A Letter to Amy

A Letter to Amy tells the story of a little boy named Peter who wants to invite his friend Amy to his birthday party in a special way. He decides to write her a letter and send it to her in the mail. On his way to mail it, he runs into Amy and loses the letter in a storm. After losing the letter, he worries that Amy won't come to his party. I thought this was a really good book, and very relatable to children. Birthday parties are a big deal to kids, especially if it is their own, so Peter's worry over his party was definitely a realistic situation.

Ages: 4-5 and up
Source: Jillian read it to us in class, but it can be found in the Pierce College Library or the Pierce County Library as well.

"It looks like rain. You'd better stay in, Willie," warns Peter dashing out to mail the letter inviting Amy to his birthday party, and the storm—lowering clouds, explosive lighting, wind and water and glistening sidewalks—is as vital here, transforming the look and feel of the city, as the snow in The Snowy Day. The wind blows the letter out of his hand, almost to Amy running toward him, and he knocks her down trying to get it away and into the mailbox; will she be too angry to come? Then the party: the boys are waiting impatiently when Amy arrives with her parrot, who repeats after her—"HAAPPY BIRRRTHDAY, PEEETERRR!" In a refreshing switch, the kids are dis-integrated: all but one is black, or rather varying shades of brown. show more Other apt touches: the lightning that crosses from the flaps to the endpapers, the mailbox as imposing as a Buckingham Palace guard. In toto, a top artist in top form.- A Kirkus Starred Review, www.kirkusreviews.com show less

So far this is my favorite Ezra Jack Keats book. Peter, the same little boy who appears in another Ezra Jack Keats book, invites a little girl Amy to his birthday party. Instead of just telling her in person, he decides to write her a letter. On his way to the deliver the letter a strong wind blows it right out of his hands. He chases the letter and actually runs into Amy. Worried she will get the letter, he runs into her trying to keep it a surprise, and she runs away crying. At the party Peter is sad and thinks Amy will not come, but at the last minute she shows up. I just thought this was such a cute heart-warming story. The illustrations take up the entire page just as can expect from Keats, another great feature to the book.

Peter wants to invite Amy to his birthday, but he bumps her over while running to the mailbox to mail her invitation. Amy lands straight into a mud pile and then runs away. Peter wants her to come but struggles with anxiety about her appearance, and if the boys will be kind to her. Estimated age: 3-8

A letter to Amy is a perfect book for transitioning from younger elementary to middle elementary. The subject matter more mature for more mature readers. The concept of the book is something that a 3rd grader would grasp. They refer to Amy as his “special” friend because she is a girl. This is the age where kids start to develop baby crushes and things like that children in this age group can relate to this. He wants to invite Amy to his birthday party but, he is so worried about what his friends will think because she is a girl. This is also the age when girls have cooties. So, I just really think kids can see themselves in this situation or just relate to it. Kids respond the most to books they can see themselves in, it engages show more them to read. The language in the book moves away from relying so heavily on sound words to using more academic language suitable for this age group. For example “dark clouds raced across it like wild horses” this introduces readers to personification and similes. Words like “raced” are considered academic language for this age group for a younger audience the author could have used a word like “went”. The author chose to use the word “glance” rather than “look”. The illustrations are very captivating, they are colorful and match the text perfectly. I enjoyed how the illustrations depicted the city because it was an urban setting. I love the theme in this book. Loyalty is shown through him still asking Amy to his birthday party because she is his friend despite what his friends may think. The book re-introduces the idea of simply sending a letter which I think has been lost due to the technology we have these kids. The book encourages writing this way. I love this book. show less

This is a sweet read and should probably be read to first or second graders because they are the most critical of girls and boys. The pictures are very dark and gloomy during the book, but at the very end they are pretty colored with a vibrant background. This is to show how sad Peter was without Amy and when Amy arrived at the birthday party Peter was happy.

Peter is inviting one girl, Amy, to his birthday party and he is writing her a letter to make it special, but on the way to the mailbox the letter gets caught in the wind. Charming story about young mix-gender relationships, although the end baffled me a little. Was it supposed to be clear what Peter wished for? The artwork is fantastic multimedia. My untrained eye picked up water colors, acrylics, and cut paper combined in the images that create an authentic, eye catching New York. Text is embedded in the image during action pages, which are full spreads, and in white space at the start and end. Excellent for any picture book collection and a good read aloud from preschool to 1st grade.