The Snowman: Inspired by the original story by Raymond Briggs

Product Information

RIP, Raymond Briggs, 8/9/22. Thanks for writing this book, Raymond, and making us so much better for it.

The Snowman: Inspired by the Original Story by Raymond Briggs

When I saw this book, I thought there must be a mistake, how can you write a story to this beautiful, timeless, classic, wordless book. I should not have been worried, Michael Morpurgo has never disappointed before and he did not this time. I loved that he got permission from Raymond Briggs before writing this novella. This is a delightful book, drawing on Raymond Briggs' wonderful illustrated, wordless story, The Snowman. Using some inspiration from the Channel 4 movie, and adding some bits and pieces from his own creative mind, we have a wonderful story, both familiar and with some new bits. With Grandma visiting and getting to experience the magic of Christmas with the Snowman, it makes this a family story, with Christmas customs. Raymond was a brilliantly observant, funny storyteller, honest about how life is rather than how adults might wish to tell it to children. A kindness, integrity, and generosity run through all his books. And so in life: Raymond was a generous, unjealous spirit who was a pleasure to work with, as well as to visit in his Sussex cottage and experience his teasing genius in its home. He was funny! He made us laugh a lot. I will miss him. All of us who had the privilege of working with him will miss him. 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.

He spends the whole day making his perfect snowman; he has coal eyes, an old green hat and scarf and a tangerine nose... just like the snowman from his favourite story.

The Snowman : Inspired by the original story by Raymond Briggs The Snowman : Inspired by the original story by Raymond Briggs

Beloved children's author Michael Morpurgo has re-imagined Raymond Briggs' classic The Snowman for a new generation of readers. Raymond has won many awards and accolades throughout his career, including the Kurt Maschler Award, The Children’s Book of the Year, the Dutch Silver Pen Award, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award twice for The Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Treasury and Father Christmas. This is a kind of child's dreaming that I can enjoy. A snowman coming to life and learning a little about human life. I like his fascination with light. And I loved the humor of anything related to cold (like getting into the deep freezer!). My daughter is a massive fan of Michael Morpurgo so when I saw that he had released a new re-imagined version of The Snowman I had to buy a copy so both my daughter and myself could read it.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.