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Peter #2
Whistle for Willie
This is the simple story of Peter, who longs to whistle for his dog, Willie, and persists until he does. When Whistle for Willie was first published in 1964, The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Keats's illustrations boldly, colorfully capture the child, his city world, and the shimmering heat of a summer's day."
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
32 people are currently reading
2838 people want to read
About the author
Ezra Jack Keats
125 books377 followersEzra Jack Keats was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating The Snowy Day, which he also wrote. Many of Ezra’s stories are about a group of friends growing up in the city. The neighborhood they live in looks like the streets where Ezra grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
He was born Jacob Ezra Katz, the third child of Polish-Jewish immigrants Benjamin Katz and Augusta Podgainy. The family was very poor. Jack, as he was known, was artistic from an early age, and joyfully made pictures out of whatever scraps of wood, cloth and paper that he could collect. Benjamin Katz, who worked as a waiter, tried to discourage his son, insisting that artists lived terrible, impoverished lives. Nevertheless, he sometimes brought home tubes of paint, claiming, "A starving artist swapped this for a bowl of soup."
With little encouragement at home, Keats sought validation for his skills at school and learned about art at the public library. He received a medal for drawing on graduating from Junior High School 149. Although unimpressive-looking, the medal meant a great deal to him, and he kept it his entire life. Keats attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where he won a national contest run by Scholastic for an oil painting depicting hobos warming themselves around a fire. At his graduation, in January 1935, he was to receive the senior class medal for excellence in art. Two days before the ceremony, Benjamin Katz died in the street of a heart attack. When Keats identified his father's body, he later wrote, "I found myself staring deep into his secret feelings. There in his wallet were worn and tattered newspaper clippings of the notices of the awards I had won. My silent admirer and supplier, he had been torn between his dread of my leading a life of hardship and his real pride in my work."
His father's death curtailed his dream of attending art school. For the remainder of the Great Depression until he was drafted for military service in World War II, Keats took art classes when he could and worked at a number of jobs, most notably as a mural painter under the New Deal program the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and as a comic book illustrator. At Fawcett Publications, he illustrated backgrounds for the Captain Marvel comic strip. He spent his military service (1943-45) designing camouflage patterns for the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1947, he petitioned to legally change his name to Ezra Jack Keats, in reaction to the anti-Semitic prejudice of the time.
Keats spent most of 1949 painting and studying in Paris, realizing a long-deferred dream of working as an artist. After returning to New York, he focused on earning a living as a commercial artist, undoubtedly influenced by his father's anxieties. His illustrations began to appear in Reader's Digest, The New York Times Book Review, Collier's and Playboy, and on the jackets of popular books. His work was displayed in Fifth Avenue store windows, and the Associated American Artists Gallery, in New York City, gave him exhibitions in 1950 and 1954.
In his unpublished autobiography, Keats wrote, "I didn't even ask to get into children's books." In fact, he was asked to do so by Elizabeth Riley of Crowell, which brought out his first children's title, Jubilant for Sure, written by Elisabeth Hubbard Lansing, in 1954. To prepare for the assignment, Keats went to rural Kentucky, where the story takes place, to sketch. Many children's books followed, including the Danny Dunn adventure series, by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, and an ethnographic series by Tillie S. Pine and Joseph Levine, beginning with The Indians Knew. All told, Keats illustrated nearly 70 books written by other authors.
In 1983, Keats died at the age of 67 following a heart attack. His last projects included designing the sets for a musical version of his book The Trip (which would later become the stage production Captain Louie), designing
He was born Jacob Ezra Katz, the third child of Polish-Jewish immigrants Benjamin Katz and Augusta Podgainy. The family was very poor. Jack, as he was known, was artistic from an early age, and joyfully made pictures out of whatever scraps of wood, cloth and paper that he could collect. Benjamin Katz, who worked as a waiter, tried to discourage his son, insisting that artists lived terrible, impoverished lives. Nevertheless, he sometimes brought home tubes of paint, claiming, "A starving artist swapped this for a bowl of soup."
With little encouragement at home, Keats sought validation for his skills at school and learned about art at the public library. He received a medal for drawing on graduating from Junior High School 149. Although unimpressive-looking, the medal meant a great deal to him, and he kept it his entire life. Keats attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where he won a national contest run by Scholastic for an oil painting depicting hobos warming themselves around a fire. At his graduation, in January 1935, he was to receive the senior class medal for excellence in art. Two days before the ceremony, Benjamin Katz died in the street of a heart attack. When Keats identified his father's body, he later wrote, "I found myself staring deep into his secret feelings. There in his wallet were worn and tattered newspaper clippings of the notices of the awards I had won. My silent admirer and supplier, he had been torn between his dread of my leading a life of hardship and his real pride in my work."
His father's death curtailed his dream of attending art school. For the remainder of the Great Depression until he was drafted for military service in World War II, Keats took art classes when he could and worked at a number of jobs, most notably as a mural painter under the New Deal program the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and as a comic book illustrator. At Fawcett Publications, he illustrated backgrounds for the Captain Marvel comic strip. He spent his military service (1943-45) designing camouflage patterns for the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1947, he petitioned to legally change his name to Ezra Jack Keats, in reaction to the anti-Semitic prejudice of the time.
Keats spent most of 1949 painting and studying in Paris, realizing a long-deferred dream of working as an artist. After returning to New York, he focused on earning a living as a commercial artist, undoubtedly influenced by his father's anxieties. His illustrations began to appear in Reader's Digest, The New York Times Book Review, Collier's and Playboy, and on the jackets of popular books. His work was displayed in Fifth Avenue store windows, and the Associated American Artists Gallery, in New York City, gave him exhibitions in 1950 and 1954.
In his unpublished autobiography, Keats wrote, "I didn't even ask to get into children's books." In fact, he was asked to do so by Elizabeth Riley of Crowell, which brought out his first children's title, Jubilant for Sure, written by Elisabeth Hubbard Lansing, in 1954. To prepare for the assignment, Keats went to rural Kentucky, where the story takes place, to sketch. Many children's books followed, including the Danny Dunn adventure series, by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, and an ethnographic series by Tillie S. Pine and Joseph Levine, beginning with The Indians Knew. All told, Keats illustrated nearly 70 books written by other authors.
In 1983, Keats died at the age of 67 following a heart attack. His last projects included designing the sets for a musical version of his book The Trip (which would later become the stage production Captain Louie), designing
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 517 reviews
April 9, 2018
I love the colors in this books. The backgrounds of pink bricks are so pretty. Amazing colors that jump off the page to this day. It's like Jan Brett, you see a Ezra Jack Keats page of art and you know who it is immediately without knowing the book. It's distinct.
Peter is so lucky. I can't whistle and I have tried my whole life. My father has a beautiful whistle. Peter is trying to whistle to get the attention of a Dachshund. He practices and practices until he can finally whistle. Willie comes to him and Peter is so happy.
The kids enjoyed this book. It is a feast for the eyes.
Peter is so lucky. I can't whistle and I have tried my whole life. My father has a beautiful whistle. Peter is trying to whistle to get the attention of a Dachshund. He practices and practices until he can finally whistle. Willie comes to him and Peter is so happy.
The kids enjoyed this book. It is a feast for the eyes.
June 18, 2020
A simple story about a boy taking his dog for a walk and learning to whistle. The illustrations are very beautiful, bright and vibrant colours really capture the feel of a hot day. A nice look at a time when small children could go out on their own. This artist is really talented at drawing dachshunds!
Read on open library.
Read on open library.
October 2, 2023
The book, copyright 1964, is about a boy trying to learn to whistle. It is a simple and quick read good for children. Probably very good way to introduce them to trying to whistle. In this book Peter -
'He saw a boy playing with his dog. Whenever the boy whistled, the dog ran straight to him.
Peter tried and tried to whistle, but he couldn't.'
It may not be a as much as a dog book, but Peter's dachshund Willie appears in several pages. The illustrations are not amazing but good, and the styles of clothes paint a picture from another time. All the people in the book have dark skin colors, which is probably more rare in books of the time, which is a nice difference.
You could probably have a lot of fun reading this book to your child, pairing it with whistling and your own dog.
'He saw a boy playing with his dog. Whenever the boy whistled, the dog ran straight to him.
Peter tried and tried to whistle, but he couldn't.'
It may not be a as much as a dog book, but Peter's dachshund Willie appears in several pages. The illustrations are not amazing but good, and the styles of clothes paint a picture from another time. All the people in the book have dark skin colors, which is probably more rare in books of the time, which is a nice difference.
You could probably have a lot of fun reading this book to your child, pairing it with whistling and your own dog.
October 27, 2015
This now classic storybook has always been a favorite of mine. I remember trying to learn to whistle, too, and I was doing so in order to call my dad's cat in for dinner. The boy in the book, Peter, has a huge imagination and his parents support him in that, such as when he pretends to be his father and his mother tells him she thinks Peter was out with the dog and perhaps he could find him there.
I like that the dog is a daschund yet no one makes fun of that. I love that the family is black, and that's irrelevant to the plot; they're just another family.
The illustrations are simplistic but they are somehow collages, I think, and they fit the story perfectly.
I like that the dog is a daschund yet no one makes fun of that. I love that the family is black, and that's irrelevant to the plot; they're just another family.
The illustrations are simplistic but they are somehow collages, I think, and they fit the story perfectly.
March 17, 2021
This is probably my second favorite book in the series.
December 22, 2012
A little boy wishes he could whistle, and after many attempts is eventually able to. His dog and parents are suitably impressed.
This simple story will probably resonate most with smaller children who are sometimes frustrated by the process of acquiring the skills of older siblings or friends.
This simple story will probably resonate most with smaller children who are sometimes frustrated by the process of acquiring the skills of older siblings or friends.
September 30, 2023
Who knew how important the ability to whistle would be to a child and a dog?
For Peter it was everything. He really, really wanted to know how to whistle so that he could get his dog, Willie to come to him, like he saw another boy and his dog playing together.
So…
He practiced and he tried and he did everything he could to learn how to whistle.
And then…
(No spoilers from me.)
The story is simple. The images are striking and drawn with colorful brushstrokes of an active city life.
And of course…
A boy’s love for his dog.
Interest level: Grades 1st – 3rd grade.
March 26, 2012
This book is comical, and everyone would enjoy the story of a young boy, named Willie, who tries and tries again to whistle. It's such a simply story and the author, Ezra Jack Keats, really depicts the mind and behavior of a 4 or 5 year old child in this story. Just like what I had done when I was Willie's age, Willie goes on to think that if he pretended to look and act like his father, then whistling would come naturally. He tried to whistle while wearing his dad's hat,and that didn't happen. Willie continues to do more tricks and tries again to whistle and nothing happened. Until finally, after practicing and practicing, he blows his first whistling sound. You come to identify with Willie and his efforts in doing something he only thought he had to wait a long time for it to happen.
CREATIVE EXPERIENCE:
Using a book like "Whistle for Willie", will help in exercising gross and fine motor skills that young children ages 3 to 5 years may need help defining. Like snapping fingers, whistling, hopping, and skipping, for starters. Those movements were not the easiest for me either, growing up but they were best mastered when the teacher played a song with those movements in them, in which I had to copy or imitate what was played in the song. So, through the use of music and movement could I help children start practicing and mastering these difficult gross & fine motor skills.
CREATIVE EXPERIENCE:
Using a book like "Whistle for Willie", will help in exercising gross and fine motor skills that young children ages 3 to 5 years may need help defining. Like snapping fingers, whistling, hopping, and skipping, for starters. Those movements were not the easiest for me either, growing up but they were best mastered when the teacher played a song with those movements in them, in which I had to copy or imitate what was played in the song. So, through the use of music and movement could I help children start practicing and mastering these difficult gross & fine motor skills.
March 11, 2015
The second in his saga on "Peter," Ezra Jack Keats' sequel to The Snowy Day finds his protagonist a little older, but still as appealing as before. Peter is trying to learn how to whistle so that he can call his dog to him, the titular Willie. In picking this book back up in the library, I reminisce about my own dog that passed away a few weeks ago and remember how I felt first owning a dog. Of course, when I originally read this I did not own a dog at all.
One of the things to observe here is the changing of the art-style. As Keats released more books of his fictional Brooklyn neighborhood the art changes and becomes more "rounder." I am guessing that if you read his work in order (which I never did) you can more clearly observe it. This is another superb children's book by Mr. Keats and is easily recommended.
One of the things to observe here is the changing of the art-style. As Keats released more books of his fictional Brooklyn neighborhood the art changes and becomes more "rounder." I am guessing that if you read his work in order (which I never did) you can more clearly observe it. This is another superb children's book by Mr. Keats and is easily recommended.
January 25, 2013
I adore Ezra Jack Keats. I love his illustration style (collage), I think his sense of composition is flawless, and the stories are great--they're stories without being preachy about something. They're stories about being a kid, from a kid's point of view. They show without telling. I love them. And this one is sweet. About the persistence that children can have about certain things.
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November 14, 2014This book is a classic for a reason. Deceptively simple text and pictures perfectly and delightfully represent the way a young child's (Peter, from SNOWY DAY) mind works.
February 12, 2020
Ezra Jack Keats. Whistle for Willie. (1964). Board Book Edition. To say I judged a book by its cover would be an understatement. I saw the long, skinny body and short legs of a dachshund walking off the cover of the spectacularly sweet story of a boy named Peter, and his dog Willie - and I fell in love! The book is both written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. I am a fan of both the story and the illustrations. It is about Peter, a young African American boy, who wants to learn to whistle in order to get his dog, Willie's attention. Keats uses collage and paints to establish the urban setting that Peter lives in. Additionally, the illustrations help tell the story of Peter's day. For example, as Peter spins around faster and faster, the pictures tilt to and fro, to give a young reader the feeling of dizziness that he is experiencing. The images take up the entire page, and provide various perspectives of Peter throughout his day as he tries to learn to whistle. Because this is a board book, it can handle the tough love of toddlers. The text is easy to read, however the vocabulary is a bit advanced. The book is a great read to for children 1 to first grade. For independent reading, I would recommend second graders and beginning third graders.
January 31, 2012
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats is another nice book. The pictures really enhanced the overall story. Before reading this book I looked at the title and thought this book was going to be about a young boy who lost his dog. As I opened the book to the title page there was the dog alone walking the street. So those factors made me realize "Oh the dog is roaming around while his owner Willie is trying to whistle the dog home." Well I was completely wrong, Willie actually wanted to learn how to whistle, because he noticed that a stranger could whistle and the dog would instantly listen. The pictures looked as if they were drawn by a 6th grader. The text in this book was not the main focus of this story, because they were placed in the corners while the pictures bled the whole page. I like this book because it will teach most kids a positive lesson. Don't give up on something you cannot do at the moment, because once you keep trying you will learn.
March 21, 2017
1- I enjoyed reading this book because is about a little boy that does not give up until he learns to whistle. The pictures are great because it demonstrates how he tries so hard to learn to whistle. This book is great for children that give up easily when learning something new in their daily lives or in school. Also, he uses his imagination like any other child while growing up. For example, he plays catching his shadow.
2- I believe after reading this book to children, they are going to want to try new things they probably gave up before. They are going to try to catch their own shadows. While reading this book I will stop and demonstrate how I whistle. Also, I will ask questions on something they gave up before. At the end of the story, I will ask them if they want to try to learn to whistle like the boy did.
2- I believe after reading this book to children, they are going to want to try new things they probably gave up before. They are going to try to catch their own shadows. While reading this book I will stop and demonstrate how I whistle. Also, I will ask questions on something they gave up before. At the end of the story, I will ask them if they want to try to learn to whistle like the boy did.
June 26, 2008
Nice book about a little (black) boy who wants to learn to whistle, and, predictably, eventually does.
It's always nice to have picture books that feature black kids that take place in the US and that don't make "being black" the focus of the story, or else talk all about some "issue". The truth is that there aren't enough books that fit that criteria, and sometimes I think it's nice for my nieces to be able to see books about kids who act and look like them, y'know? So we've got a lot of books by Ezra Jack Keats.
It's also interesting to me to see how much freedom Willie has. Clearly, this book was written in a less paranoid (if not actually any safer) time.
It's always nice to have picture books that feature black kids that take place in the US and that don't make "being black" the focus of the story, or else talk all about some "issue". The truth is that there aren't enough books that fit that criteria, and sometimes I think it's nice for my nieces to be able to see books about kids who act and look like them, y'know? So we've got a lot of books by Ezra Jack Keats.
It's also interesting to me to see how much freedom Willie has. Clearly, this book was written in a less paranoid (if not actually any safer) time.
December 19, 2017
I'm not the biggest fan of Keats' artwork but it IS iconic.
Plus this is a cute story.
Plus this is a cute story.
May 31, 2020
This is a cute children’s picture book about a young boy named Willie and his quest to learn how to whistle so that he can call his dog.
November 6, 2022
3.5 stars
October 31, 2012
I read this book and it is about the little boy, Peter would like to whistle to call his dog Willie but try very hard but couldn't figure out how to do it. Peter sees other children whistling for their dogs. He tried to whistle in varities of ways between spinning, hiding in boxes, coloring with chalks, pretending to be his father, walking the cracks in the side walks but failed. After many attempts he finally whistle for his dog Willie. Peter was so happy to whistle. He showed his parents he can whistle. When his parents sent him to buy some grocery for them he whistle to and from the grocery store. The book teaches children to be persitent in whatever they do. Practice makes perfect. The book is very colorful. I will add this book to my shelf.
Learning Experience:
Auditory prop: I will discuss whistling is an auditory prop and how one can make sound with mouth and teach children how to whistle by pursing their lips into a tiny O shape, leaving a small opening for air, then by placing the tip of their tongue behind the bottom teeth or against the inside bottom gums and then gently expel air through the mouth. I will then ask them to adjust their tongue position and the small O opening formed by their lips until they hear a note. Once they can sound one note, then they can experiment with their tongue position and the strength of their breath to produce different notes. They can continue to practice until they can whistle perfectly.
Vocabularies: I will teach the children vocabularies such as up, down, around, between, under, stop.
Learning Experience:
Auditory prop: I will discuss whistling is an auditory prop and how one can make sound with mouth and teach children how to whistle by pursing their lips into a tiny O shape, leaving a small opening for air, then by placing the tip of their tongue behind the bottom teeth or against the inside bottom gums and then gently expel air through the mouth. I will then ask them to adjust their tongue position and the small O opening formed by their lips until they hear a note. Once they can sound one note, then they can experiment with their tongue position and the strength of their breath to produce different notes. They can continue to practice until they can whistle perfectly.
Vocabularies: I will teach the children vocabularies such as up, down, around, between, under, stop.
June 9, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Whistle for Willie", Peter is one determined little boy when it came to wanting to learn how to whistle for his dog. It shows how if you continously practice at something you want to learn it eventually pays off. The illustrations in the book reminds me of a collage, very colorful and abstract, but shows the persistance that Peter is going through to learn how to whistle. Willie is one lucky dog to have an owner who wants to do special things for him.
Learning Experience:
The book "Whistle for Willie" is about Peter wanting to do something special for his dog,so we can use this book to learn more about Peter's dog, Willie. We can have a discussion about what type of dog Willie is,which is a Dachshund, characteristics of this type of breed, and continue on about different breeds of dogs. We can graph the differences/similiarities of dogs, and also ask the children if they have a dog at home and what breed their dog is.
Learning Experience:
The book "Whistle for Willie" is about Peter wanting to do something special for his dog,so we can use this book to learn more about Peter's dog, Willie. We can have a discussion about what type of dog Willie is,which is a Dachshund, characteristics of this type of breed, and continue on about different breeds of dogs. We can graph the differences/similiarities of dogs, and also ask the children if they have a dog at home and what breed their dog is.
October 27, 2015
There's something just magical about the books created by Ezra Jack Keats. The text is simple, but with a genius for simplicity. Not a word is out of place. It draws you in and sets a tone that validates the experiences of childhood, so children connect to the character and feel their own experiences have validity.
Plus, the illustrations are divine. Packed with color and pattern. (I love the way the chalk with which Peter draws scrawls across several pages.) I also love that Peter grows up in these stories so that the reader sees him and his interests change over the timeline of these wonderful stories.
Plus, the illustrations are divine. Packed with color and pattern. (I love the way the chalk with which Peter draws scrawls across several pages.) I also love that Peter grows up in these stories so that the reader sees him and his interests change over the timeline of these wonderful stories.
August 21, 2012
Have you ever really, really wanted to do something? How did you feel when you were finally able to do it?
Encouragement. Don't be hard on yourself if at first you are unable to meet your goals. Try, try again!
For a student who is struggling with a goal. Development, somethings take time. did you start talking as soon as you were born? does your little brother/sister drive the car? can you ride a bike? some things take time and that's ok! When Peter was finally able to whistle he felt... what do you think he felt?
connecting the students to their own emotions.
Encouragement. Don't be hard on yourself if at first you are unable to meet your goals. Try, try again!
For a student who is struggling with a goal. Development, somethings take time. did you start talking as soon as you were born? does your little brother/sister drive the car? can you ride a bike? some things take time and that's ok! When Peter was finally able to whistle he felt... what do you think he felt?
connecting the students to their own emotions.
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March 20, 2017Yolanda Mason's Review!
I liked this book, it had good illustrations and a good storyline. Upon the time when this book was written the family was in a good place (mother,father,boy.) I believe there was a stereotype of blacks being able to whistle. The boy was trying to imitate his father,that should never end, the boy's mom played along. The children should respond with enthusiasm, I would emphasize it's alright to have a goal of something you would want to achieve-this is an inspiring story.
I liked this book, it had good illustrations and a good storyline. Upon the time when this book was written the family was in a good place (mother,father,boy.) I believe there was a stereotype of blacks being able to whistle. The boy was trying to imitate his father,that should never end, the boy's mom played along. The children should respond with enthusiasm, I would emphasize it's alright to have a goal of something you would want to achieve-this is an inspiring story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2012
The storyline of “Whistle For Willie” is delightful. It shows persistence and that one should not give up when they can’t do something right away. Children would easily follow along. The colorful illustrations are equally enjoyable.
To extend this book you could take the children out for a nature walk and ask them to explore the ground for a long, thick piece of grass. After finding one, show them how to use it in their hands to make a whistle sound.
To extend this book you could take the children out for a nature walk and ask them to explore the ground for a long, thick piece of grass. After finding one, show them how to use it in their hands to make a whistle sound.
February 1, 2018
This story reminds me of when I was little, trying to learn how to whistle. It's endearing and sweet.
Ages: 3 - 6
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Ages: 3 - 6
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
January 25, 2012
Peter wants so badly to be able to whistle for his dog, Willie, like the boy he watches on the street, but he just can't do it. He keeps practicing, though, and one day...he does it! He whistles! What child can't identify with Peter's desire to whistle?
Ezra Jack Keats is an American icon of children's literature, and Whistle for Willie is a classic.
Ezra Jack Keats is an American icon of children's literature, and Whistle for Willie is a classic.
February 5, 2018
This story is about a little boy named Peter who really wants to whistle to catch his dogs attention. He tries several times but he keeps blowing out air, no whistle. He even tries on his dads hat and pretends to be a grown up to try to whistle but no whistle. While he is out playing with his shadow, he sees his dog Willie and he tries to whistle and you never guess what happens, he whistles.
October 6, 2012
I adore the illustrations of Ezra Jack Keats --
January 8, 2016
Beautiful Illustrations, Engaging & Sweet! We Loved It!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 517 reviews