Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Were you British, you might find it downright odd that we have chosen to do Raymond Brigg’s wordless picture book in March. That is because in Britain this title is generally considered a Christmas classic. Here in the States not so much. Now I did not expect my conversation with Kate about this book to devolve into a very long and intense argument over whether or not Frosty the Snowman dies at the end of his song. I say he doesn’t, she say he does. It was like we were discussing the end of The Giver or something! Please, show your support for my CORRECT interpretation of the song by telling my sister she is wrong.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, PlayerFM, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

I am so happy to report that my new show The Story Seeds Podcast is up and running! More about the show in the future.

Kate challenged me to bring her a celebrity picture book, but I found the request too difficult. Seriously, folks, if you can think of a “classic” celebrity picture book that people ACTUALLY LIKE, let us know what it is at FuseKate8@gmail.com.

Well worth reading today: The Guardian article Raymond Briggs: Don’t call me the king of Christmas. I don’t like children, I try to avoid them.

“So he’s gonna die of pnemonia. Okay.” She’s not a mom yet, but already Kate has a keen sense of the basics of motherhood.

Kate takes much issue with this boy’s method of snowmanship saying that this is, “Essentially a snow fridge with a ball head at the top.”

What the heck . . . Hey! That ain’t a nose! It’s supposed to be a carrot. Like God intended, doggone it. And look! It’s not like they aren’t already in the house already!! If you have a choice between a carrot and a clementine, I’d say the answer was staring you in the face as to which one you’d use snowmanwise.

This part may be the most British moment in the book. A ten-year-old boy, who has thought to throw on a robe and slippers, shakes hands with the magical snowman he created earlier in the day.

Huh. Kate asks a good question. Why is the snowman so sad in this scene?

Eating ice cubes for fun. Like ya do.

How are these trousers fitting The Snowman, precisely? Dad, as you can see, is not huge.

I love that Kate could believe every single aspect of the book was real… but now they’re FLYING?!?!? That, apparently, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Your vote, folks. Is this the saddest image in all of children’s literature? I’d say that it is at least a contender.

Here is the short film based on this book that they run in England every year around Christmas.

And here is the advert (if you will) that made fun of it:

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate