The Snowman

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s soft and reflective, with cozy winter imagery. It can be bittersweet, but it helps children process change in a calm way—ending with warmth, memory, and the promise of seasons returning.

Story Synopsis

On a bright winter day, a boy rolls snow into a snowman and gives it coal eyes and a proud stance in the yard. The snowman looks out at the world as if he has always been there. Nearby stands an old stove inside the house, glowing warmly through the window—something the snowman longs for without understanding. At night the snowman speaks with a dog who has lived through many winters. The dog warns him about warmth: what feels comforting can also be dangerous. The snowman doesn’t quite believe it. The stove’s heat looks like happiness. Days pass. The boy and the snowman share the quiet companionship of winter: crisp air, moonlit snow, and the stillness that comes after play. But the sun gradually grows stronger. The snowman begins to soften. Small parts slip, and he feels strange changes he can’t control. Eventually, spring arrives fully and the snowman melts away. What remains is a simple object the boy used when building him—often a broomstick or a hearth shovel—standing in the puddle like a memory. The Snowman is a tender story about how some beautiful things don’t last forever, and how we can still love them while they’re here. It invites a bedtime conversation: What seasons do we miss? What do we look forward to? What can we remember with warmth?

Story Excerpt

“ It is so delightfully cold, ” said the Snow Man. “ It makes my whole body crackle. This is just the kind of wind to blow life into one. And how that great red thing up there is staring at me! ” He meant the sun, which was sinking low in the sky. The Snow Man stood very straight in the garden, determined not to blink — if a snow man can be said to blink at all. He had been made in a hurry and happiness : boys had laughed and shouted around him, sleigh - bells had jingled in the distance, and the sharp sound of whips had cracked in the frosty air. His eyes were two little triangular pieces of tile set into his head. His mouth was an old broken rake, and because of that he looked as if he had a row of teeth. He felt proud and newly alive, as if the cold had given him a brave heart. The sun slipped away, and the sky deepened into blue. Up came the full moon — large, round, and clear. “ There it comes again, from the other side, ” said the Snow Man, sure the red, staring thing had returned. Near him, an old yard - dog lay on his chain. His voice was rough and hoarse, and when he barked it sounded more like a grumble than…

In One Glance