The Snowman and the Snowdog

As a dog lover and a mom, I love when I come across something beautiful- something worth sharing.  I have always enjoyed The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, and last year, by some twist of fate, I came across the movie, The Snowman and the Snowdog, which seemed to be some kind of sequel to The Snowman. Having just lost our Milo that summer. I thought this might be a cute DVD for my son to watch, so I quickly ordered it through Amazon. Here's the trailer:

The movie has beautiful music and soft pencil drawing animation.  It's also unique in that there is no dialogue, just like the original Snowman.  Only music.  But be forewarned if you have ever lost a pet- the movie begins with a boy and his old dog, moving into their new home.  The animators capture the slow movements and the gray fur of the old pup.  And, well, you can guess what happens as the story rolls on.  Fall comes and the little old dog is no longer with the little boy.  I cry every time I watch the story unfold- the absence of the dog, his empty bed, his little grave under the tree.

But fear not, the story doesn't stay sad forever.  It's about finding happiness and new love again, and that's where the snowdog comes in.  The little boy creates a snowman and a snowdog, and he asks Santa to bring him a real dog for Christmas.  I won't give the story away, you'll have to see for yourself what happens. Another warning- this year the ending made my little one cry.  He has a sensitive heart!  So if you plan on showing it to children, check out the synopsis of it on CommonSenseMedia to see if it's right for your child.

photo courtesy of mirror.co.uk

I realized this year, our second Christmas without our sweet Milo, that Santa has blessed us with our own snowdog.  Spot resembles the snowdog from the story in so many ways- his funny ears, his funny spots, his little marble eyes.  And not only that, the new love he brought to our little boy and his family.  This holiday season, I wish you all your own little snowdogs.  May the magic of Christmas touch your hearts, too.

"But my ears are not that color, momma."

What 'chu lookin' at, Snow Dog?