Comic book layouts coupled with full page illustrations done in acrylic and gouache paint tell the story of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz.  As a child he was good at school, even skipping a grade, and loved sports as well. But after high school, he didn’t know what to do with himself since the only thing he ever wanted to do was draw.  He ended up getting drafted and served for years overseas. When he came back, that’s when his career really took off. He started to draw these big-headed child characters called Lil Folks. When a newspaper wanted to start running his strips every week, they renamed the strip Peanuts, a name Schulz never cared for.  Over his lifetime, Schulz created over 17,000 comic strips. The illustrations perfectly hail back to the era he grew up in. For a bonus, Orback placed Peanuts shoutouts in some of the art, which makes poring over the illustrations that much more interesting. Back matter includes an artist’s note, a list and descriptions of the Peanuts gang, places of interest to visit, sources, and notes.  Recommended for ages 5-9.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library