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The Man
The small man who appears one morning in John's bedroom proves to be a rather demanding houseguest
54 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
5 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Briggs
167 books243 followersRaymond Redvers Briggs was an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who had achieved critical and popular success among adults and children. He was best known for his story "The Snowman", which is shown every Christmas on British television in cartoon form and on the stage as a musical.
His first three major works, Father Christmas, Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (both featuring a curmudgeonly Father Christmas who complains incessantly about the "blooming snow"), and Fungus the Bogeyman, were in the form of comics rather than the typical children's-book format of separate text and illustrations. The Snowman (1978) was entirely wordless, and illustrated with only pencil crayons. The Snowman became Briggs' best-known work when in 1982 it was made into an Oscar nominated animated cartoon, that has been shown every year since on British television.
Briggs continued to work in a similar format, but with more adult content, in Gentleman Jim (1980), a sombre look at the working class trials of Jim and Hilda Bloggs, closely based on his parents. When the Wind Blows (1982) confronted the trusting, optimistic Bloggs couple with the horror of nuclear war, and was praised in the British House of Commons for its timeliness and originality. The topic was inspired after Briggs watched a Panorama documentary on nuclear contingency planning, and the dense format of the page was inspired by a Swiss publisher's miniature version of Father Christmas. This book was turned into a two-handed radio play with Peter Sallis in the male lead role, and subsequently an animated film, featuring John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984) was a scathing denunciation of the Falklands War. However, Briggs continued to produce humour for children, in works such as the Unlucky Wally series and The Bear.
He was recognized as The Children's Author of the Year in 1993 by the British Book Awards. His graphic novel Ethel and Ernest, which portrayed his parents' 41-year marriage, won Best Illustrated Book in the 1999 British Book Awards.
His first three major works, Father Christmas, Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (both featuring a curmudgeonly Father Christmas who complains incessantly about the "blooming snow"), and Fungus the Bogeyman, were in the form of comics rather than the typical children's-book format of separate text and illustrations. The Snowman (1978) was entirely wordless, and illustrated with only pencil crayons. The Snowman became Briggs' best-known work when in 1982 it was made into an Oscar nominated animated cartoon, that has been shown every year since on British television.
Briggs continued to work in a similar format, but with more adult content, in Gentleman Jim (1980), a sombre look at the working class trials of Jim and Hilda Bloggs, closely based on his parents. When the Wind Blows (1982) confronted the trusting, optimistic Bloggs couple with the horror of nuclear war, and was praised in the British House of Commons for its timeliness and originality. The topic was inspired after Briggs watched a Panorama documentary on nuclear contingency planning, and the dense format of the page was inspired by a Swiss publisher's miniature version of Father Christmas. This book was turned into a two-handed radio play with Peter Sallis in the male lead role, and subsequently an animated film, featuring John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft. The Tin-Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984) was a scathing denunciation of the Falklands War. However, Briggs continued to produce humour for children, in works such as the Unlucky Wally series and The Bear.
He was recognized as The Children's Author of the Year in 1993 by the British Book Awards. His graphic novel Ethel and Ernest, which portrayed his parents' 41-year marriage, won Best Illustrated Book in the 1999 British Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 13, 2016
I used to listen to this on cassette (wow do I feel old now) when I was little.
'The Man' by Raymond Briggs is a unique, bittersweet story about the relationship between a growing boy and a short-tempered, funny man small enough to live in a drawer. Friendship and its needs are tested.
This picture book is the best kind of dialogue-heavy, because the character's voices are distinct, expressive and (nearly) always clashing. Sad ending, too - now that I think about it, it shows that it's okay for males to cry and express their feelings.
The boy John's mum shows up occasionally for her voice to be heard in a situation she’s being kept in the dark about.
Murky, strange yet poignant. ‘The Man’ was not one of my favourites growing up (too much of a boy's story, I thought), but it sticks with you. Sometimes the littlest things can open up big waves of emotion in you.
Final Score: 3/5
'The Man' by Raymond Briggs is a unique, bittersweet story about the relationship between a growing boy and a short-tempered, funny man small enough to live in a drawer. Friendship and its needs are tested.
This picture book is the best kind of dialogue-heavy, because the character's voices are distinct, expressive and (nearly) always clashing. Sad ending, too - now that I think about it, it shows that it's okay for males to cry and express their feelings.
The boy John's mum shows up occasionally for her voice to be heard in a situation she’s being kept in the dark about.
Murky, strange yet poignant. ‘The Man’ was not one of my favourites growing up (too much of a boy's story, I thought), but it sticks with you. Sometimes the littlest things can open up big waves of emotion in you.
Final Score: 3/5
December 12, 2017
A sweet, charming, earnest and painful snippet of what it's like to care of someone else when they aren't able to take care of themselves, and the love a resentment that spring from it. We all need to take care of someone at some point. Parent to child, child to parent, creator to creation, sibling to sibling, friend to friend, someone with advantage to someone disadvantaged. It is well examined in this book.
Strong, strong recommendation.
Strong, strong recommendation.
November 3, 2016
Who's that man? A hairy fairy? An alien? We never know. All we find out is that he spends his life looking for kindly humans who will clothe, bathe, feed and generally keep him entertained. He tries the patience of a young boy for three days until he leaves as mysteriously as he arrived.
This charming and unconventional story looks like a children's book but could just as easily be regarded as a book for grown-ups.
This charming and unconventional story looks like a children's book but could just as easily be regarded as a book for grown-ups.
February 1, 2018
A lovely, enchanting book with beautiful images. It tells the tale of a boy who wakes up one morning to find a tiny, little man in his bedroom. The little man increasingly becomes more demanding and troublesome, before leaving unexpectedly. The story ends without a clear resolution and leaves you ( as an adult) wondering at its cleverly interwoven meaning - such as the care of the elderly, pets, infirm, etc. Every time I read this, I enjoy it from a fresh angle.
September 7, 2025
"You are prejudiced, aren't you? Just because I am smaller than you, you think I must live in small, dirty places - like a rat!"
September 9, 2022
The audio book of this is fantastic! 🙂
August 21, 2012
‘The Man’ is a fictional story based on a tiny man who finds his way into a small boys (John) house and makes himself right at home. He is a moody, abrupt and at times comical character, whereby he insists that John should make him some clothes from his socks! The pair eventually clash and chaos ensues.
Briggs' tale allows the reader to escape from the mundane to a much more rather secretive minute existence from the Mans perspective, which for me as a school child was something unimaginable yet enchanting. This story captivated me from beginning to end I would recommend this book for children of all Primary ages.
If I was to use this book within an Early Years setting I would firstly read the book to the children as whole and develop a creative activity whereby we design our own miniature pocket man using fabrics and different materials, which will help the children focus on texture, and manipulating malleable and non malleable objects.
For older children I would spend time on a PSHE activity, by discussing how our friends make us feel? And how our emotions/feelings towards people/places /objects change. As a group we would then utilise the concept of a little man in our pocket who we are able to physically talk to and tell our secrets/feelings/problems too. This may consequently lead onto an anti-bullying discussion group or producing a schools code of conduct regarding bullying, which the children can refer to in the future.
Briggs' tale allows the reader to escape from the mundane to a much more rather secretive minute existence from the Mans perspective, which for me as a school child was something unimaginable yet enchanting. This story captivated me from beginning to end I would recommend this book for children of all Primary ages.
If I was to use this book within an Early Years setting I would firstly read the book to the children as whole and develop a creative activity whereby we design our own miniature pocket man using fabrics and different materials, which will help the children focus on texture, and manipulating malleable and non malleable objects.
For older children I would spend time on a PSHE activity, by discussing how our friends make us feel? And how our emotions/feelings towards people/places /objects change. As a group we would then utilise the concept of a little man in our pocket who we are able to physically talk to and tell our secrets/feelings/problems too. This may consequently lead onto an anti-bullying discussion group or producing a schools code of conduct regarding bullying, which the children can refer to in the future.
September 10, 2019
A childhood classic. I remember receiving a cassette audiobook copy of this book from a great aunt that she had found in a box of PG Tips. Nostalgic is an understatement. I really enjoyed reading and following the almost retro illustrations in this book. Although the writing is hard to follow at times, due to differing font sizes actually what we have here is a lovey story about a boy and a strange little man who has no manners. The 20cm man turns up on the boy’s windowsill one morning demanding: clothes, food and some where to have a pee. The story is tongue and cheek and I think that kids will love it. As a child I most certainly did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2022
Not at all what I was expecting. This was a strangely bittersweet, deeply poignant book that left me with far more questions than answers. Sweet, charming, and slightly heartbreaking, I'm not sure that I would necessarily give this book to children (not that it's inappropriate, but rather, I'm not sure that they would "get" it). I'm not sure that I "got" it either.
I was very surprised by the ending, which left me feeling somewhat sad. But, it was not a bad book, and I genuinely enjoyed my reading, though I was thinking it would be a little bit sillier and a bit more crass, based on the description I had been given.
I was very surprised by the ending, which left me feeling somewhat sad. But, it was not a bad book, and I genuinely enjoyed my reading, though I was thinking it would be a little bit sillier and a bit more crass, based on the description I had been given.
February 28, 2024
Op een dag popt er ineens een miniatuur mannetje in Johns slaapkamer op. 'The man is half-pint size, hates healthy food, cannot stand 'soppy art'' en zo weet hij een lange lijst te creëren. Hij ziet er niet erg aaibaar uit, hij is knorrig, uitermate veeleisend, ondankbaar en hij vertrekt niet!
Een heel erg Brits verhaal, dat in feite één lange dialoog is, met een hoop 'tongue in cheek'-humor en een onderlaag die stiekem toch tot denken aanzet. Ik heb zo moeten grinniken om dit boek!
En zoals altijd weer heel fijne tekeningen.
Een heel erg Brits verhaal, dat in feite één lange dialoog is, met een hoop 'tongue in cheek'-humor en een onderlaag die stiekem toch tot denken aanzet. Ik heb zo moeten grinniken om dit boek!
En zoals altijd weer heel fijne tekeningen.
August 14, 2022
I used to listen to this on the cassette that came with the box of PG Tips when I was little and recently re-read it. The book is possibly a bit dated in that the key theme seems to be intergenerational conflict between 'Boomers' and 'Gen Xers', but it addresses social issues in a way that was admirable at the time it was published. There is a racial slur that requires context, but it remains a loveable story. Rest in peace Raymond.
December 8, 2018
Strange story with a fairly simple message about a little geezer that appears at boy's house and then as he looks after him, makes increasing demands and is very moody, leading to the whole crux of the story, wearing out your welcome or as the proverb says about fish and visitors stinking after three days. Interesting, but a little on the weird side.
November 20, 2020
This book is a gem from childhood. It's even more surreal when you read it as an adult.
'Ugh! Jelly marmalade. No good. Listen! Always get Frank Cooper's Oxford Marmalade. Write it down.'
'Bah! Rubbish! Old maid's tea. Mimsy wee-wee.'
'Ugh! Jelly marmalade. No good. Listen! Always get Frank Cooper's Oxford Marmalade. Write it down.'
'Bah! Rubbish! Old maid's tea. Mimsy wee-wee.'
August 17, 2022
Sweet little book, a tiny man moves into a family home, forcing the young boy John to cook clean and look after him. The book is mainly about the squabbles they have. A sweet little tale, not a lot happens, the arguing gets slightly monotonous at times, but still a good read from Briggs.
August 15, 2025
I used to listen to this on cassette every night when I was little to help send me to sleep! So surreal hearing it again!
This was slightly darker than I remembered at the end 😅 but love this story so much.
This was slightly darker than I remembered at the end 😅 but love this story so much.
October 7, 2025
Published 1992 in paperback - and it shows. The Man is a bigoted homunculus and language, views and concepts are expressed which readers may find unacceptably inappropriate in 2025. I bought this book from a charity shop but binned it rather than passing it on.
January 20, 2019
One of my favourites when I was younger. This one seems to have so many different lessons or ideas you could take away from it. Remains great to this day.
September 11, 2021
Bizarre. Excellent.
January 3, 2022
Brilliant story and compelling characters!
February 2, 2022
Re read this last year. Very thought provoking. The interdependence of the cared for and the carer.
July 15, 2023
More brilliance from Briggs. Delightful and surprisingly moving.
December 11, 2024
interesting
July 6, 2018
Loved ❤️ read this first as a 12 year old and thought it was hilarious. Read recently to my 3 year old who loved it and cried at the end. The man is an absolute little shit, but very loveable
January 8, 2017
Description:A well-acted and comfortably paced audiobook version of the classic children's picture book by Raymond Briggs. Michael Palin voices The Man, a very tiny person of mysterious orgin who appears to young John one day. The Man asks the boy for help, and so John makes use of household materials to fashion a bedsit of sorts for The Man and the two develop a fracious friendship over the course of 3 days.
Oh my goodness! This was a favourite listen of mine and probably my first ever audiobook. I orginally listened to this on cassette tape, after receiving it from someone via a PG Tips promo. Not sure if it was a relative or neighbour, but, as a child, I remember getting this and listening many, many times while tidying my room. I had a lot of tapes back then.
What stuck with me was the expressive voice of The Man and the vivid imagery of food. The sound effects made me feel like I was there and though I have never read the original picture book, I could see the characters and events clearly in my mind. I remembered the snip snip of the scissors as John makes a sock into a smock for The Man and the seagulls echoed the ones outside my own bedroom window. It was the first time I had heard the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" and any mention of it reminded me once again of this cassette tape.
Today, I found this whole cassette tape on Youtube (and I am desperate to get a physical copy of the cassette as I do not know where my old copy is - probably in my parents' loft, worn out and damaged by damp)
I listened with glee, falling back to my childhood. I caught more of the jokes and began craving marmalade! Michael Palin was the voice of the man. This fact would have been lost on me as a child, but, as an adult, I can see how wonderful and talented the ex-Python is. He brought a warmth to the disgruntled old sponger that not many would have been able to conjour.
While I will forever wonder what happened to The Man, and what he was (and where my old copy went), I will at least always have the cosy memories of this audiobook.
August 12, 2013
This book is written as a dialogue between a miniature man and a boy called John with pictures as part of the text. When the Man first appears in John’s bedroom, John thinks it is a dream but for the next 5 days, the Man is part of his life ,until he disappears as mysteriously as he came, leaving a note for John.
“The Man” was one of my favourite books when I was 6 and I was enchanted then, as I am now, by the nature of the friendship between the two characters as expressed through the pictures and the dialogue.
This book highlights an unusual friendship because the Man is so small and needs help with everything. John tries to help him, but becomes exasperated with him from time to time and the Man loses his temper with him. On a small scale and in a short time frame, it covers many aspects of the nature of human relationship.
The themes are: friendship, trust, conflict and dependence.
The book would be suitable for primary school children of all ages including Early Learning to whom the book should be read aloud, with reference to the illustrations. Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 students could participate in discussions on friendship, bullying and dependence which could be taken from the text. In particular, it would be interesting to explore whether students felt that they would like to have a friend like the Man who they could relate in a different way to their ordinary friends and siblings.
The issue of John being asked by the Man to keep the relationship secret and John not telling his parents about the Man would be one that could importantly be the subject of class discussion.
In respect of curriculum support, “The Man” would be useful for English, the Literacy Hour and possibly PSHE.
“The Man” was one of my favourite books when I was 6 and I was enchanted then, as I am now, by the nature of the friendship between the two characters as expressed through the pictures and the dialogue.
This book highlights an unusual friendship because the Man is so small and needs help with everything. John tries to help him, but becomes exasperated with him from time to time and the Man loses his temper with him. On a small scale and in a short time frame, it covers many aspects of the nature of human relationship.
The themes are: friendship, trust, conflict and dependence.
The book would be suitable for primary school children of all ages including Early Learning to whom the book should be read aloud, with reference to the illustrations. Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 students could participate in discussions on friendship, bullying and dependence which could be taken from the text. In particular, it would be interesting to explore whether students felt that they would like to have a friend like the Man who they could relate in a different way to their ordinary friends and siblings.
The issue of John being asked by the Man to keep the relationship secret and John not telling his parents about the Man would be one that could importantly be the subject of class discussion.
In respect of curriculum support, “The Man” would be useful for English, the Literacy Hour and possibly PSHE.
October 13, 2011
This graphic novel is about a young boy who one day wakes up to find a small living being in his room. The living being is very demanding, being a fussy eater. Due to his size and his existence in the house being a secret, he is unable to complete many tasks for himself. The boy is very kind and helps the small living being in all activities, including bathing him, preparing his food, cutting him some clothes, etc. The book describes both characters’ interactions over a three-day period, some parts in particular their disagreements, are very funny. Just as unexpectedly as on the day the being first appeared in the bedroom, he disappears, leaving the boy a note thanking him for being so caring and advising him it was time for him to move on.
March 17, 2025
Such a beautiful, haunting book. I listened to this as a child but I honestly can't remember if I ever finished it, or if I just used to listen to the first 30 minutes over and over before losing attention. Either way, last night I finished it.
It's quite dark; an allegory for abusive relationships, racism, anti-immigration sentiments, the strain on carers; it goes on and on. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.
It's quite dark; an allegory for abusive relationships, racism, anti-immigration sentiments, the strain on carers; it goes on and on. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.
August 2, 2007
A bit of a fractured fairy tale. A young boy, John, discovers a tiny man in his room one night. Initially delighted, the boy soon finds his diminutive visitor has out-of-proportion demands. The relationship of the boy and "The Man" is gently comic and subversively humorous in the best Briggs tradition.
October 5, 2011
One of my childhood favourites that i will forever treasure.
It is brilliantly clever and comical. I could read it over and over and still smile and giggle at the beautiful illustrations and humorous dialogue.
As a child it truly captured my imagination and i found myself going around the house finding objects to bathe a little man in, or use as a miniature sleeping bag, just incase....
It is brilliantly clever and comical. I could read it over and over and still smile and giggle at the beautiful illustrations and humorous dialogue.
As a child it truly captured my imagination and i found myself going around the house finding objects to bathe a little man in, or use as a miniature sleeping bag, just incase....
June 9, 2014
Details the unlikely friendship between a demanding little man and a young boy while also reflecting on the dynamics that develop when guests overstay their welcome. I enjoyed the references to The Borrowers and Brigg's Snowman (check out the mug!).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews