The Snowman and the Snowdog (Step into Reading)

"The Snowman" both book & video is a classic, wonderful story without words, but beautiful music & annimation. It engages the child (who is too young to read) & allows them to TELL the story as it progresses. I highly recomend it! It has been around for a while & it remains one of my favorite Christmas stories.

The snowman is a picture book (no words at all). It is set out like a comic book and tells a story about a boy who builds a snowman which then comes to life in the night and they have an adventure together. I bought it for my 4 year old son and he loved it.
The pictures are beautiful and I think it is appealing to all children over the age of 3.
Lisa Pisanic
(...)

I gave this book to my new little granddaughter (2 years old) and told her the story of the snowman. I enjoyed reading this to her and I know when she is older I will still be reading the story to her and it will take on a new meaning each year.

I have been looking in book stores and other retail stores for this book. I was so happy to find it on the store.com, and it's exactly what I wanted! Great value, and perfect condition! I placed my order late Saturday, and received everything on Wednesday!

Being a small, early board book for toddlers, the beautiful story is lost. The photos are too small; The video, which was an adabtation based on the book is one of my family favorites, and I have given the video as a gift six times/ so wonderful story, but not in this small book.

Horrible! It i presented like a comic book. What three year old is going to be able to follow that story. Too many pages on one page.
Will return it first chance I get. Too busy over Christmas.

I just looooooove this cream!!!!! No WEIRD smell, it's deliciously creamy, and it's just.....perfect! It has natural oils in it, so you can use just a tiny bit to go a long way! Mmmmmmmmmmm! Also, no hard to pronounce ingredients! Toooootally natural and wonderful!!!!!

Horrible! It i presented like a comic book. What three year old is going to be able to follow that story. Too many pages on one page.
Will return it first chance I get. Too busy over Christmas.

I just looooooove this cream!!!!! No WEIRD smell, it's deliciously creamy, and it's just.....perfect! It has natural oils in it, so you can use just a tiny bit to go a long way! Mmmmmmmmmmm! Also, no hard to pronounce ingredients! Toooootally natural and wonderful!!!!!

This board book is beautiful but displayed in tiny panels, like a Sunday cartoon. Also, it has zero words and is not useful for teaching reading unless a parent is willing to narrate the entire book. Not great choices, a very imperfect product.

The Snowman animation is a yearly event in Europe - something kids all look forward to and a nostalgic part of childhood for adults. This book continues the story, using the same style and feel from the original 1982 book.

Story: A boy is mourning the loss of his dog when he finds a photograph of another boy with his snowman. Using the image as inspiration, he builds another snowman and also a snow dog. Together, they have an adventure, flying and exploring.

My daughter loves the cartoon and enjoyed the chance to continue the story. We had the soundtrack music from the TV special and she played that while reading to complete the experience.

The story is bookended by two small tragedies. Although they are not dwelled upon, sensitive children may find that sad. The art is very faithful to the original though this book has far more words than the original (I would have liked to see fewer words, actually, and to let the art speak more).

In all, another children's classic and I'm glad we have a chance to continue the story. Reviewed from an ARC.

With multiple pictures on most pages, this book tells a detailed story of a young boy who builds a snowman. Very cleverly done. I am normally fond of wordless books but this one is a classic.

The young boy, upon seeing that it is snowing, heads out to build his snowman. That night, at midnight, the young boy, still in his pajamas, checks to see if the snowman is still there. He creeps out of the house where the snowman lifts his hat off in greeting. The young boy invites him in and the "reader" will experience along with the new snowman, all the "new" things to him. (Think fire, freezer, car, dressing up etc.) Amusing.

Following a feast, the snowman grabs the boys hand and takes hims outside where they fly to the ocean and back home. Will the snowman still be there the next morning?

A great book and if you have never watched the movie I highly recommend that too.

This wasn't bad, but as another reviewer noted the ending of this book is a tad morbid, considering the whimsical buildup, including a flying sequence(?) and then the book just ends with a melted snowman. I mean, that's the logical resolution, sure, but might be a little discouraging for some younger readers. As for the format of the book itself this was an interesting wordless visual narrative, almost comic-book in feel. The art is fine with muted paint colors, but considering there are no words this isn't really an ideal "reader" for young readers since there's nothing to read.

The Snowman is a 32 page wordless book that relays the story of a little boy who awakes to a wonderful winter morning and creates a snowman that springs to life.
The tiny drawings in this book are magical yet they seem realistic. Subtle colors cleverly depict each winter scene and hook readers. Each scene is clearly illustrated and easy to interpret. Kids will have no difficulty conjuring up the true story for this wordless book. No doubt, boys will prize this book and girls will read enviously because the story is about a boy and his magical Snowman. The tone is playful and the plot creates ample conflict since the little boy must not be caught by the Policeman or his parents as he soars high in the sky with the Snowman and indulges in many intriguing escapades. Nonetheless, the reader is well aware of place and time because of the shades and changes of scenes. The premise must be that winter is magical and kids 4 - 6 years old can create their magic.

Briggs, R. (1978). The snowman. New York: Random House.

Synopsis: What happens when the snowman you built comes to life? Raymond Briggs draws readers into this winter wonderland as a snowman comes to life. The snowman's builder, a young boy, is delighted by the playful and entertaining demeanor of this "cool" friend. In this wordless book, children of all ages are enchanted by the amazing adventures of the boy and snowman. Each picture frame draws young minds into this magical journey through the boy's home and around the world. This tale leaves readers wondering what will happen the next time they make a snowman. Never has a wordless book created such a thrilling story in your mind!

Evaluation: Raymond Briggs draws readers into this beautiful story. Children of all ages love its humor and comical illustrations. Briggs' unique format and illustrations enchant the minds of readers. Readers follow the story board frames with great anticipation of what is coming. Written in 1978, this story is a timeless classic that continues to amaze children of all ages. Some aspects of the story date itself. For example, the boy gets coal for the snowman's buttons from the house's coal bin, as well as the boy's clothes date this book to the 1970's or earlier. This tale is written for children and the adults in their lives. This story takes place in a young boy's home and across the world. Briggs uses brightly colored frames in addition to soft pale shades that balance the warmth of the boy's world with the cold of the snowman's world. The use of colored pencils and story board format, leads the reader frame by frame through the enchanting story. Curiosity leads this snowman through some hilarious antics in the boy's home. For example, the snowman is shocked and frightened by the heat of the fireplace. However, he basks in the comfort of the deep freezer. Other authors like David Wiesner have written and illustrated other amusing wordless books such as Tuesday and Sector 7. These tales along with Briggs' story capture the minds of young readers. Allowing children to make up their own words as they follow the frames engages young readers to reread these books again and again. Educators can use this delightful tale to encourage and assist students in the writing of a story using Briggs' detailed illustrations. The Snowman will thrill your senses and leave you wondering about building your own snowman during the next substantial snowfall.

References:
Wiesner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Clarion Books.
Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York: Clarion Books.

I was disappointed. Yes, the illustrations were charming and consistent with the original. The story was fine, too. But it was not at all what I expected -- the whole story was told with words! How had no one mentioned this? The unique quality of the original was that it was told without words. Children too young to read, or not yet speaking in sentences, could enjoy the story. Now it's merely ordinary.

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Random House, 1978), is a beautifully done wordless picture book. A little boy builds a snowman, and then goes to bed. In the middle of the night, he wakes up to revisit the snowman, and discovers he has magically come to life. The boy shows the snowman around his house, from how to turn the lights on and off to the dangers of the stove. He even dresses him in his parents' clothes. After trying out the boys' parents' car and reclining in the freezer, the snowman takes the boy on a magical journey. They fly in the sky, see some sights, and then land home again. The boy must say goodbye to the snowman for the night. He tosses and turns in his sleep. In the morning, he dashes past his parents to see his snowman friend again. The surprise ending will be bittersweet for readers of all ages.

With soft colored pencil illustrations, this book is perfect for children of all ages. Even toddlers will enjoy flipping through the book and making up their own story to go along with the illustrations. Perfect for children of all ages.

This classic video is the single best, most dependable product for calming a toddler's tantrums--it's better than anything else I know of for stopping the tears and ending the screaming. My kids watched and loved the video for a couple of years before I got them the book. And now they love to sit by themselves and leaf through the book, too--with the same calming effect. The gorgeous pencil drawings are so different from any other children's book out there--and his use of multi-panelled pages is unique and therefore visually quite interesting to small children. The "sad" ending doesn't seem sad to my kids--it's the only way it the story could end and still have integrity. Do yourself and your kids a favor and buy them both the book and the DVD.

This book tells the lovely story of a brief friendship between a small boy and a snowman. The story is told beautifully, and manages to be poetic and moving without words. Some people are critical of this book because of the ending, which is not happily-ever-after. Well, the ending made the book that much more dear and gives to the story a depth than many children's books do not have. The child, after experiencing the magic of the snowman's world, now has to accept the reality of his friend's short existence: snowmen do not last forever. A painful realization, but one that every child has to deal with sooner or later: the loss of something or someone beloved. I loved this book.

Raymond Briggs, The Snowman (Random House, 1978)

Briggs' wordless Frosty the Snowman homage/knockoff became an instant classic upon its release thirty years ago, and has since gone through countless printings in dozens of different editions, has been made into a video (though to be honest it loses a lot of its magic thanks to the narration), and has been read by millions of kids worldwide. It's also a mainstay on bookstore endcaps and library displays come wintertime. (I don't get it. We're all sick of snow in the winter. Put it up for July fourth!) The reason for this, of course, is that it has an unmistakable power. (This will be of no surprise to anyone familiar with Briggs' second-most-famous book, also turned into a film--When the Wind Blows.) There's an innocence in the simplicity and wonder of the story that's difficult to put into words. Which could very well be why Briggs used none here. If you've never experienced it, no matter your age, you owe it to yourself to discover The Snowman's magic. (And if you don't like it, how much of your time can thirty-two pages without words take up of your time? You've got nothing to lose here.) ****

This is a really sweet, special picture book. With no words at all, it's fun to be able to tell the story just by the pictures. It's a little too "old" for my two year old to really appreciate, but I hope in the next year or so that he will appreciate the humor in the photos and love it. This is a keeper.

Briggs has perfected the art of the wordless book, and this is a great title to use to teach older kids how to do storyboarding for video or movie-making. Compare the book to the video as a final "lesson" and students will see the intricacies of the craft. This newly reissued edition has a "sparkly" cover, and is sure to be a favorite for families with kids of all ages, as well.

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.

Picture books are the best. The story about a boy who befriends and snowman for a night full of magical antics is so sweet you'll never want it to end. Lack of words supports language development in non, early, delayed, and/or English language learning readers, and supports creativity in type A personality children, all of whom will benefit from the unexpected visual text.

There are some books synomous with Christmas and The Snowman has to be one of them. In wonderful illustrations Raymond Briggs captures the imaginations of young readers with a story that can be read time and time again. There are a few english authors who have captured the season so well and this one joins our collection alongside Loss De Plott & The Colour Red

The illustrations in this book are so lovely, it's a shame that the storyline is so terrible. It reads like an episode of a kids' show, with new random characters and events being thrown in every other page. Children's television rarely turns into good books, and this is not an exception. Avoid.

i actually bought this book for my husband as his previous copy got ruined. he loves this book. he likes the fact that there are no words so that it is up to the child to use their imagination and their words to tell the story. raymond briggs' artwork is great. we really like this book.