Play along with Father Christmas and friends in this fantastic interactive magnetic book. Parents and children can read the simple sentences and drop in the right magnets to the page according to the story. Then at the end children can create their own story in a wonderful fold-out spread. This will be a real favourite both for parent and child and provide hours and hours of entertainment. The book is incredibly sturdy and there’s even a closable area to ensure the magnets are kept safe when not in use.
Children will recognise the scenes within this magical magnetic book as those from Raymond Briggs' much-loved story and enjoy attaching shaped magnets to each scene to make it complete. The final spread consists of a giant gatefold, allowing young readers to use all the magnets to create a magical playscene of their own. Simple, easy-to-read text will develop reading skills while the playscene encourages interactive play.
Raymond Briggs (1934-2022) was one of our most respected and beloved artists. Born in Wimbledon Park in 1934, he studied at the Wimbledon School of Art and later at the Slade School of Fine Art, and went on to produce a treasure trove of work. He created characters that are now icons for generations of children, including Fungus the Bogeyman, Father Christmas and, of course, the beloved Snowman.
He won many awards over his career including the Kurt Maschler Award, The Children's Book of the Year, Dutch Silver Pen Award, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award twice for his Mother Goose Nursery Treasury and Father Christmas.
Raymond Briggs was awarded the BookTrust 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. The BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates the body of work of an author or illustrator who has made an outstanding contribution to children's literature. The award was set up in 2015 to celebrate an author or illustrator's outstanding contribution to children's books. The first winner was Shirley Hughes, author of Dogger and the Alfie series, whilst Judith Kerr was awarded the accolade in 2016.
Discussing the impact of Raymond Briggs’ work, Judge Shami Chakrabarti said: "Raymond is a true artistic genius who has touched the hearts of millions of children of all ages. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and his particular style of illustration is unmistakable as are his understated and poignant words of narrative and dialogue. His talent expresses his values and with his choice and treatment of subjects he brings our history and contemporary challenges to life."
The biography of his parents in graphic novel form, Ethel & Ernest, became a bestseller in the UK; see below a trailer for the animated feature film based on the novel.
