school years, he received a Scholastic painting contest honor and a school art award. Many years later, after serving in World War II, he became an Illustrator for The New York Times Book Review and Reader's Digest.
His most famous children's literature character, an African-American boy named Peter, is featured in seven books.
Born Jacob Ezra Katz in New York City, he grew up in poverty as the son of Polish-born Jewish immigrants.
Both native New Yorkers, he and Rosemary Wells rose to fame for their work as children's Writers and illustrators.
