This cute little book (31 pages, excluding the title page and so forth) is another excellent example of the work of the incomparable Charles M. Schulz. In this book, Peppermint Patty decides she wants to organize a football team, so she grabs Marcie and begins instructing her in how to play football. Marcie may be a willing volunteer, but she has no idea how to play football, and Patty's football lessons end in hilarious disaster!

When I was a child, I absolutely loved the Peanuts, and I am so pleased that my own children have now fallen in love with those same funny characters. This book is large and attractive, with brightly colored pictures that are sure to please the young reader (and Peanuts fans of all ages)! My children and I highly recommend this book to you!

Kick the Ball, Marcie is a humorous conversation between Marcie and Peppermint Patty about playing football.

When watching the Peanuts on television or reading the comics, I didn't realize how funny Marcie was. She is a deadpan riot next to the seriously focused Peppermint Patty. Patty is trying to get Marcie involved in the process of football, while Marcie does not really care one way or the other.

This book is a really good introduction into subtle humor for children. I was smiling throughout this book. At one point, I was shocked in a funny way as to how Marcie tackled Peppermint Patty.

Children need to be introduced to humor and Kick the Ball, Marcie fits the bill.

"A Kiss on the Nose Turns Anger Aside" offers up daily comic strips from "Peanuts" from the years 1960-1963, which explains the references to Casey Stengel and the final out of the 1962 World Series when the Giant's Willie McCovey hit a screaming line drive snared by the Yankee's Bobby Richardson for the most dramatic out ever to end a deciding Game 7. You will find within what are probably the best of Great Pumpkin strips, Linus puts together a pumpkin patch that offers nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see, but has trouble staying away on Halloween Night. Then poor Schroeder forgets to celebrate December 16th (and you have to wonder, did Charles M. Schulz do the same?). Meanwhile, Kennedy and Nixon are running for President and Lucy decides that Charlie Brown should become president one day so she can be First Lady. Not surprisingly, these 1960 strips are some of the few in which Schulz comments on the political process (you have to be prince before you can become President, which happens before you become Queen). Of course, politics in America would forever be changed after November 1963, so this is not especially surprising. There are also several strips devoted to the Christmas season and various ways of working Santa Claus for as many toys as possible that will strike a chord with young and old alike. On a more historical note, Snoopy has made friends with a flock of pre-Woodstock type birds and Linus has been told by his ophthalmologist to start wearing glasses (probably the first time the word "ophthalmologist" was used in a comic strip).

Meanwhile, Sally is informed that she has to go to kindergarten (KINDERGARTEN?), because everybody has to go to school (SCHOOL?), so they can become educated (EDUCATED?), which only means trouble ahead for some poor teacher (TEACHER?). With great fear and trepidation Sally goes to school, but refuses to learn Latin. Schulz not only milks Sally's first day of school for all it is worth, there are also several extended episodes dealing with Linus and his blanket (Lucy makes it into a kite which ends up over the ocean and then Grandma takes it away), and some more of those wonderful baseball stories ("How can we lose when we're so sincere?"). These are the years where Linus periodically wore glasses and Charlie Brown's favorite baseball player was sent to the minor leagues. For those of you who picked up on "Peanuts" when you were kids and necessarily missed out on the strips from the 1950s and 1960s, you really should go back and see what you missed. Clearly this period was the heyday of "Peanuts," and comic strips do not get much better than Schulz at his best. Note: Originally these strips were published as "You Can't Win, Charlie Brown" and "You Can Do It, Charlie Brown."

A shorter version of this book was published in 1963 as _You Can Do It, Charlie Brown_; it was retitled in 1976 when it was expanded with strips from _You Can't Win, Charlie Brown_ (neat touch, that). The current title comes from the baseball team trying to cheer on their pitcher, then complaining that baseball is supposed to build character, not tear it down by turning them into hypocrites. :)

The book has no introduction, afterword, or anything except various strips of the adventures of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang (these are from the days before Woodstock or Rerun joined the strip, though). The strips include, among other things: Lucy 'volunteering' Linus when Charlie Brown decides the team needs a baseball scout; Linus' stint with glasses; the time Lucy made a kite out of Linus' blanket (Air Rescue got it back); the time the whole baseball team quit; the motivational notes Linus' mother puts in his lunch; Linus' blanket-hating grandma. Some threads have a point (they're still funny, so I can't call them serious): Sally's fear of kindergarten.

And, of course, the famous sequence that became part of the Charlie Brown Halloween special: Linus explaining the Great Pumpkin to Sally. (Some of the strips that went into the Christmas special are also in here.)

One of the most consistantly great things about Mad Magazine over the last 30+ years has been Al Jaffee's fold in's which were always on the inside back cover. This book features many of them with a before (not folded) and an after (folded) picture. The book is very sleek because of the excellant job that was done with the fold ins. If you're a long time Mad Magazine fold in fan you need this book.

Al Jaffee's fold-ins amazed us In April 1964. This Is a collection of Fold-In's and a breif paragarph with each telling why he made it and what was happening in the world at the time he made It! A Must have for anyone!

This book actually contains Peanuts strips from 1952 into 1954. You can find these strips in a newer book titled "There Goes The Shutout."

I don't know where or how you're going to get the 1st Peanuts book, but if you do, please let me know! Anyways, this book is the early years of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder, Patti (no not Peppermint Patty who would come into the picture years later), Voilet, and Shermy. Also, Linus is introduced here as a baby. The characters look a little different than what you're used to since many of these cartoons originally date from 1952 and 1953. Lucy is kind of cute with her big eyes (no Psychiatric Help booth yet) and Snoopy was still a little puppy (he hadn't yet climbed to the top of his doghouse but he knew how to drive Charlie Brown and Schroeder nuts!). Anyways, a must for your collection if you can get your hands on it!

The "Peanuts" characters of cartoonist Charles Schulz are some of the most beloved and influential figures in American popular culture. "My Anxieties Have Anxieties" brings together some classic comic strips featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang. According to the book's copyright page, this collection contains material previously published in book form as "You're You, Charlie Brown" (1968) and "You've Had It, Charlie Brown" (1969).

Many classic "Peanuts" themes and motifs are here: Lucy's psychiatric advice stand, Linus' security blanket, Charlie Brown's unrequited love for the little red-haired girl, etc. Although there are a small number of dated cultural references, the strips have a fresh, timeless quality. The book also contains a noteworthy (and charming) "Peanuts" milestone: the first meeting of Linus and Franklin.

Although many of the strips are stand-alone pieces, many groups of strips constitute extended storylines. Some of these plots are as follows: Charlie Brown's attempts to discipline Snoopy; Snoopy's observance of "Be Kind to Animals" week; and in the most political storyline, Linus' involvement in a teachers' strike.

I must admit, reading this book made me laugh so hard that I had to wipe tears from my eyes. But in addition to being funny, this book is also philosophical at times. These "Peanuts" strips are still entertaining and relevant after all these decades.

Much of this book features some of the cartoons that inspired Snoopy, Come Home. Snoopy runs away and meets his original owner, Lila, and Charlie Brown finds out the hard way that he is not Snoopy's original owner! CLUNK! He wasn't ready for that shock! Snoopy also has trouble sleeping due to fear of things that go "AUGH!" (like Charlie Brown, after he's denied a chance to kick the coveted football). And who stands in for Charlie Brown when the little red haired girl to pitch (whom she rewards with a big hug)? Hint- it isn't Schroeder, who probably isn't much fun on a date anyways- unless you dig Beethoven!

I'm a big Peanuts fan so this was a must-buy for me. It's a great collection of Valentine's day strips spanning almost 50 years. You can see how the characters' images have changed through the time. The simple truths they say about love are simply adorable. This book is great as a collectible or as a gift to someone special.

This brief collection, like the "Peanuts Christmas" book released a few months ago, takes Peanuts highlights centered around the chosen holiday and presents them in quite a nice format.

While not nearly as big or as long as "Peanuts Christmas," this short book has all of the heart and charm of everything Charles Schulz ever touched. All of your favorite Valentine-related strips are in here -- Snoopy's mountains of cards, Schroeder defending a Valentine-less Charlie Brown, and of course, laments for the Little Red-Haired Girl. Worth buying if you're a Peanuts fan or if you're in love with one. And I certainly hope this series continues -- let's see a "Peanuts Halloween" this fall!

This second collection of Peanuts strips, originally entitled "More Peanuts," features cartoons from 1952-1954. From a historical perspective these strips are particularly fascinating because they complete the first significant transformation in Peanuts. When the strip began Charlie Brown's main protagonists were Patty and Shermy. However, over the course of the first couple of years Snoopy started to emerge more and more, although he was still essentially a "real" dog, and the addition of baby Schroeder, who Charlie Brown introduces to a toy piano. This becomes crucial because it is with Schroeder that Schulz's sense of whimsy first starts to come through.

In "There Goes the Shutout" the Peanuts universe has its two most important additions, the Van Pelt siblings, Lucy and Linus. Lucy shows up with the announcement she has been expelled from nursery school, and we immediately know that somebody with a much harder edge has come into Charlie Brown's life. She is, after all, a fuss-budget, and her presence pushes Charlie Brown more in the direction of being the world's greatest loveable loser. At this point Linus replaces Schroeder as the baby of the bunch, which means at this point he has little to say. Ultimately, it is Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus who define the directions in which Peanuts could go.

In these strips Schulz also builds on the running gags he first established with Schroeder's piano. That continues as well, with references to the tenth measure of Sinding's Op. 32, No. 3, but we also have the Peanuts gang out on the baseball diamond for the first time (the team is actually ahead 83 to 79 and Charlie Brown suggests since it is Schroeder's ball he should take it and run for home). Still, it is the expansion of the roster of characters, giving Schulz better defined choices for any given gag (do you use Shermy or Shroeder? Lucy or Violet?), that allows him to further refine his humor. This is only the second collection of Peanuts strips, containing work done before most of us were born, but at this point we can clearly recognize the strip we all grew up reading every morning.

There Goes the Shutout is from the Classics Peanuts collection by Henry Holt & Co., and contains strips from the early 1950s. Snoopy had big ears and a pointy nose. Lucy is younger (we see her in her crib, and manipulating her parents) and is actually nice to Charlie Brown, although she beats him at checkers. Linus is too young to speak, but he goes "KLUNK" a lot. Violet has pigtails, although there is another character who looks like the Violet we know. It's fun to see the characters looking so young and playing so many games. I own 2 copies of this book, because the first one I got had about 1/4 of the pages from "The Cheshire Beagle" at the beginning (I did not buy it from amazon.com).

"What's Wrong With Being Crabby?" presents both classic Sunday "Peanuts" strips from 1962-65 along with daily comics from 1963-64 (do not ask me to explain why the slight mismatch." The first half of the book offers the Sunday comics and for those who remember the book "The Gospel According to Peanuts," you will find some of Charles M. Schulz's most explicitly religious strips as Linus quotes scriptures regarding yokes and Sally confesses to her brother that they prayed in school. Linus' security blanket is in for some rough times from both his grandmother and Snoopy, while Charlie Brown continues his epic effort to fly that darn kite. Meanwhile, Snoopy is making friends with both the birds and the rabbits and the sibling rivalry between Lucy and Linus reaches new heights. Going through these classic "Peanuts" strips again only serves to remind me that Schulz was the master of the half-page Sunday strip as well as of the thematic week of daily strips.

The second half of this collection provides more "Peanuts" dramatics as all Charlie Brown needs to do is hold the other team for one more inning and the team will win the championship. Meanwhile, Lucy has a desire to be called "cutie," Snoopy has to go to the hospital, Linus has to perform in the Christmas pageant, and Sally decides not to go to school (since she went last year). However, Charlie Brown is clearly the focal point of these strips. After all, he has a crush on the little red haired girl, having to feed Snoopy at suppertime, having "little leaguer's elbow," and receiving a bill from Lucy ...for psychiatric services including a slide show of all of his faults. So when the little red head girl comes to watch the baseball game it is the worst of both worlds. The sign of the times is the arrival of 5 95472 in the neighborhood; this is one of the few "new" Peanuts characters not to pan out, and represents that moment in history when the zip code was introduced into American culture.

For the record, "What's Wrong With Being Crabby" reprints "Peanuts' strips from "Sunday's Fun Day, Charlie Brown" and "As You Like It, Charlie Brown." Please be careful looking through the pages offered above; you know you how addictive "Peanuts" can be.

In this collection (originally entitle As You Like It, Charlie Brown), Lucy gets top billing in many of the stories. She takes piano lessons making Schroeder rather jealous ("You're cute when you're angry!"), points out Charlie Brown's faults (for $143- even by today's standards, that's pretty steep!), pulls a cruel joke on the blockhead for April Fool's Day, forces Linus to sing "Jingle Bells" at the PTA Christmas Program and uses his blanket for a Science Fair project.

Of course, the rest of the gang have their moments. Charlie Brown has a sore elbow and can't pitch for a week (and the gang isn't heartbroken). Snoopy refuses to see the vet for a rabies shot. A character by the name of 5 is introduced. The Peanuts gang may not consider Lucy a "cutie" but Peanuts wouldn't be the same without her!

This book, or the video by the same title, is excellent for elementary school aged children confronting cancer in themselves or their families. I have donated multiple copies of the book and video to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago for their use with young cancer patients and their families. The story is especially good for siblings of children with cancer, since it shows how they sometimes feel that they are being ignored, and their sister or brother is getting all of the attention. It also teaches a child how to defend a classmate against bullying, when the girl with cancer is made fun of for having lost her hair. My only reservation would be not to use this book with a child who has extremely advanced cancer, since of course the story has a happy ending, and it might cause the child to wonder why they don't seem to be recovering. Overall: well done, Charles Schulz!

This is such a wonderful book. Compassionate and educational, a must have book for every child.

"You Can't Win, Charlie Brown" offers up daily comic strips from "Peanuts" from the years 1960-1962. However, Charlie Brown is not the only one of the Peanuts gang having a rough time of it. In what are probably the best of Great Pumpkin strips, Linus puts together a pumpkin patch that offers nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see, but has trouble staying away on Halloween Night. Then poor Schroeder forgets to celebrate December 16th (and you have to wonder, did Charles M. Schulz do the same?). Meanwhile, Kennedy and Nixon are running for President and Lucy decides that Charlie Brown should become president one day so she can be First Lady. Not surprisingly, these 1960 strips are some of the few in which Schulz comments on the political process (you have to be prince before you can become President, which happens before you become Queen). Of course, politics in America would forever be changed after November 1963, so this is not especially surprising. There are also several strips devoted to the Christmas season and various ways of working Santa Claus for as many toys as possible that will strike a chord with young and old alike. On a more historical note, Snoopy has made friends with a flock of pre-Woodstock type birds and Linus has been told by his ophthalmologist to start wearing glasses (probably the first time the word "ophthalmologist" was used in a comic strip). This collection of comic strips comes from the heyday of "Peanuts," which for my money ran from the late 1950's through the 1960's.

Charlie Brown just can't win, which is why we like him so much, and how everything around him affects him. For example, Schroeder turned in his uniform, glove, and cap and went home to play the piano. However, he sparked a reaction that caused everybody else on Charlie Brown's team to quit, too. Charlie just can't win. Linus gives up his blanket in a bet with Miss Othmar. He lost the bet. Will Linus get his blanket back, or will it be lost forever? Speaking of Linus, Halloween is rolling around. The Great Pumpkin will surely rise out of HIS pumpkin patch to fly through the air on his appointed rounds--or will he? Will this be the one time he comes? Find out!