The Snowman

by Raymond Briggs

Illustrated in full color, this is 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 boy invites him home and in return is taken on a flight high above the countryside.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 1978

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

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIP, Raymond Briggs, 8/9/22. Thanks for writing this book, Raymond, and making us so much better for it. One of my favorite picture books ever, one perfect for December snow.

A wordless masterpiece, which I experienced first through the also silent film adaptation (wordless, with lovely music; the musical score is gorgeous), with this original introduction. If you are the least down today, see this now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE9Kp...

But I have the book right here, too. It's the story of a boy who builds a snowman that comes alive and takes him soaring through the countryside night air. I must have read and seen this first in 1996, when Sammy was born. This is one of the virtues of getting older and rereading favorite picture books, reliving those memories. We saw White Christmas two nights ago, and The Miracle of 34th Street last night.

Weather now is weird and getting weirder, with huge snow dumps in some places and no snow in other places (like here in Chicago by mid December 2024). I wish I was where this film and book and music takes me.

Time for hot chocolate?

There's a David Bowie-introduced version, too, very sweet, that you can find.

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

One winter's night, a snowman comes to life and a magical adventure begins....

A 'feel-good' Christmas story. It has been on my shelves for almost a year, waiting for Xmas time. A bit early, but I decided I could use this 'sidestep' from busy work and studies. Drawings are cute and beautiful. 'Narrated entirely through pictures, its dreamlike illustrations perfectly capture the wonder and innocence of childhood'.
I liked it, took my thoughts away from 'brand management' and 'customer marketing';-)
Looking forward to Christmas, only a few weeks to go!
Cute picture book!

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

To see this week's wordless picture books please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is a wonderful wordless book for children. The story starts with a young boy who sees the snow outside and rushes out of his home to build a snowman. As the boy sleeps, the snowman comes alive and is welcomed into the boy’s home to discover what it’s like inside. In return, the snowman will show him his home as well. A dream to be remembered forever.

This book is packed full of sketched illustrations in color. This is a beautiful Christmas book that can be read by all ages and any time of the year.

5*****

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wordless picture book brings a tear to my eye!

Check out the wordless animation set to heartwarming music on YouTube! It brings the illustrations to life!

[Dream.M · Rating 4 out of 5]

بینظیر، فوق العاده، نوستالژیک

[Maede · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان آشناییم با این کتاب رو خیلی دوست دارم. سال پیش بود که طبق معمول مغزم و یک آهنگ چندین هفته جدایی‌ناپذیر شده بودند و در هر فرصتی
Walking in the Air
رو گوش می‌دادم. درست مثل اسمش از پرواز کردن در آسمان و نگاه به زمین می‌گفت و انگار قلبم رو سبک می‌کرد. وقتی آهنگ رو گوگل کردم که موزیک ویدیو رو ببینم، به طرز عجیبی تصاویر آدم‌برفی و پسری در یک انیمیشن قدیمی بود که در آسمان شب پرواز می‌کردند

ماجرا از این قراره که در سال ۱۹۷۸ این کتاب تصویری بدون کلمه توسط ریموند بریگز تصویرگر انگلیسی منتشر میشه و خیلی زود محبوبیت بسیار زیادی پیدا می‌کنه. پس از مدتی در سال ۱۹۸۲ فیلم انیمیشنی کوتاهی با وفاداری بسیار به تصاویر کتاب تولید میشه. این فیلم ۲۶ دقیقه‌ای نامزد جایزه‌ی اسکار میشه و جایزه‌ی بفتا رو هم می‌بره. آهنگی که ازش صحبت کردم، موسیقی زیبای همین فیلمه که توسط ارکستر سمفونی لندن اجرا شده و پسربچه‌ی سیزده ساله‌ای به نام پیتر آتی نسخه‌ی اصلیش رو می‌خونه

البته که داستان «آدم برفی» اینجا تمام نمیشه و اقتباس‌های زیادی ازش شده. اما مگر این داستان چیه؟ شاید از ساده‌ترین داستان‌هایی که تا به حال خوندم‌: یک دوستی کوتاه و عمیق بین یک پسر بچه و آدم‌برفیش. پسربچه‌ای که یک روز صبح بیدار میشه و می‌بینه زمین سفیدپوش شده. پس تمام روز رو به ساختن آدم‌برفی می‌گذرونه. اما اگر تا به حال ساعت‌ها آدم‌برفی درست کرده باشید، می‌دونید که رها کردنش و برگشتن به خونه چقدر سخته. پس پسرک از پشت پنجره دائم به آدم‌برفی عزیزش نگاه می‌کنه. بقیه‌ش رو دیگه باید در تصاویر مدادشمعی‌ای کتاب دنبال کنید

دستورالعمل پیشنهادی
اول از بین نسخه‌ی‌های موزیک یکیش رو انتخاب کنید. پیشنهادم نسخه‌ی اصلی و بی‌کلامش برای این کاره. در یک روز سرد، یک جای گرم و نرم ترجیحاً چسبیده به شوفاژ انتخاب کنید، موزیک رو پخش کنید و کتاب رو بخونید. بعد اگر دوسش داشتید به سراغ فیلم کوتاهش و نسخه‌ی اقتباسی متنیش برید

همه‌ی فایل‌ها رو در کانالم گذاشتم
Maede's Books

۱۴۰۳/۹/۱۴

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of a boy building a snowman and a magical night time adventure. The book is wonderful and the animation is amazing. We watched this again on Christmas day and was even enjoyed by the two teenagers of the family. It's hard to believe it's the same animation I watched as a child. This is a Christmas classic in our house.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my earliest Christmas memories is watching The Snowman, without fail I make sure to watch it every year.

Everyone knows the story of a young boy building a snowman only to find him come alive during the night.
What surprised me was how the film had a whole different third act that added more christmassy element.

I think the reason why I've always been fascinated by this tale is the sight of the pair flying over my hometown.
The illustrations are so beautiful and convey the sense of wonder and adventure between the two perfectly, seeing them flying over Brighton's Royal Pavilion is just stunning.

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, gentle story that translated into a magnificent cartoon with music but without words that airs on tv every Christmas in the UK. This book was a real sea change for Briggs whose previous cartoon books include a doleful biography of his parents to their death, nuclear war and creatures that love boogers - much more dark humour than this magical tale of the snowman.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wordless beginner book that tells a magical story of a boy and his snowman. My Nephew loves this story and it might be why he still loves snowmen so much. The pair of the boy and snowman share a magical evening together exploring the world and flying through the night. It must have been a really warm day because that snowman melted away really really fast.

It is told in panels like a comic so I think this story was ahead of its time. I can't believe I've never read this before. My Nephew gave this 5 stars and my Niece gave it 3 stars. It's a lovely gentle book.

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Anastasia Fitzgerald-Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On

This is not a review. How can one review a book like The Snowman, a story without words? It has to be experienced, that’s all, experienced through the eyes of a child. What follows is my own experience, my appreciation of a story that gave me so much pleasure over so many years.

There are stories and experiences from childhood that we all recall with some fondness. Even if we do not bring them to mind they are in our hearts, a warm glow that never dies. It is the things we learn and love in innocence that have the greatest resonance.

I was reminded recently of Heidi, a book for children and those who love children by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. I was particularly fond of the story of Heidi and her grandfather because I had a very close relationship with my own grandfather, my father’s father, with whom I used to stay when my parents were away on lengthy business trips. It was my grandfather who introduced me to the Snowman.

I don’t remember when exactly. I must have been, oh, about four years old. It was before I went to school anyway. It was near Christmas, that much I do remember. The Snowman in question is a story book, pictures without words by Raymond Briggs, another book for children and those who love children. Like Heidi it tells of a bond, this time between a little boy and the snowman he builds one wintry afternoon in his garden. By magic it comes to life; by magic the boy and the snowman fly.

It was made into an animated film by Channel 4, one of our terrestrial television companies, with a sublime score by Howard Blake. When I was growing up it was broadcast every Christmas; perhaps it still is. With us watching it became an annual event. The holiday simply would not have been the same without it, as if there was no Christmas tree, no lights and no watch night service in church.

By far the best bit is the flying sequence. In the animation it is accompanied by Walking in the Air, a song that still makes me teary with nostalgia;

We're walking in the air
We're floating in the moonlit sky
The people far below are sleeping as we fly

I'm holding very tight
I'm riding in the midnight blue
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you

Far across the world
The villages go by like dreams
The rivers and the hills, the forests and the streams

Children gaze open mouthed
Taken by surprise
Nobody down below believes their eyes

We're surfing in the air
We're swimming in the frozen sky
We're drifting over icy mountains floating by

Suddenly swooping low
On an ocean deep
Rousing up a mighty monster from his sleep

And walking in the air
We're dancing in the midnight sky
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly

We're walking in the air
We're walking in the air.

There was one Christmas – I was now about six I think – we spent in our family cottage in the north of Scotland, a really remote spot in Easter Ross. It snowed, heavily. I built my own snowman in the garden with a little help from father. It was as big as me, that I remember clearly, with an old hat on his head and a scarf around his neck.

I waited and waited for him to come to life. I so wanted to fly like the boy, to go to the North Pole and dance with Father Christmas and all of the other snowmen. I didn’t and I did. My snowman remained frozen in the garden, mute and unmoved. But he came alive in my dreams that night. And – who knows? –maybe dreams are just a gate to another reality, a world where everything is possible and nothing denied. It was for me. The Snowman was the gateway.

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes I know and more than well do realise that Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman is considered by most to be a modern children’s classic (and probably one of the first really universally popular wordless picture books). But while I do in fact find The Snowman somewhat and mildly amusing, both Briggs’ picture sequences and the resulting wordless storyline have also never in any way managed to wow, to truly and lastingly enchant me. For to my eyes and according to my aesthetics, the illustrations of The Snowman, they actually seem mostly rather vague and washed-out in appearance (and as such lacking in both expression and boldness of style) and the story sequence itself for The Snowman, while definitely fun and imaginative, has equally always seemed just a bit too outrageous and unbelievable, at least for my personal tastes. And in fact, to and for me, Raymond Briggs’ eponymous snowman does not really even appear to be a bona fide snowman at all anymore once he enters into the little boy's house or later, when he and the boy take to the air (as I have always thought him more akin to a man clad in a snowman suit than a bona fide magical snow entity).

And while I personally have never been all that much bothered regarding the ending of The Snowman, I can certainly see how a very sensitive child might indeed be negatively affected and much saddened by the snowman in effect dying, by him just melting away and the little boy being heartbroken (therefore parents, caregivers etc. should, need to be vigilant and prepared to discuss this if the snowman's demise appears to actually bother readers or listeners). But that all being said, The Snowman is still a clever and generally enchanting enough tale, and one that could perhaps also be a fun and usuable tool for individual storytelling, discussions and the like (for example, in a first, second or third grade language arts classroom, teachers might consider using the illustrations for writing assignments, even for oral presentations). But on a personal level, The Snowman ranks but two stars for me, and once again makes me realise that Rayond Briggs is simply and usually just not my proverbial cup of tea.

[Matthieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood anemones.

[Shainlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could never forget the form or face of this snowman from when I was little. I remember building one so similar when it actually snowed something like several feet and my sister and I were staying with Nana and Papa. Ours was shaped similarly but she was more like a female companion. This was one of the only snowmen then and now that don’t tick me off.

I saw him on someone’s feed and got a warm feeling and said, “Oh, I remember you..”

[Raha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly beautiful wordless picture book.the story is about a little boy who builds a snowman which comes to live during the night.they spend a night together playing and having fun, then the snowman takes the boy on a magical journey to see the world...
I really enjoyed this book and would strongly recommend it to everyone.

[Zahra Naderi · Rating 4 out of 5]

از دست دادن آدمایی که دوسشون داشتم، به روایت تصویر.☃️

[Jim Erekson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always really liked this book (so I should have voted 4 stars), but this past winter my 13-year-old son Alma (Down Syndrome, autism) fell in love with it. He reads it daily, and wants me to read it with him sometimes. He loves that we can pull out the video or turn the soundtrack on on Spotify. When I watch him, he adores the pages drawn comic-style, with 16 boxes of sequential art per page. But then the next day he'll be poring over one of the wide spreads with just one drawing! So now I love this book. Yes, I wish Alma could talk, but a wordless picture book is such a good match that I'm grateful for a genre that 'speaks' to my boy.

[kian · Rating 5 out of 5]

خب... چند دقيقه بيشتر طول نكشيد كه خوندمش.... يعني كتاب مصور بود و با چشم، خوندمش...... ولي اثر لذت بخش و خوبي داشت كه برام مي مونه...... عاشق كتاباي فانتزي و تخيلي و كتابهاي كودكانم...... يك جور خيلي عجيب و غريبي كه براي خودم هم سواله چرا و اين همه علاقه به اين حيطه از كجا اومده.؟

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's difficult to review a book of which there are no words, and instead the story is told through a series of beautiful illustrations. I remember being captured by the magical world of The Snowman, and equally impressed by the tv adaption. For younger children, the tv version is perhaps more suited until they are old enough to appreciate the beauty of the wordless story.

[Andrei Stoian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romanian review: Îmi amintesc că am văzut filmul acum mulți ani și mi-a plăcut enorm. În doar câteva pagini fără cuvinte, reușește să surprindă perfect magia copilăriei.
Povestea este simplă și frumoasă—un băiat construiește un om de zăpadă, care prinde viață noaptea.
Este genul de poveste care te duce înapoi în timp, când erai copil, stând sub bradul de Crăciun și așteptându-l pe Moș Crăciun.
Alte cuvinte sunt de prisos.



English review: I remember watching the movie years ago and absolutely loving it. In just a few wordless pages, it perfectly captures the magic of childhood.
The story is simple and beautiful—a boy builds a snowman, and it comes to life at night.
It’s the kind of tale that takes you back to being a child, sitting under the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa Claus.
No more words are needed.

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zo stil als sneeuw.

'I remember that winter because it had brought the heaviest snow I had ever seen. Snow had fallen steadily all night long and in the morning I woke in a room filled with light and silence, the whole world seemed to be held in a dream-like stillness. It was a magical day… and it was on that day I made The Snowman.'

Just over forty years ago Raymond Briggs used a pot of colour pencils to create his wordless winter classic The Snowman. I loved this sweetly drawn memory, one that brings back own cherished childhood memories of that magical moment of the very first snow. Once the snowman and little Raymond fly off in the midnight sky floating above the English countryside, I couldn't help feeling this light shiver down my spine... such magic.

Voor een inkijkje: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYHIh15IU3E/

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great love stories. David spends a magical night with the Snowman; the next morning, he has melted. He'd think it was a dream, except that he still has the scarf in his pocket.

No words, they'd only complicate things.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of my favourite children's books of all time.
The book has no words but is a story told with pictures.
The artwork is beautiful and really catches a child's attention.
A very special book. Recommended.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

English artist and picture-book creator Raymond Briggs, whose comic-book tale of a grouchy Father Christmas won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1973, utilized the same style (sans words) in this story of a boy and his snowman, first published in 1978. Rushing outside one wintry day, the boy slowly builds a snowman beneath his window, but finds that, once it's time to come back inside, he can't take his mind off his creation. Waking up in the middle of the night, he discovers that the snowman has come to life, and the two have a magical series of adventures together, exploring all the wonders of the boy's house, and then flying through the night sky.

This classic picture-book was made into an animated film in 1982 - apparently The Snowman is shown annually on British TV, during the Christmas season - and is a childhood favorite for many readers. I myself never encountered it as a girl, but having recently stumbled across Father Christmas on my library's holiday display, which I greatly enjoyed, I thought I would track down this other winter story from the same author/artist. I'm glad that I did! The artwork is just lovely, capturing the warmth of the boy's home, and the chilly fun of the outdoor world perfectly. No text is really needed, because the illustrations do such an excellent job spinning the story. There is a melancholy quality to the conclusion here, but then, it's an ending that will come to all snowmen, so it feels appropriate. All in all, another outstanding picture-book from Raymond Briggs! I'll have to see which of his other titles the library has...

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read this book to my son, who recently turned 21. I came across a copy recently and was reminded of just how devastatingly beautiful the story is. I'm no artist, but it looks like it was done in colored pencil, which gives the snow and sky a surreal, dreamy texture. The real innovation is the wordlessness. I remember how my son and I used to just look at the pictures without talking, like we intuitively (telepathically maybe?) understood the story. He was a big fan of the video, too, except the ending always made him cry. Made me cry, too, but that's my little secret, I suppose.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce poveste frumoasă despre inocență și puterea imaginației! Când ceva important pentru tine dispare, nu e niciodată ca și cum nu ar fi existat. De văzut neapărat și filmul.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful wordless comic and a cultural touchstone for christmas stories... so I decided to read it in April. Oddly enough the last time I logged a read of this comic into Goodreads it was also in April! Just missing the cold weather I guess.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it even Christmas, if you haven't watched/ read The Snowman?

[S. ≽^•⩊•^≼ I'm not here yet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hasti found this story fun, but I thought it was very, very sad!