The Snowman and the Snowdog audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
This is the sequel to the much-loved winter story, about a boy, a snowman and a snowdog. Benedict Cumberbatch reads it, with music from the film’s score.
Short answer: for The Snowman and the Snowdog audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (100% confidence, clear cut). Benedict Cumberbatch reads the Penguin audiobook in about 11 minutes, with music from the film’s score, which counts as produced audio. Nothing we could confirm points to print. One open question for parents: the original The Snowman is a wordless picture book, and we have not confirmed whether the Snowdog print book has text.
Listen on Audible
A reading with music from the film’s score, and nothing confirmed pointing to print.
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Confidence 100%, which puts it in the clear cut band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Penguin) |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Benedict Cumberbatch |
| Length | About 11 minutes (listings show 11 and 12 minutes) |
| At 1.5x | about 7m |
| At 2x | about 6m |
| Music | Music from the film’s score |
| Audio publisher and year | Penguin, released 9 November 2017 |
| Listener rating | 4.9 from 43 ratings on Audible UK (23 October 2026) |
| Price (snapshot) | £5.17 on Audible UK (23 October 2026) |
Listings disagree slightly on the length (11 minutes, 12 minutes and 11:41 all appear). The original The Snowman, Raymond Briggs’s wordless picture book, has no audiobook in the sources we checked.
Lengths checked 23 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Snowman and the Snowdog
Credited to Raymond Briggs in the UK
- Genre
- Picture book; Christmas
- On audio
- About 11 mins, Benedict Cumberbatch, with music
- Credits
- The UK audiobook, ebook and paperback credit Raymond Briggs; the US picture book credits Hilary Audus and Joanna Harrison
- On screen
- The animated film of the same name
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: full cast or produced audio (10), 10 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 100% confidence (clear cut).
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Benedict Cumberbatch, Penguin, 2017, 11m
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- None found
- What you miss
- The pictures
What this book actually is
The Snowman and the Snowdog is the picture book of the animated sequel to The Snowman. A boy builds a new snowman, and a snowdog, and the adventure begins again. The UK editions credit Raymond Briggs, whose characters it is based on; the US picture book credits Hilary Audus and Joanna Harrison.
How the story ends is not covered here.
The case for reading it
The case for print is the pictures. Raymond Briggs’s original The Snowman tells its story without words, and this book comes from an animated film. We could not confirm whether the printed Snowdog book has text, so this does not count in the score, but for a young child the book may be the better shared experience.
The case for listening to it
The audiobook does more than read the words: Benedict Cumberbatch’s reading comes with music from the film’s score, which is the produced audio this criterion is about.
At about 11 minutes, it fits a bedtime or a short car journey.
The audiobook in detail
Penguin released the recording on 9 November 2017. Benedict Cumberbatch reads it, with music from the film’s score stated on four listings. It had 4.9 stars from 43 ratings on Audible UK on 23 October 2026.
Cumberbatch also voices the Grinch in the 2018 animated film of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards print if your child wants to look at the pictures while the story is read, or if you know the wordless original and want the same experience.
Lean towards audio for a quick festive listen with the film’s music.
Audiobook
- Read by Benedict Cumberbatch
- About 11 minutes
- Music from the film’s score
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Related verdicts
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The book has one rhyming storyteller and one narrator, and Dr. Seuss’s drawings are the case for print.
The Polar Express
One storyteller and one narrator, with the paintings the only open question for print.
The Snow QueenHans Christian AndersenSame verdictThe Snow Queen
One storyteller and an Earphones Award reading, with nothing confirmed pointing to print.
Start hereHow we decide
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Questions people ask
Who reads The Snowman and the Snowdog audiobook?
Benedict Cumberbatch, with music from the film’s score.
How long is The Snowman and the Snowdog audiobook?
About 11 minutes on Audible UK; some listings say 12 minutes.
Is there an audiobook of The Snowman?
Not of Raymond Briggs’s original, which is a wordless picture book. The Snowman audiobook read by Richard Armitage is a different story, by Michael Morpurgo with Robin Shaw.
Should I read or listen to The Snowman and the Snowdog?
Listen on our checks (100% confidence, clear cut). The recording adds music from the film’s score, and nothing confirmed points to print. If you want the pictures with a young child, the book is still a lovely choice.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Penguin and Puffin listings, and the US picture book record.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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