Rating: 
Summary: Focus On The Early Days
Review: This is a wonderful little coffee table book featuring some of the earliest and seldom seen Peanuts strips. You get to see Lucy, Schroeder, and Linus as babies and the evolution of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Strips are reprinted from the newspaper format (spotted coloring) but that adds to the charm of this book. There are also pictures of Peanuts figurines and comic books in this book and show how influential Peanuts was, even in the 50s. You also get glimpses of Schulz' thought processes, particularly with regard to which ideas worked and which ones didn't. This is a must buy book for any Peanuts fan and essential along with "A Golden Celebration".
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate for Peanuts fans
Review: This is clearly one of the best Peanuts collections aout there. Not only does it provide many of the best works of the great one Charles M. Schulz, but it also provides some collections of the seldom seen forerunner of Peanuts "Lil' Folks" from the late 1940s, which are quite funny aside form the historical interest.
Rating:
Summary: Peanuts
Review: This is perhaps the most delightful anthology I've had the pleasure to read. It encompasses Schulz' entire career and gives the reader a full appreciation of the depths of his unique talents.Not only was Schulz a fine cartoonist, but he introduces a philosophy and psychology that few in his field can match. He caputres life as a child that both adults and children can understand. It is especially interesting to view the evolution of the characters in drawing and gain insight on how Schulz viewed his various creations. His insights on why some characters worked while others were eventually eliminated is also valuable. My entire family, including my 11 year old daughter and 7 year old son, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Anyone interested in Peanuts should seriously consider purchasing this work. Many will find themselves returning to it time and again.
Rating:
Summary: Into the mind of a genius
Review: This posthumous collection of the work of Charles Schulz could easily have turned into a rehash of other works, such as the Peanuts Golden Celebration that came out in 2000. It never fell into that trap. Focusing both on the strip and the way it evolved, this feels like (if possible) an even more thorough telling of the Peanuts story. It has rarer strips than "Golden Celebration" as well as comments made by Schulz at various points in his career that help shed insight on how he crafted these stories. There are lots of sidebars in this book -- pictures of "Peanuts" merchandise and the stories behind the items abound, for example. There are also photos of things like Schulz's drawing board and art tools, just as he left them after finishing the final "Peanuts" strip. Jean Schulz, in the introduction, starts by saying that Sparky was a genius. I think most of us who want this book already knew that, but it's beautiful to have this reminder. Every "Peanuts" fan simply must read it and treasure it.
Rating:
Summary: An absolutely wonderful book!
Review: This wonderful book is designed like an album, and is actually a collection of some of Charles M. Schulz's favorite cartoons. Lots of things are included in here, such as items from his sketchbook, early cartoons of his (including Li'l Folks, the Peanuts forbearers), tons of Peanuts cartoons, and even some photos. Indeed, some of the items in this book have never been published before! This is an absolutely wonderful book! It contains cartoons from all over Schulz's career, bringing back tons of memories (such as the earlier drawings of the baby-like Peanuts). So, if you are a fan of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts, then you must get this book. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Simply incredible
Review: Unbelievable. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this book in the store. ( I wish I waited ... it's cheaper on Amazon.) But in any case I got it and I am astonished. Chip Kidd does an amazing job of documenting many pieces that we've seen before, and some we haven't, including a Peanuts strip featuring <b> adults!</B> The printing quality and thoroughness make this a must have.
Rating: 
Summary: Very slight disappointment
Review: While I was viewing this as an art book and not a book of cartoons, I was still rather saddened that many cartoons from the 1950s and 1960s still have not been released. I loved seeing the Sunday color cartoons that UPS and Mr. Schulz did not see fit releasing. I loved them all (particularly Charlie Brown and Shermy building the clubhouse that they would be excluded from!). Also, being photographs or such, it was difficult seeing the tiny boxes without good reading glasses.
HOWEVER, this is indeed a good buy. My heart as well as my eyes captured every page over and over again. This is a must buy book. One question: Is it Jean Schulz or Jeanne Schulz??
| 
