Raymond Briggs wrote The Snowman in 1978, and it emerged as the best classic children's illustration book. The book's success elevated Briggs to international status as one of the best authors in children's literature. The Snowman story was later adapted into a short television episode, which won the British Academy Television Award in 1982.
The book opens with a young anonymous boy who goes past his mother to go outside to make snowballs. The landscape outside is snowy, and the boy is armed with boots and a hat to ensure he is warm. The boy sits in front of his bedroom window and rolls a snowball into a statuesque. When the outside becomes very cold, the boy goes inside to have a hot tea with his mother. After taking a hot beverage, the boy gets inspiration and goes outside to add a scarf and a hat to his statuesque. He also adds other features to his statuesque such as buttons and tangerines.
In the late evening, while the boy watches television, he looks outside through the window and sees the snowman coming to life. The boy waves at the snowman, and he goes outside to invite him into the house for a tour. When they enter the house, the boy shows the snowman around the sitting room, and they proceed to the kitchen. While in the kitchen, the snowman is impressed to see the freezer and ice cubes, but he fears the oven and the sink. The boy and his guest eat together, and the snowman washes the dishes.
From the kitchen, the boy takes snowman upstairs and shows him his bedroom and that of his parents. The parents are asleep, and the snowman interestingly tries on the clothes of the boy's father. From upstairs, the boy and snowman head to the garage. Snowman also expresses interest in the freezer at the corner end of the garage.
After finishing the garage tour, snowman tells the boy that it is his turn to take the boy on a distant tour. Snowman holds the boy's hand, flying across the sky and the sea. The boy is excited because he has never had such an experience before. At around midnight, the snowman brings the boy home, and when they arrive at the compound, the boy gets inside to sleep while the snowman is left outside in his position.
The next day when the boy wakes up after the sun has risen, he runs outside to say hi to his friend. When the boy reaches the garden, he is shocked to see the hat, scarf, and a pile of melted snow. The boy is disheartened and tries to figure out what happened with his snowman, with whom he had a great night.
