Even after all these decades, the wisdom of each of Charles Schultz’s Peanuts characters still touches my heart.
In
The Genius of Charlie Brown, Charlie worries about everything. In his own words, ‘My anxieties have anxieties.’ The poignancy of his troubles cuts through any rationalising platitudes adults might try to offer, especially when his worst fears are often realised.
In
The Wisdom of Woodstock, this tiny yellow bird is never far from Snoopy. Although Woodstock never actually utters an intelligible word, Snoopy’s protectiveness for his little friend and his translations of the featherhead’s ideas leave me regularly grinning stupidly at the joy and folly of living.
To quote Lucy, ‘I can’t help it if I was born with crabby genes.’ Her critical tongue and crankiness should be annoying and inexcusable in
Life Lessons from Lucy, but when Schultz sets the scene, the humour hiding within even the most tragic of situations lightens the mood.
And then there’s Snoopy: the most adorable of dogs, with loyalty and a love of food above all else. Snoopy never fails to surprise and delight with his total predictability of character.
The Philosophy of Snoopy showcases just a few of his most precious philosophical gems.
If you go through life without having spent time with Peanuts, you’ve missed out on something more than special. These mini hardcovers are perfect fillers for Christmas stockings – wisdom for readers of all ages.
Title: A Peanuts Guide to Life series
Author/Illustrator: Charles M. Schultz
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Canongate, $14.99 RRP
Publication Date: October 2104
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:
The Genius of Charlie Brown: 9781782113096
The Wisdom of Woodstock: 9781782113102
Life Lessons from Lucy: 9781782113119
The Philosophy of Snoopy: 9781782111139
For ages: 7+
Type: Middle Readers
