{"id":21174,"date":"2017-10-03T18:40:06","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T23:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=21174"},"modified":"2017-10-03T18:40:06","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T23:40:06","slug":"usps-releases-the-snowy-day-forever-stamps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2017\/10\/03\/usps-releases-the-snowy-day-forever-stamps\/","title":{"rendered":"USPS releases The Snowy Day Forever stamps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Snowy<\/p>\n

BROOKLYN, NY<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Tomorrow, the U.S. Postal Service showcases the work of Ezra Jack Keats\u2019 most beloved story,\u00a0The Snowy Day<\/em><\/a>, on Forever stamps. Written and illustrated by the celebrated children\u2019s author, it was one of the first prominent 20th-century picture books devoted to an African-American child.<\/p>\n

Free and open to the public, the 10:30 a.m. ceremony will take place at the\u00a0Brooklyn Public Library Central Library<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>10 Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Followers of the Postal Service\u2019s Facebook page can view the event live at\u00a0facebook.com\/USPS<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Each of the four new stamps in this 20-stamp booklet features a different illustration of main character Peter exploring and playing in his neighborhood while wearing his iconic red snowsuit. The images include: Peter forming a snowball, Peter sliding down a mountain of snow, Peter making a snow angel and Peter leaving footprints in the snow.<\/p>\n

Since the publication of this treasured tale five decades ago young readers have enjoyed joining Peter on his winter adventure. Unlike most popular children\u2019s authors at the time, Keats made a point to feature ethnically and racially diverse characters in his work. Inspired by a series of 1940\u00a0Life\u00a0<\/em>magazine photographs of a young African-American boy, Keats began writing\u00a0The Snowy Day<\/em>. Using paper collage, fabric, stamps and India ink, he crafted the unique look of the story\u2019s wintry urban landscape.<\/p>\n

Edited by Annis Duff and published in 1962,\u00a0The Snowy Day\u00a0<\/em>has become a classic. Since its release, it has sold millions of copies.<\/p>\n

As Peter starred in six more Keats stories, readers watched him grow older in print. Before the author\u2019s death in 1983, he wrote and illustrated 22 children\u2019s books and provided artwork for dozens more. Countless readers identified with his characters and stories, which brought added diversity to mainstream children’s literature.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored to represent the Postal Service as we dedicate four stamps that feature an iconic image that has had a positive impact on children for more than 50 years,\u201d said U.S. Postal Service Government Relations and Public Policy Acting Executive Director Roderick Sallay.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1962, a groundbreaking book hit the library shelves \u2014\u00a0The Snowy Day\u00a0<\/em>by Ezra Jack Keats. Before this book,\u00a0<\/em>children of color \u2014 African-American children, in particular \u2014 saw very little representation of themselves in picture books,\u201d added Sallay. \u201cAnd then came Peter. A young boy who awoke to find the world outside his window blanketed in snow, and who couldn\u2019t wait to get outside and play. Through Peter, children of color found a positive representation of themselves, which instilled a sense of pride and self-acceptance. One that said, I both fit and I belong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scheduled to join Sallay in the ceremony are Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO\u00a0Linda E. Johnson<\/em><\/a>;<\/em>\u00a0author\u00a0Andrea Davis Pinkney<\/em><\/a>; and\u00a0<\/em>Ezra Jack Keats Foundation<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Executive Director\u00a0Deborah Pope<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0The Foundation supports efforts to foster children\u2019s love of reading and creative expression while promoting diversity in children’s literature with the\u00a0Ezra Jack Keats Book Award<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for new writers and illustrators.<\/p>\n

\u201cEzra Jack Keats understood that every child can experience the wide-open joy of a playtime adventure. That’s what his books have done for me as a reader \u2014 they\u2019ve let me discover over and over again the beauty of boundlessness,\u201d said Pinkney. \u201cThe Snowy Day stamps are a wonderful way to send Keats greetings. I have my envelopes addressed and waiting, ready to carry messages of unbridled hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEzra wanted all children to be able to see themselves in picture books,\u201d said Pope. \u201cHe transformed the landscape of children’s literature with the diversity of his characters, and his work was embraced across ethnic and social boundaries. In 1963 he was awarded the prestigious\u00a0Caldecott Medal<\/em><\/a>for\u00a0The Snowy Day<\/em>, a beloved classic that the Library of Congress named\u00a0one of 88 books that shaped America<\/em><\/a>. It is an honor to Ezra and to the children of this country that the Postal Service is issuing these beautiful Snowy Day stamps. Keats opened the door to diversity in American children\u2019s literature and helped generations of Americans grow up with greater tolerance and a broader sense of community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Art director\u00a0Antonio Alcal\u00e1<\/em><\/a>\u00a0of Alexandria, VA, designed the stamps. The stamps may be pre-ordered at this\u00a0link<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for delivery shortly after the Oct. 4 issuance.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Snowy Day stamps are being issued as Forever stamps which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.<\/p>\n

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks<\/strong>
\nCustomers have 60 days to obtain first-day-of-issue postmarks by mail. They may purchase new stamps at United States Post Office locations, at the Postal Store\u00a0usps.com\/shop<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or by calling 800-782-6724. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:<\/p>\n

The Snowy Day Stamps
\nUSPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
\n8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
\nKansas City, MO\u00a0 64144-9900<\/p>\n

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for postmarks up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers are charged 5 cents each. All orders must be postmarked by Dec. 4, 2017.<\/p>\n

Ordering First-Day Covers<\/strong>
\nThe Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamps and stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly\u00a0USA Philatelic<\/em>\u00a0catalog, online at\u00a0usps.com\/shop<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:<\/p>\n

U.S. Postal Service
\nCatalog Request
\nPO Box 219014
\nKansas City, MO\u00a0 64121-9014<\/p>\n

Philatelic Products<\/strong>
\nPhilatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:<\/p>\n