Module 2: The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Summary: A young boy named James has the pleasure of building a snowman in the cold, white snow.  After James's snowman is all finished, James goes off to bed.  In the middle of the night, James decides to sneak outside to visit his snowman.  The snowman comes to life and discovers James's house.  The snowman takes James flying and they have fun together.  The next morning James is sad to discover his snowman has melted in the warm morning sun.

Citation:


Briggs, R. (1999). The snowman. New York, NY:
       
         Random House.

My Impression: This simple story illustrates the excitement that children feel when they play in the snow.  The short sentences provide numerous sight words to allow early readers to feel successful.  The muted pictures provide gentle descriptions of the situations within the story.  Children are sure to enjoy the adventures of James and his snowman.  Parents of non-readers will relish the fact that the book can be read quickly on those nights when fatigue is an issue.

Professional Reviews:

Horn Book

"This lift-the-flap board book contains lessons in counting and colors and asks children to find the Snowman's clothes, play hide-and-seek ("Where could James be hiding? Can you help the Snowman find him?"), and peer inside houses to view cozy nighttime scenes. Of all books, Raymond Briggs's magical The Snowman seems least likely to inspire--or deserve--such a mundane and ordinary treatment."

Horn Book. (1999, February 1). [Review of the book The snowman, by R. 

   

         Briggs]. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com

School Library Journal

"PreS-Gr 3-Language is unnecessary to understand the affection between a boy and his snowman-and the child's sadness when the creature melts. In between, however, onlookers are swept up in the wonders of electricity, false teeth, skateboards, and the twosome's marvelous nighttime flight. Small panels propel the motion; panoramas slow it down. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted."

Media Source. (2011, April 1). [Review of the book The snowman, 

        by R. Briggs].  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

        

Uses within the Library:


1. Snowman Stories: Provide students with large cardboard snowmen and title strips.  Allow the students to glue the title strip on their snowman.  Then, have students remember adjectives from the story and write them on their snowmen.  Hang the snowmen in the library with large snowflakes as a winter display.

2. Bookmark Contest:  Provide students with fine-tip black ink markers and white computer paper to design bookmarks telling about The Snowman using pictures.  Make copies of the bookmarks and cut them out for students.  Display bookmarks in a special winter container for students to grab when they come to the library to check-out books.

Book Cover:  The book cover courtesy of the Mansfield Public Library.
Retrieved from http://www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library/