The Man

The small man who appears one morning in John's bedroom proves to be a rather demanding houseguest

In marked contrast to his wordless The Snowman, Briggs's latest work is chock-full of text, presented as a dialogue between a boy, John, and a muscular, seven-inch-tall man who appears in John's room in the middle of one night. Following orders, the child fashions a tunic out of a sock for the naked fellow, whom John dubs Man. "At last! Dignity regained," exclaims the newly clothed Man, who then announces, "I'm dying for a pee," and proceeds to relieve himself in a glass of paint water. Man then insists on "grub," and has only complaints for the brands of food that John fetches from the kitchen ("Bah! Rubbish! Old maids' tea. Mimsy wee-wee. Always get PG Tips," he says after the boy serves him a drink in a mug decorated with the image of The Snowman). Man's extended visit and incessant demands cause trouble between John and his parents, who are heard but never seen. Busy panel art drolly portrays the contentious rapport between John and Man, but Briggs's dry humor, allusions and liberal use of British colloquialisms may be beyond American youngsters. And though the characters' conversations touch on some worthy issues (self-image, identity, tolerance and diversity), it's a lot for kids to sort out. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3^-5. Although one of the characters appears to be an older version of the boy in Briggs' beloved Snowman, this book, which ends on a melancholy note, is not for the picture-book set. On Monday, John wakes up to find a tiny, filthy man throwing cough drops at him. The man immediately demands a clean sock to cut into clothes and a place to "pee," settling for a "paint-water" jar. When John sees the yellowed water, he realizes he's not dreaming after all, and the pair settle into a quarrelsome relationship: John is annoyed by the man's fussy tastes and pugnacious attitude; the man is infuriated when he feels he's being treated as if he were a toy. The story unfolds in panels made up of watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations and dialogue, which touches on subjects ranging from politics and religion to philosophy. Middle-grade children will appreciate the passionate debate between the characters and the earthy humor Briggs works in. Susan Dove Lempke