My family loves Peanuts and Snoopy in particular. I own all the Peanuts television specials and have a collection of Peanuts figurines that I display in my living room. My daughter loves picking out Peanuts and Snoopy books to read from the local library. My family and I also eagerly looked forward to seeing the new The Peanuts Movie in the theater. Thus, when recently offered the chance to review the new The Snoopy Treasures: An Illustrated Celebration of the World Famous Beagle by Nat Gertler, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.
Author
Write and publisher Nat Gertler is the author of dozens of books including The Peanuts Collection and Classic Peanuts: Great Moments. He has written comic book stories for dozens of publishers including the Peanuts comic book and has chronicles new and classic Peanuts books for fifteen years. As the publisher of About Comics, he has published a large number of books including collections of non-Peanuts work by Charles Schulz. Gertler also sometimes eats sandwiches with his wife and kids in Camarillo, California — because not everything can be about Peanuts. Learn more about Nat Gertler at his official website.
Text
Snoopy — the heart of the long-running, beloved comic strip Peanuts — is an instantly recognizable character around the world. The Snoopy Treasures celebrates the world famous beagle from his beginnings in the 1950s to the present through twelve chapters of information, images, and memorabilia. Gertler explores the birth of Snoopy, his many memorable personas, and his relationships with the entire Peanuts gang in this treasury focused on the most beloved beagle in the world.
When I first received The Snoopy Treasures, I figured that I would read a page or two a day, eventually getting through the entire text in a few weeks. However, once I started reading, I found myself hooked. I immediately finished the first two chapters, stopping only to referee my preschooler and toddler. Snoopy fans reading without interruption could finish the entire book in a single sitting. However, for parents of young children like myself, each chapter is further broken down into smaller subsections of a page or two, which makes stopping and starting super easy.
In terms of readability, I rate the text in The Snoopy Treasures very highly. Even with constant distractions from my two little ones, I was able to quickly and easily read all the information. My daughter also enjoyed hearing a lot of the book read out loud. She and I have watched almost all of the Peanuts specials together, and she recognized quite a few of the stories and adventures described in the text. She especially liked reading the section about Snoopy on ice because she loves watching She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown. The Snoopy Treasures is the perfect book for parents to share with their children.
I consider myself a Snoopy fan. I get excited whenever I see Peanuts merchandise, especially around the holidays. Much of my Christmas décor is Snoopy-themed. I love putting up my Great Pumpkin light in my front window for Halloween. I even call my black and white dog Kenobi Snoopy sometimes, especially when he wears his red collar. But I learned so many interesting facts about the world famous beagle as soon as I picked up The Snoopy Treasures and started reading. I especially enjoyed learning about the progression of Snoopy from 1950 through the present dog from the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm that so many love today.
In addition to the informational text, I have enjoyed looking at full-color illustrations of Snoopy and comic panels displaying memorable moments in Snoopy and Peanuts history throughout the book. After reading each subsection in each chapter, I had to stop to read the comics and thoroughly look over the illustrations. My favorite is the physical evolution of Snoopy. My daughter loved the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons.
Overall, The Snoopy Treasures is an exquisite read for any fan of Peanuts and Snoopy in particular. Once you crack that front cover, you will find yourself unable to stop reading about the evolution, life, and relationships of the most famous beagle in the world. Both children and adults will love learning about Snoopy from his humble beginnings as a little dog to the superstar that he is today.
Final Verdict
If you are a Snoopy fan, I highly recommend checking out The Snoopy Treasures: An Illustrated Celebration of the World Famous Beagle by Nat Gertler. At a current price of $34.95, the fascinating and informative book is more than reasonably priced. I learned so much about Snoopy in just the first few pages. My toddler and preschooler also loved looking at all the comics, illustrations, and memorabilia. The Snoopy Treasures is the perfect gift for any Snoopy fan!
You can purchase The Snoopy Treasures: An Illustrated Celebration of the World Famous Beagle by Nat Gertler on Amazon for $34.95 via my affiliate link.
Image Credits
‘The Snoopy Treasures: An Illustrated Celebration of the World Famous Beagle’ Book Review © 2015 Heather Johnson
Cover of The Snoopy Treasures © 2015 Heather Johnson
Endsheets of The Snoopy Treasures © 2015 Heather Johnson
Chapter 1 of The Snoopy Treasures © 2015 Heather Johnson
Pages of The Snoopy Treasures © 2015 Heather Johnson
Memorabilia in The Snoopy Treasures © 2015 Heather Johnson