A cute adaptation of the classic "Peanuts" movie, but be sure you know what you're buying before you click on "order." I was under the impression that it was a strip-format adaptation of the film, when in fact it is more of a children's storybook, with pictures and text separate from each other. Not to point fingers, I should have been paying closer attention. Mea culpa.

That said, it is a good adaptation, and I'm not at all sorry I picked it up. If I ever have kids, I'm going to read this to 'em until they're sick of it.

On the large pages, the 100 + color illustrations of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and Snoopy look wonderful. The reproduction quality is very fine, and you almost feel like you are holding an art book rather than a strip. This book is a condensation of the story from the 1969 movie, and reissues an earlier book by the same name. You will find the story transitions a little abrupt here, so it is almost like reading several disconnected strips. I graded the book down accordingly.

Charlie Brown opens the book about to pitch. The last time the team won was when he could not play. He's a little discouraged. The pitcher's mound is covered with dandelions. They cannot agree on the signals. Early on, he gets hit by a line drive. No one takes his misery very seriously. Lucy suggests that he can get by with second or third aid. He doesn't need first aid.

Charlie Brown sees himself as a loser, and is getting depressed. While trying to encourage him, Linus beats him at tic-tac-toe.

Linus encourages Charlie Brown to enter the class spelling bee. Charlie Brown assumes the worst, and has a hard time getting his hand up. Finally, he signs up. Lots of practice follows. Charlie Brown wins! Now, he has to compete with the whole school. He's scared of failure. Linus and Snoopy help him study, and "i before e except after c" becomes a big help due to the little ditty he's learned to help remember the rule.

Soon Charlie Brown is on his way to the national competition. More study follows. Linus makes the ultimate sacrifice and gives Charlie Brown his blanket for good luck. Soon Linus is having withdrawal pains. Linus and Snoopy follow Charlie Brown to get the blanket back and to cheer on Charlie Brown.

The rest of the story deals with the competition and its aftermath. The book ends with a classic scene involving Charlie Brown and Lucy that has a predictable result.

After you read this story, I suggest you think about what your definition of being a winner is. For some people, the standard is so high that they can never meet it. For the happiest people, the standard is low enough that reasonable effort ensures good results. Learn from Charlie Brown's example here.

Take pleasure in doing your best!

Be everything that you can be. That's all that anyone can ask of themselves. Sad to see it is out of print. Fond of it, very fond.

This book is subtitled "The Theology in Peanuts," and is made up of cartoons taken from "Peanuts" strips spanning the twenty-five years from 1958 to 1983. Philosophically and theologically, they give the reader a lot to think about, albeit thoughts flavored with Schultz's brand of humor.

Schultz gives us an example of unshakeable faith in Linus and his belief that "The Great Pumpkin" will rise up from the most sincere pumpkin patch on Halloween Eve, bearing presents for all the good boys and girls. Linus always rationalizes away "The Great Pumpkin's" non appearances, and the next Halloween finds him back in his pumplin patch, ready and waiting, one more time.

Sally Brown represents the commercial aspect of Christmas in a strip where, after Linus expounds on the true meaning of Christmas, she responds with, "If I don't get everything I want for Christmas this year, I'm gonna gross out."

Then there's Snoopy, the canine philosopher. When asked by Linus if he (Snoopy) is bothered by the fact that the Bible doesn't speak very well of dogs, Snoopy replies, in a thought balloon, that, yes, it bothers him but "I just turn the other muzzle."

And, of course, there's always Good Old Trusting Charlie Brown. In another strip where Lucy tricks Charlie Brown into attempting to kick the football one more time, she lures him by reciting the entire "To everything there is a season." Just as she pulls the ball away, and, as usual, Charlie Brown ends up flat on his back, she adds a new ending, "And a time to pull away the football."

These are but a few examples of Schultz's gentle humor turned toward philosophy and theology and how they affect the "Peanuts" gang.

In the time since the printing of "Beagles and Bunnies" I have had two copies and I loved the book. However, I wanted to be able to share the experience and so I gave them away. The first went to a preacher in Yosemite who often quoted the strip and the second went a pastor here who also often quoted it. I don't regret giving them away... I just wish I had a copy now that Sparky is gone...

There have been a number of books discussing how Peanuts comic strips deal with biblical, moral, and theological topics, but this book gets down to the nitty gritty: it lets the strips speak for themselves. It has 125 strips from different periods of the run of Peanuts, and there's good stuff throughout.

Any collection of Peanuts strips starts out with five stars, simply for the fact that it's Peanuts. I never fail to smile at Charlie Brown's loveable (and always thwarted) attempts to fit in, Linus's philosophising, and Snoopy's imaginary adventures. However, stars are subtracted for the poor editing of this collection, which seems to have been put together by someone who quickly scanned through every Peanuts strip, pulling out any one that contained the word "Christmas". I didn't so much mind the inclusion of non-holiday related strips, for example, Peppermint Patty handing in a book report in August that was due last Christmas, as I did the incompleteness of several story lines that happened to take place during the holidays. Once the Christmas references stopped, the storylines are cut off in this book, leaving several hanging threads, such as the strips about Snoopy dreading Poochie's visit. Additionally, at least two strips appear twice in this book, giving the impression that it was quickly slapped together to get it into stores in time for the holiday shopping season. What would Linus think?!?

My other gripe is with the packaging. These strips have all been published in other collections, so a real Peanuts enthusiast already has them on the bookshelf. Simply gathering all the Christmas strips together into a high priced hardcover volume doesn't add much to them. It would have been nice to have some commentary on the strips, or perhaps include some stills from "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

In short, this is a good holiday gift for the casual Peanuts fan, but something of a let down for the die-hards. However, you'll still smile while reminiscing about childhood Christmases with the gang, and that can only be a good thing. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

This is definitely not the Hallmark book which seems to be offered in the marketplace end of the Amazon sales!! This is a nice collection, but not a great collection. Many strips were dropped from the continuity. At least three strips were printed twice, indicating either the editor was asleep or there was no editor! We can only wait for a collection of full continuity strips, but, until then, this is still a worthwhile purchase for Peanuts fans young and old. If you already have the Hallmark collection, buy this also. If not, forget that edition.

There are certain aspects of Christmas where the commercialism that prevades the holiday makes one fail to truly appreciate its meaning. To regain the true nature of Christmas, one turns to Handel's Messiah, Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Vaughn Williams' Hodie, Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Charles Schultz classic Christmas Peanuts comics... you will receive an emotional and spiritual rejuevenation when you read these truly inspired vignettes every Holiday season...to be enjoyed by the whole family!

The book The Beagle Has Landed is a very funny book, if you like reading comics. I enjoyed reading the whole collection of peanuts comics.

This book of classic peanuts comics is perfect for the peanuts lover. in one of the comic strips bites the kite-eating tree. In another Peppermint Patty and Marcy are caddies ofr a golf course. It's really funny.

If you're a big peanuts fan, or you know someone that is, you should buy this book.

This is my first peanuts book that I have ever got. I liked it very well. I thought it had lots of humor and was very exciteing. I would recomend getting this book and the others in the series!

This encyclopedia series was written with children in mind. I purchased it for my daughter in the early eighties, when she was about five or six. I now have a son who loves reading the book. I wish they would reprint the volumes again.

Usually people with a "high" education level do not bother about comics, but here we are reading something different: Schulz is a poet that, through young persons, brings us to look at real world and adults and he talks directly to our heart to show everyday life with highs and lows.

Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang celebrate Valentine's Day. The story captured the imagination of my 20 month old and is now a staple of late-nite reading...even way past Valentine's Day. We had to explain to her that not all of the story is appropriate...Charlie "almost" punches Linus in the nose. Older kids will understand, but the story is still a good read to younger kids.

If you're like me, you just can't get enough of Vince Guaraldi's "Peanuts" music, and if you're like me, you've been searching for a while to find the "real" music, and not some watered-down children's version. I ordered this book expecting advanced jazz arangements, and while the songs in this book are better than most I have found, they are still simplified to a certain degree. However, the real arrangements are available in "The Peanuts Illustrated Songbook". "The Peanuts Illustrated Songbook" contains the full, authentic, advanced jazz arrangements of many Guaraldi "Peanuts" songs including "Linus & Lucy" (except one improved piano solo), most of the songs from "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and many others from the various other "Peanuts" specials. If you are a reasonably experienced piano player, then "Charlie Brown's Greatest Hits" is a good book, but if you are an advanced piano player with impeccable rhythym and a desire for unsimplified Guaraldi "Peanuts" songs, then "The Illustrated Peanuts Songbook" is a much better buy.

The key words on the cover of this book are "Arranged By." This is not the actual music that you hear on "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and the other magical Guaraldi CD's and on the TV specials; it is "arrangements" of that music; which means simplified versions.

However, for pianists who want to take a first step towards seeking out the hippest cat who ever touched a keyboard, this collection of sheet music is a good start. I haven't yet found a better collection, and there are moments of magic in the chords. To really go further, however, you'll have to listen to the CD's, run back to the piano; listen to the CD's, run back to the piano, until you've worn a trench in your carpet between your stereo and the bench.

Buyer beware - there are two versions of this book listed under the exact same title, and nowhere on Amazons' description does it mention this. The "Blue cover" contains more advanced arrangements, the "Yellow cover" is for beginning players (try clicking the "see larger photo" link on the yellow copy - notice at the top of the image it says "Easy piano solos"). Since Amazon fails to mention this, make sure you get the one you want. I bought the "blue" copy and am reasonably satisfied, especially given the price. Don't however be mislead that the "blue" book will be too advanced for you if you have been playing piano for more than a little while. The arrangements in the "blue" book are themselves quite easy.