A Peanuts Valentine

There are now two books available called A Peanuts Valentine. There’s the strip collection, which came out last year, and now there’s the kids’ book. This is an odd item, a storybook with a cardboard envelope attached to each spread. Each envelope contains a cardboard object related to the tale… a valentine, a little fortune-teller toy of the sort you probably made in third grade, a finger puppet. It’s smoothly done. I think this will be more interesting for those who are interested in the book as a physical object (say, folks who are into pop-up books) than it is folks who are looking for a good read. And there’s still time to order it and get it before Valentine’s Day. (And for those looking to send a special message to a loved one, I suppose you could slip your own valentine… or perhaps an engagement ring… into one of the pockets!)

Classic finds
Review: Christmas Gift Certificates for You

When I ordered a copy of the 1981 Hallmark Peanuts product Christmas Gift Certificates for You, I reckoned it would be one of those novelty coupon books, each page removable and offering the recipient a walk in the snow, help taking down the tree, or some Peanuts-y equivalent thereof. I …

New releases
A pop-up shows up

Here Comes Charlie Brown!: A Peanuts Pop-up, Gene Kannenberg, Jr.’s adaptation of the very first Peanuts strip, is not the first Peanuts book to reprint only a single strip. There was at least one board book that did much the same thing. However, that board book was, at heart, a …

Classic finds
English Phrases to Comfort Your Heart

The next book in my Amazon Japan shipment falls into the adorable category of “Peanuts used to explain American culture”. English Phrases to Comfort Your Heart with Snoopy by Nobu Yamada falls into that category. It also falls into the category of “books which are meant to be destroyed”, as each …