The Snowman

Product Information

The story was expanded to fill 26 minutes and include a longer flying sequence which takes the boy to the North Pole and a party with Father Christmas which is not present in the picture book. The animators also brought in personal touches – a static sequence with a car is replaced by a motorcycle ride, as one of the animators was a keen motorcyclist and it was noted by Iain Harvey that this sequence kept "the action flowing after all the fun and comedy of the boy and the Snowman exploring the house and forming a friendship – and what could be better than a midnight run in a snowy landscape". [6] Similarly, although the boy in the book is unnamed, in the film he is named "James" on his present tag, added by animator Joanna Harrison as it was the name of her boyfriend (later her husband). [7] [8] Interviewed in 2012, Raymond Briggs recalls that he thought "'It's a bit corny and twee, dragging in Christmas', as The Snowman had nothing to do with that, but it worked extremely well." [9] In a 2012 interview for the Radio Times, Briggs noted "I don't have happy endings. I create what seems natural and inevitable. The snowman melts, my parents died, animals die, flowers die. Everything does. There's nothing particularly gloomy about it. It's a fact of life." He disputed the idea that the book is a Christmas book, noting that it was only the animated adaptation that introduces this element. [4] Awards [ edit ]

For example: Barclay, Ali (4 December 2000). "The Snowman (1982)". BBC – Films. BBC . Retrieved 24 May 2008. Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth Spend Christmas with everyone's favourite Snowman! This special edition comes with an introduction by Raymond Briggs. After the snow settles on a cold winter's day, a little boy builds a Snowman. Later that night, under the glittering stars, the Snowman comes to life!Billy and his mum have moved into a new house just before Christmas, but Billy isn't very full of festive cheer, as his beloved old dog has passed away. Barber, Martin (24 December 2012). "The Snowman and The Snowdog animator revisits classic". BBC News Online . Retrieved 25 December 2012. This book proves that you don’t need words to tell a beautiful story. Children will easily understand the pictures and can create their own details using their imaginations! The story is told through pictures, action and music, scored by Howard Blake. It has no words, with the exception of the central song, " Walking in the Air". The orchestral score was performed by the Sinfonia of London and the song was performed by Peter Auty, a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy. [2]

The Snowman is a wordless children's picture book by British author Raymond Briggs, first published in 1978 by Hamish Hamilton in the United Kingdom, and published by Random House in the United States in November of the same year. [1] The book won a number of awards and was adapted into an animated television film in 1982 which is an annual fixture at Christmas. Raymond is honoured with a BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to children's literature.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original short and of Channel 4, a 25-minute special titled The Snowman and the Snowdog aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 2012. [18] Produced at the London-based animation company Lupus Films, [19] with many of the original team returning, the sequel was made in the same traditional techniques as the first film, and features the Snowman, a new young boy named Billy and a snow dog flying over landmarks and going to another party. [20]