A past recipient of an Ezra Jack Keats/Janina Domanska Research Fellowship at the University of Southern Mississippi’s de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, W. Nikola-Lisa explores the centrality of play in the work of acclaimed author/illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. The collection of essays draws upon the author’s past research at the de Grummond and recent reflections on the representation of the child archetype in the work of Keats, a recipient of the prestigious Caldecott Medal for children’s book illustration for his groundbreaking picture book, The Snowy Day.