I just received the first book edition of Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown – not the upcoming graphic novel that’s been being discussed here lately, but the kids storybook version being published by Running Press Kids. The adaptation is by Jennifer Fox, with art by Paige Braddock and Vicki Scott (which, hmmm, may make it the first all-female adaptation; even the design work is by Frances J. Soo Ping Chow.) It’s pretty good, as far as adaptations go, in that it manages to retain some moments of the humor, which is always a struggle in this adaptations. The art seems to be trying to compromise the pure-Schulz style with the animated style, and succeeds, with strong line-weight foregrounds against soft and textured backgrounds.

Part of the fun of reading through this book as a Peanuts junkie is immediately recognizing which strips the animated special is adapting, from one line of text here, or one image there. Not that one is going to see the entire 44 minute special in this 37-page, 80-sentences-and-39-image version, so I’m sure there’s a lot of surprises to be had in the final work. But if you look books like these, this is a pretty good example. (My favorite little detail – a cereal box simply marked “SS”. Maybe they discuss it explicitly in the special, maybe not – but those in the know know it’s Snicker Snacks!)

But now I’ve got to return my copy. You see, I can be quite cheap. Sure, running the AAUGH Blog has made me wealthy beyond my wildest dreams, but that’s because my wildest dreams are not about wealth. They’re about entering the demolition derby, then riding into the arena on Godzilla’s back, I win! So to save a few bucks, I bought a copy of the book off of one of Amazon’s third-party sellers… and it arrived bent, sent in an envelope instead of a protective plastic mailer.

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