The Snowman [Hardcover]

Raymond Briggs (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 12, 1978

Illus. in full color. A wordless story. The pictures have "the hazy softness of air in snow. A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night. The experience is one that neither he nor young 'readers' will ever regret or forget."--(starred) Booklist.  

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who needs words to tell a story? In Raymond Briggs's charming tale, told with 175 softly hued, artfully composed frames, a little boy makes friends with a snowman. He wakes up on a snowy day, tells his mother he's going outside, then begins a flurry of snowman-building. That night, he can't sleep, so he opens the front door and lo! the snowman has come to life. The amiable yet frosty fellow enjoys his tour of the boy's cozy home; he admires the cat, but is disturbed by the fire. The boy shows him other wonders--the TV and a lamp and running water. Predictably perhaps, he is disturbed by the stove, but likes ice cubes quite a bit. Soon it is the snowman's turn to introduce the boy to his wintry world. They join hands, rise up into the blizzardy air--presumably over Russia and into the Middle East--and then safely back to home sweet home. The boy pops into bed before his parents get up... but when he wakes up the next morning he races outside only to find his new buddy's melted remains, scattered with a few forlorn lumps of coal. Since the book is wordless, you can make up any ending you want... like "Then, in a puff of pink smoke, the snowman recomposed himself and went to live in the boy's garage freezer." Or you could just resign yourself to a peaceful "And that was that." Raymond Briggs's The Snowman won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and this wintertime classic continues to win the hearts of kids every year. (Preschool and older) --Karin Snelson

From the Inside Flap

Illus. in full color. A wordless story. The pictures have "the hazy softness of air in snow. A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night. The experience is one that neither he nor young 'readers' will ever regret or forget."--(starred) Booklist.  

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (November 12, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394839730
• ISBN-13: 978-0394839738
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.4 x 11.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Special September 29, 2002

By apoem TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

A gentle book that has no words. The story is in the pictures. For my three year old son who so desperately wants to read, he had no problem 'reading' this story. He was able to tell a story, look at the pictures and pick out different details and tell a different story. The pictures are gentle and kind and show a special relationship with imagination, dreams, wishes, children and the fine line between reality and imagination that children can walk with ease.

Enjoy.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Snowman December 9, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

A children's classic, a must for every book shelf. The wordless format lets the children create their own story. We purchased the book for our then three year old, at eighteen he still reads and loves the book. This year I am purchasing another copy for our thirteen year old who also loves the gentle illustrations and the heart warming message. This book truly illustrates that words are not necessary for a book to be a literary great.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Magical January 11, 2000

By frisky2000 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The simplicity of its message, the sweetness of the characters, the emotion of the story, all serve to make THE SNOWMAN a child's fantasy come true. I'd recommend the video first, as the music makes the scenes come alive, but reading the book alone allows for the imagination to take off with the little boy and journey with him through the snowy night. Hopefully this book will become a modern-day children's classic.