Le Père Martin" (1888) by Ruben Saillens and unwittingly plagiarized as " Papa Panov's Special Christmas" by Leo Tolstoy 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] Morpurgo is a name I usually read when I see a new book by him, I've enjoyed many of his reimagined fairy tales in recent years, so I was happy to try this.

This is such a lovely, magical book and I would have loved to have had this when I was a child. It’s always a bit of a worry when someone writes a variant of an old favourite but Morpurgo has been so respectful of the original story and this stands alongside it as an extra Snowman story that is just as wonderful. I definitely recommend this! The Snowman is a wordless children's picture book by 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. In the United Kingdom, it was the runner-up for the Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British writer. [5] In the United States, it was named to the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award list in 1979. 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 ]When James wakes early on Christmas Eve to discover it had snowed overnight, he’s so excited that he goes out and builds a snowman. He spends all day building him and showing him off to his parents and his grandma, who is staying over Christmas. When he goes to bed that night, waiting for Father Christmas, he wonders about his snowman and, when he looks out of the window, he discovers that his snowman has come to life… 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. The Snowman was re-released in 2002 as a DVD special edition and again as a DVD and Blu-ray 30th anniversary edition in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2012 by Universal Studios Home Entertainment UK. The 2002 special edition peaked at No.3 in the video charts. The 2012 home video release includes four extra features: a "Snow Business" documentary,

This was such a lovely, beautiful book. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is a classic, which was created into a T.V. adaptation, which went on to become a classic in its own right. So I have to admit to wondering what Morpurgo would do with said classic. Fear not; this is not a retelling. More like an extension of The Snowman tale. Che dire di questa storia.. È stata un'avventura stupenda.. Un libro che tutti i bambini ameranno follemente. La lettura è rapida e le illustrazioni che accompagnano tutto la storia sono un dettaglio stupendo per questo piccolo gioiellino. RIP, Raymond Briggs, 8/9/22. Thanks for writing this book, Raymond, and making us so much better for it. The Snowman: A guide to the music of this festive classic - and who actually sang 'Walking in the Air' | Classical Music". www.classical-music.com . Retrieved 4 June 2023. 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]Am făcut cunoștință cu un mic băiețel care devine extrem de entuziasmat de fulgii de zăpadă de afară așa că iese grăbit și se apucă să facă un om de zăpadă. Fericit, el merge la culcare, dar gândul îi este tot la prietenul său. Se trezește în miez de noapte și iese afară la omul de zăpadă care prinde viață din senin.

The film ranked at number 71 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, a list drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, based on a vote by industry professionals. [3] It was voted number 4 in UKTV Gold's Greatest TV Christmas Moments. It came third in Channel 4's poll of 100 Greatest Christmas Moments in 2004. Its broadcast, usually on Christmas Eve on Channel 4, has become an annual festive event in the UK. [4] A sequel, The Snowman and the Snowdog, was released in 2012. M-am amuzat de momentele când omul de zăpadă se îmbracă cu hainele părinților băiețelului și am privit cu mare drag fiecare ilustrație realizată de Raymond Briggs. Mi s-a părut minunat stilul autorului și m-a ajutat să călătoresc în timp și să plutesc printre fulgii de nea alături de omul de zăpadă. A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", 1823) attributed to Clement Clarke Moore So yes, very similar to the original. There are a few changes but in general the story follows a similar route to Briggs'. To celebrate the film's 20th anniversary, Channel 4 created an alternative opening directed by Roger Mainwood, with Raymond Briggs's interpretation of Father Christmas recounting how he met James, before giving his own variation on Briggs' monologue (including how the heavy snow left even him unable to fly) as he turns on his TV to watch the film, which the opening segues into. [15] Comedian Mel Smith reprises the role in this opening. This version is also cropped to fit a 16:9 widescreen format. Channel 4 used this opening from 2002 until Mel Smith's death in 2013, after which the Bowie opening was reinstated, which in turn returned the film to its original 4:3 aspect ratio.

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]

This is an absolutely charming and delightful book, drawing on Raymond Briggs' wonderful illustrated, wordless story, The Snowman ⛄ which so many of us have read and watched multiple times over the years - indeed Christmas isn't Christmas to me without hearing Walking In The Air and reading or watching the story! The boy's home appears to be located in the South Downs of England, near to Brighton; he and the snowman fly over the Royal Pavilion and Palace Pier. Raymond Briggs had lived in Sussex since 1961, and the composer Howard Blake was also a native of the county. [2] [10] Music [ edit ] The tale is beautifully illustrated, and it shares elements of the original tale (the party with the other snowmen, and meeting Father Christmas, for example). I thought that it was also a sweet touch to include James having a stutter, as this brought another dimension to this character. In the British Film Institute's 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, a list drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, based on a vote by industry professionals it was listed as #71. [3] It was voted #4 in UKTV Gold's Greatest TV Christmas Moments. It came third in Channel 4's poll of 100 Greatest Christmas Moments in 2004. One snowy winter's day, a boy builds a snowman who comes to life at the stroke of midnight. He and the boy play with appliances, toys and other bric-a-brac in the house, all while keeping quiet enough not to wake his parents.Ringrazio con tutto il cuore la Rizzoli per aver permesso anche a me di immergermi in questa storia, una storia che ha trovato come punto di ispirazione la storia originale di Raymond Briggs. 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.