The Man (comics) facts for kids
The Man is a funny storybook for children. It's called a graphic novella because it uses both pictures and words to tell the tale. The famous author and artist Raymond Briggs wrote and drew it. It came out in 1992. The story is about a boy named John. One day, a tiny human, called the Man, shows up in John's bedroom. The Man is very small and needs clothes and food. John is surprised at first, but then he starts to look after him.
The story follows John and the Man for a few days. The Man is demanding, bossy, and messy. But even with all that, John and the Man become good friends. Their time together is full of funny and strange moments. For example, the Man loves Frank Cooper's Oxford marmalade. He even uses socks as jumpers! There's also a funny scene where he almost gets hurt by a marmalade jar.
Contents
About The Man
The Man is different from Raymond Briggs' other famous book, The Snowman. In The Snowman, the characters don't talk. But in The Man, both John and the tiny Man have lots of dialogue. Their words are even written in different styles. This helps you know who is speaking. Sometimes, the words and pictures are mixed together. The speech bubbles wrap around the text.
The Story of John and The Man
The story begins when a small, naked human appears in John's room. John is shocked to find this tiny person. He soon learns that this little Man is very hungry. John quickly takes on the role of caregiver. He finds clothes for the Man and gives him food.
Over the next few days, John and the Man spend a lot of time together. The Man can be quite a handful. He makes demands and is not very tidy. Despite these challenges, a special friendship grows between them. Their adventures are often silly and unexpected.
What Makes It Special?
One of the funniest parts of the book is the Man's love for marmalade. He has a very strong liking for Frank Cooper's Oxford marmalade. This leads to many funny situations. Another funny detail is how the Man uses John's socks as tiny jumpers. These small, quirky details make the story very entertaining.
Dialogue and Drawings
Unlike some of Raymond Briggs' other works, The Man features full conversations. Both John and the Man speak throughout the book. To make it easy to follow, each character's speech is shown in a different way. This helps readers tell them apart. The way the dialogue and drawings are combined is also unique. Sometimes, the words are placed right within the pictures. This makes the story feel very lively.
Awards and Editions
The Man was first published in 1992. It quickly became popular. Other versions of the book were released soon after. Dutch and Danish versions came out in 1993. The first edition for the U.S. was published in 1995. Later, an audiobook version was made. In the audiobook, famous actor Michael Palin voiced the Man. William Puttock voiced the character of John.
Raymond Briggs won an important award for The Man. He received the 1992 Kurt Maschler Award. This award was also known as "the Emil." It was given each year from 1982 to 1999. The award recognized British books for children. It celebrated stories where the words and pictures worked together perfectly. The award showed that both the writing and the illustrations in The Man were excellent.
