Keats illustrated other people's books for nearly ten years and was never given a story with a black child as the hero. He resolved that the first book that he wrote would have a black child as the hero and so Peter was born. According to Keats, "The purpose of the book and the subject matter of the book was so strong that my style changed completely. I had never painted that way before. It turned out to be the beginning of a whole new style to me because I was so deeply involved." Keats' commitment to this project was rewarded when he won the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1963. The title was also chosen as an ALA Notable Book for Children.