The Snowman and the Snowdog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Snowman and the Snowdog |
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| Genre | Christmas |
| Created by | Raymond Briggs |
| Written by | Joanna Harrison and Hilary Audus (story) Raymond Briggs (characters) |
| Directed by | Hilary Audus |
| Theme music composer | Ilan Eshkeri and Andy Burrows |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | John Coates |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Lupus Films (Original) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 4 |
| Original release | 24 December 2012 |
The Snowman and the Snowdog is a short animated film from 2012. It's a follow-up, or sequel, to the much-loved film The Snowman. This movie was made to celebrate 30 years since the first Snowman film came out. It's dedicated to John Coates, who helped make the film but sadly passed away in 2012. The film also features a new song called "Light the Night" by Andy Burrows, who used to be in the band Razorlight. The Snowman and the Snowdog even won an award in 2013 for being the Best Children's film!
Contents
The Story of the Snowman and the Snowdog
The story begins in the same house where James, the boy from The Snowman, once lived. A young boy named Billy moves into this house with his mother. Billy's old dog sadly passes away, and they bury him in the garden.
As Christmas gets closer, Billy writes a letter to Father Christmas. He draws a picture asking for a new dog. While looking around his room, Billy finds a loose floorboard. Underneath it, he discovers some old toys and a small box. Inside the box, he finds a photo of James and the Snowman. He also finds the Snowman's old scarf, hat, coal eyes, and a dried tangerine nose.
It starts to snow, and Billy rushes outside to build a snowman, just like in the photo. He uses all the snow he can find to finish his snowman. He decides the old tangerine nose isn't good enough. So, he gets a fresh one from the kitchen. To remember his own dog, Billy uses the rest of the snow to build a little snowdog next to the Snowman. He uses socks for ears, gloves for spots, and the old tangerine for its nose.
That night, Billy goes to sleep. At midnight, he wakes up to a dog barking. He looks out his window and sees the Snowdog wiggling its ear! Billy runs downstairs and finds that the Snowman and Snowdog have magically come to life. The Snowdog finds a ball that belonged to Billy's old dog and starts to play. The Snowman sees the photo of James on the fridge and smiles.
They soon head outside and explore the garden shed. Billy sees the motorbike the Snowman rode in the first film. Then, the three of them fly off into the night sky. They are going to a big snowman party in the frozen north! While flying, the Snowman loses his nose. They land to look for it and find an old-fashioned airplane. They use this plane to continue their journey. As they fly over London, you can see famous landmarks like The Shard and the London Eye.
When they arrive, the party is in full swing with many snowmen from the first film. Billy, the Snowman, and the Snowdog decide to enter a downhill race. They race against other snowmen and a very good skiing penguin. Many snowmen get stuck in the snow, but Billy and the Snowdog keep up with the penguin. They win the race, and Father Christmas congratulates them!
As the sun begins to rise, the Snowman signals it's time to leave. Another snowman finds Billy's letter and whispers to Father Christmas. Father Christmas gives Billy a small present from his sleigh. Billy, the Snowman, and the Snowdog fly home.
Back home, Billy opens his gift. It's a dog collar! He puts it on the Snowdog's neck, and the Snowdog turns into a real, live dog! It's just like the dog Billy asked for. Billy and his new dog say goodbye to the Snowman and go inside.
The next morning, Billy wakes up and can't find his new dog. He finds him in the kitchen, wanting to go outside. Billy and his dog go into the garden. They see that the Snowman has melted. Billy's dog, whom he names 'Socks', places his new ball next to the melted snow. Billy and Socks kneel together, sad that the Snowman is gone.
Promoting the Film
The Snowman and the Snowdog was promoted a lot before it first aired. Channel 4 and other companies like Nationwide helped spread the word.
A special video game based on the film's flying scene was released. You could play it on iOS (Apple) and Android phones and tablets. You could also buy a book version of the story as an e-book from places like Apple's iBookstore and Amazon's Kindle store.
The film's music, including the song "Light the Night," was available online. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 3, 2013. You could even get a double pack with the original Snowman film. The soundtrack was also released on CD around the same time.
The Video Game
Channel 4 released a smartphone game for the film on December 9, 2012. It was made by a company called Crash Lab. This game became very popular, reaching number 1 on the iPhone and iPad game charts. Over 1 million people downloaded it in the UK and Ireland.
The Snowman in Popular Culture
The characters from the film have appeared in other places too!
In November 2016, a Christmas advertisement for the British clothing company Barbour featured an older Billy and his dog. They reunited with the Snowman and remembered meeting Father Christmas. Barbour released another Christmas advert in November 2017 that continued this story.
There have also been "public art trails". These are events where large, decorated statues of the Snowdog are placed around cities. There are also smaller "Snowpups." These trails have happened in places like Newcastle, Brighton and Hove, Cardiff, and Ashford. After each event, the Snowdogs are sold at an auction. The money raised goes to help local hospices, which are places that care for people who are very ill.
