The Snowy Day
By Ezra Jack Keats

This was one of the first books I was able to read by myself. I'm from Minnesota, and I could relate to the child's adventure—wandering through a snowy town and putting a snowball in his pocket. It's the most beautiful day this particular child has ever had. What I never understood, until I started to read the story to my daughter when she was five, was how Keats celebrates the simple things in life. As adults we somehow stop appreciating small things, living in the moment. So I still love this book; it takes me home.