The Snowman and the Snowdog (Step into Reading Book Series: A Step 1 Book)

by Raymond Briggs

Overview

Raymond Briggs’s beloved Snowman returns in this new Step 1 Step into Reading early reader . . . accompanied by a snow puppy! 

When Billy wishes his snowman and snowdog to life, they take him on a journey to the North Pole, where he competes in a sled race and even meets Santa Claus! Young readers can now enjoy the magic of The Snowman and the Snowdog in this simple, accessible adaptation. Fans of the modern classic will definitely want to come along on this new adventure.
 
Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words for children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385387347
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/25/2015
Series:	Step into Reading Book Series: A Step 1 Book
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	508,571
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

RAYMOND BRIGGS is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist and author who has achieved critical and commericial success among adults and children alike. He lives in Sussex, England.

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2014
Fans of Raymond Briggs’s classic wordless picture book The Snowman (1978) and the subsequent animated film (1982) can again take flight in that wintry, whimsical world via this print adaptation of an author-sanctioned animated short film that was produced in 2012. The action picks up many years after the initial snowman came to life and soared with his young companion through the night sky: a boy named Billy finds an old photograph of the original snowman, as well as a box containing his signature hat and scarf. Billy crafts a new snowman, along with a small snow dog who takes him on his own magical adventure, which includes a ski race, an encounter with Santa, and the granting of Billy’s wish for a real dog. The soft edges and loose lines of the illustrations pay homage to Briggs’s original artwork. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2014-07-29
A sequel of sorts—and a wordy one at that—to the lovely, wordless and beloved The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs (1978). Billy has moved to a new home, and his old dog dies soon after. But he finds in the house a box with a scarf, hat and other items—and a picture of a boy standing next to a snowman wearing them. He is inspired to build his own snowman, along with a snowdog because he misses his own. Snowman and Snowdog come alive at midnight and with Billy go off on flying adventures and win a downhill race. A gift of a collar from Santa himself turns the snowdog into a real one, and Billy is delighted, although boy and dog discover the snowman has melted away in the morning sun. The abrupt loss of the dog, the discovery of the box (under a floorboard), and the awakening of snowdog and snowman—not just to life but to flying and then racing—make for a confusing and unsatisfying tale. One wonders, too, what Billy's mom makes of the sudden appearance of an actual dog on what may or may not be Christmas morning. The uncredited illustrations are not a patch on Briggs' original, atmospheric images. A travesty. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews