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 sheet of the book is a bit of lightweight cardstock meant to be removed. On the front is a single-line quote from a Peanuts strip, with a Peanuts illustration. On the back is the full strip in English, a translation of the text, and what I presume is a discussion of the phrase… plus another quote along similar lines. You can take each page out and hand it to someone who needs the comforting words it carries.

In the back of the book — and that back, I should note, is on the right-hand side where a standard English-language back-of-the-book would be, not the left side of Japanese books — are several cards of standard phrases you might use in day-to-day conversation, at work, or traveling.

All in all, this is a very attractive and charming book. I will, of course, never put it to its intended use (me? Rip apart a Peanuts book that I only have one copy of??), but I do hope that it has been put to use by folks in the right circumstances.

(When I went to Japan a few years back, I kinda hoped that I’d get into a situation I’d heard of other American tourists hitting, where groups of students are eager to talk to you just to practice their English speaking skills. Never happened, alas.)

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