The Snowman Storybook

by Raymond Briggs

Now in Pictureback® format comes Raymond Briggs' award-winning, enchanting story of a young boy and a snowman who share a magical night of friendship, fun, and flying. "The experience is one that neither he nor young readers will ever regret or forget." ( Booklist, starred review). Our new Pictureback® format provides simple text written by the author.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Childrens, Fiction, Holiday

24 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 1997

About the author

Raymond Redvers Briggs was an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who had achieved critical and popular success among adults and children. He was best known for his story "The Snowman", which is shown every Christmas on British television in cartoon form and on the stage as a musical.

His first three major works, Father Christmas, Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (both featuring a curmudgeonly Father Christmas who complains incessantly about the "blooming snow"), and Fungus the Bogeyman, were in the form of comics rather than the typical children's-book format of separate text and illustrations. The Snowman (1978) was entirely wordless, and illustrated with only pencil crayons. The Snowman became Briggs' best-known work when in 1982 it was made into an Oscar nominated animated cartoon, that has been shown every year since on British television.

Briggs continued to work in a similar format, but with more adult content, in Gentleman Jim (1980), a sombre look at the working class trials of Jim and Hilda Bloggs, closely based on his parents. When the Wind Blows (1982) confronted the trusting, optimistic Bloggs couple with the horror of nuclear war, and was praised in the British House of Commons for its timeliness and originality. The topic was inspired after Briggs watched a Panorama documentary on nuclear contingency planning, and the dense format of the page was inspired by a Swiss publisher's miniature version of Father Christmas. This book was turned into a two-handed radio play with Peter Sallis in the male lead role, and subsequently an animated film, featuring John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984) was a scathing denunciation of the Falklands War. However, Briggs continued to produce humour for children, in works such as the Unlucky Wally series and The Bear.

He was recognized as The Children's Author of the Year in 1993 by the British Book Awards. His graphic novel Ethel and Ernest, which portrayed his parents' 41-year marriage, won Best Illustrated Book in the 1999 British Book Awards.

Reviews

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it, but I have to admit it was probably because of the illustrations. Soft and beautiful, they captured my heart, and of course it helped that winter is one of my favorite seasons. I just have a special place in my heart for snow. The overall story is somewhat sad, and so my 5 yr old's grumpy look after reading it was explained in his retelling of the ending. Not too different than the ending to Frosty the Snowman, but still, this just seemed more depressing to my child. So not one of his favorites, but still one I enjoy reading to my 3 yr old twins from time to time.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, no, no!

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Briggs includes text to his famous wordless picture book. I like it better without words.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was originally a wordless book. The pictures definitely tell the whole story, but for adults uncomfortable with sharing wordless books with littles, this would be a decent substitute.

[Debbie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful newer version of the original snowman book, this one with simple text by the author which make it GREAT for story time at the library. Still having the beautiful illustrations and wonder, wrapped in a lovely text that leads the reader through the story.

[Tears for Breakfast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read and cute till it’s sad ish…

[Brandi Goeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snow Man Story Book with Words by Raymond Briggs was a wordless picture book that then got words added to it. I first read the book without the words, and I saw a story being made throughout the pictures. It starts with a young boy waking up to snow outside, and asking his mom if he could go outside. Once he goes outside, he builds a snowman, and dresses him up with a hat, a scarf, button eyes and a carrot nose. It was time for him to go inside, but he couldn’t help wanting to look at the snowman he made. In the middle of the night, he snuck through the house, outside to check on his snowman. When he got there, he was in for a surprise, his snowman was alive! The little boy then invited the snowman inside, where they looked through the whole house, seeing as the snowman seemed very curious. They go back outside, where the snowman grabs the little boys hand, and they go flying throughout the night. They arrive back home in morning, where the little boy goes back inside to sleep. He wakes up that morning to check on his snowman, only to find it has melted. After reading it again with the words, it seemed to be more detailed, but the pictures alone could have stood on its own. The colors went from being war, to cold, and back to warm respectably throughout the picture book. It also showed an adventure would be happening when the little boy and the snowman went to fly, they were in the top right which signifies adventure. I thought this wordless picture book was very well illustrated, and clear on what the story was.

[Courtney Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: One cold winter day a young boy makes a snowman in his backyard. When it is time for him to rest, the little boy thinks of his beautiful creation and has to sneak to the yard to see him. Much to his surprise, the snowman comes to life! The little boy shows the snowman his home and then the snowman shows the boy the world. On a magical fly through the sky, the little boy bonds with his snowman. Soon it is time to go to sleep for the boy and put his vivid memories to rest.

Theme: Imagination brings joy and life to the world around us.

Personal Reaction: This book reminds me of how imaginative I was when I was a child. Many times I would dream that my creations or stuffed animals would come to life. So many kids would love to see the adventures of the boy and the snowman. The pictures really help bring the story to life!

Recommendation: I would recommend this book as more of an at-home story. The last page is a bit sad and I do not think it would go over well in a classroom setting. This book could be a great way to introduce the topic of loss in the family. Seeing as the snowman is only there for a little while parents could relate that the boy will always have the memories of him.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowman Storybook is the tale of a boy who brings a snowman to life. This is the dream of every little kid. James builds and snowman, and the next night it starts to move. He brings the snowman into the house to get some clothes, and then goes off on a flying trip with the snowman. They fly over the city at night and see many amazing things. They come back home and James goes back to bed. The next morning, his snowman is melted.
The artwork is taken from Raymond Briggs’ original version of the boy’s adventures with a flying snowman. The artwork is very beautiful and simple in a colored pencil fashion.
The Snowman Storybook is best suited for reading to an individual child, perhaps during the winter by a roaring fire. Children will love hearing this story. This book is perfect for young children because it features a story that has been dreamed by many children before. All children want to believe in magic, and this tale is certainly magical.

[Marissa Patrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read this book constantly as a child, and I love it just as much now. My favorite part about this book is the detailed pictures on each page. Instead of using numerous words on the pages, the author lets the pictures tell the story. As a child, I thought this book was so fun because the boy's snowman comes to life and they do activities together; that was the only reason I enjoyed reading it. After reading it again many years later, I realized how clever the author was for focusing his importance in the story around the illustrations, especially at the end of the book. I personally loved the ending with the snowman being melted when the boy wakes up. I think it is a great reminder of life and that nothing lasts forever, the importance lies in the great memories. Obviously as a child I would not have understood that message, but the lesson really makes me love this book.

[Wendy's Wanderings · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an updated 1990 edition to which words have been added suitable for children 2-3. The pages are extra thick, making them easier for small children to turn and not accidently tear. The illustrations are beautiful. The original classic is a picture book with no words. ‘The Snowman’ is about a boy who builds a snowman that comes to life that night and they spend the evening playing together. I didn’t care for the ending because the author did not process what had happened. I feel as though, since words were added, another sentence or two to help process the final event that transpired would have made it better. The author did say about his own books that the endings are not necessarily happy; they are natural and inevitable.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I guess some people need words to wordless picture books, though in the last couple of years I have discovered the great joy (and what fun to read in storytime!) of them. Here we have words added to The Snowman picture book, and much of the book is condensed. There was no freezer picture either! And with the book being shorter, the ending is even more abrupt and upsetting. I think I'd rather go with the original and try the kids out. Plus one can always lighten the mood and sing "Once there was a snowman" right after so the kids can enjoy melting themselves. And remember that it's just a part of a snowman's life. (Unless you're Frosty.)

[Nicole Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was originally a wordless picture book but then had words added to it. It's plot line revolves around a boy and his snowman. At night the snowman comes alive and he and the boy go on an adventure. They fly through the city and stay out until morning. But when the boy awakes the snowman has melted.

The pictures are very cute and add depth to the plot. They are easy to follow and display details accurately. Most pages are comprised of multiple images to show action without needing words. For the major plot moments one big picture captures the page. Overall this picture book didn't need the addition of words since its illustrations were vivid and clear.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This rendering of the wordless classic "The Snowman" is akin to adding color to b&w movies so more people may watch. UNFORGIVABLE! Yes, I am a purist. Adding text, shrinking the illustrations ruins the beauty, flow, and enjoyment of the magical tale. Much better to have the reader make up his or her own story as they read the original. There are many early/beginning reader books out there that can suit their purpose. Enjoy the original The snowman in all its glory instead. At least the 50 cents spent on the book went to the public libraries.

[Michel Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book in my CT's classroom, and it is very simplistic. Although there are few words, the pictures say it all. This is a charming tale of what happens when a young boy spends the night with his snowman creation. It was very reminiscent of Frosty the Snowman, which I loved as a child. It's a great book to show how pictures can say just as much as the words on a page.

[Samantha Penrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand that the original version had no text...I think that I would like it better that way. The illustrations are soft and sweet and could carry the story of a young boys late night adventure with his snowman on their own.

[Shelby Royalty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a little boy who makes a snowman who comes to life, similar to the story of Frosty. The pictures in this book were very nice. I was not a huge fan of the end, because it was sad.

[Kimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a classic. I have always loved the original picture book (without words) and the animated film. It's a lovely story that captures your heart. I think giving words to this story brought it down a star for me, although I still loved it.

[Mary T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm thinking of pairing this with the wordless book (doing that one first) and seeing which one my students prefer.

Curriculum Tie-Ins -The Snowman, winter, snow, wordless books, compare/contrast

#cbad 2018-2019 - 5th grade SCA - 2/5/19 - average rating 3.9

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy builds a snowman that comes to life!

We recently 'read' the wordless version of this story and really enjoyed it and then realized we have this version so we read it too! Our interpreted version was actually quite close!

[Kiwi.orange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT!!!!

[Cws]

JEPIC-Bri

[Hailey]

Also one of my favorites as a child!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Snowman Storybook (Just Right Books)
by Raymond Briggs
This book short one line text to explain the events of the story. The book shows the magic of telling stories through pictures.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the story and think the film version is an enhancement of it.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustration in the book are wonderful. The language in the book is simple, but allows students to let their imagination go.

[Jasmine Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I told Jasmine that this book was good until the very last page, let's give it two stars, and she said, "No! Let's give it at least 3 stars!" LOL But seriously the last page is HORRIBLE! #smh

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird book about a boy who goes on adventures with a snowman he's built only to discover him melted the next day

[Morgan Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

rather depressing...

[Mileth Discutido]

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