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Peanuts TV Specials #1973
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
In this beloved classic for the whole family, Charlie Brown has to prepare an entire Thanksgiving meal before time runs out! Featuring the antics of Snoopy, Woodstock, Sally, Peppermint Patty, and the rest of the Peanuts® gang, this special collector's Miniature Edition, based on the beloved holiday television special, is the perfect kickoff to the holiday season.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
50 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
Charles M. Schulz
3,037 books1,628 followersCharles Monroe Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 5, 2022
A nice message in the classic Peanuts gang style.
I loved all the references that reminded me of the cartoons -- Linus's "What's all the commotion?" Peppermint Patty's "Chuck, you sly dog," Charlie Brown's "Oh, brother" and "Good grief!," Sally's comments about Charlie being so wishy-washy, Snoopy and Woodstock's antics. This is how we know these characters, through their taglines and mannerisms. Even on paper, their personalities come through and it is easy to imagine the action and hear the voices.
A fun reminder of years past and the tradition of gathering around the tv to watch the holiday specials. With both timeless and nostalgic appeal, it's a tradition worth keeping.
I loved all the references that reminded me of the cartoons -- Linus's "What's all the commotion?" Peppermint Patty's "Chuck, you sly dog," Charlie Brown's "Oh, brother" and "Good grief!," Sally's comments about Charlie being so wishy-washy, Snoopy and Woodstock's antics. This is how we know these characters, through their taglines and mannerisms. Even on paper, their personalities come through and it is easy to imagine the action and hear the voices.
A fun reminder of years past and the tradition of gathering around the tv to watch the holiday specials. With both timeless and nostalgic appeal, it's a tradition worth keeping.
Want to read
December 15, 2025running behind schedule
December 13, 2025
An adorable picture audiobook where Charlie Brown and his friends learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving 🍽️
Enjoy and Happy Reading 💫
Enjoy and Happy Reading 💫
December 30, 2023
Pretty faithful adaptation to the TV special. Obviously some parts are missing due to the lack of length on a children’s book. It would be interesting to compare the 70s versions to this 2016 copy.
November 23, 2019
Your classic Charlie Brown.
November 24, 2025
Forever thankful for Charles M. Schulz, for the memories of past Thanksgiving gatherings, and for the really good grandmothers everywhere, especially mine. Love and miss you, Gram! 💜
October 9, 2024
Charlie Brown is always 5 stars in my book!
November 27, 2025
I have always loved Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang! This was always my favorite when I was a kid and I recently found out that this book was published the same year I was born. It meets a category for a reading challenge. I’m in this year plus I just love the story in the essence of it and that is that Thanksgiving isn’t about the food. It’s about the people you’re with and being thankful for them. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
November 26, 2020
I have this book in my son's collection and read it to him purely out of nostalgia. Linus brought up the feast of thanksgiving, but we all know what actually happened. It's bittersweet, especially being a fan of the comics.
November 21, 2018
I will always be thankful for Charles Schulz and his wonderful stories.
November 8, 2024
Rated 5 stars and on Favorite shelf. The original TV version will stream free on Apple+ App on November 23rd & 24th.
February 2, 2024
que bonito libro 😭😭😭😭😭😭regalenme libros de peanuts
November 5, 2024
A Charlie Brown classic with colorful illustrations!
January 16, 2023
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving kind of feels like it only exists to bridge the gap between It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas. The story's not that compelling, but it does have all the Peanuts characters so there's that. Also, never noticed that Peppermint Patty is kind of unhinged in her crush on Charlie Brown? Like, girl, get some chill. Let the boy enjoy his family Thanksgiving.
December 20, 2019
Read it to my brothers just now! It was amazing I used to love watching this as a kid
November 27, 2019
This picture book is an adaptation of the Peanuts television special.
Charlie Brown is supposed to go to his grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving, but when Peppermint Patty invites herself -- along with Marcie and Franklin -- over to his house for Thanksgiving dinner, he is unable to tell her no. Instead, Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock cook a Thanksgiving meal of their own, consisting of buttered toast, popcorn, jelly beans, and pretzels.
When Thanksgiving dinner is served, Peppermint Patty is indignant and insults Charlie Brown who walks away dejected. Then Marcie reminds her that Charlie Brown didn’t invite her; she invited herself, and Peppermint Patty experience some remorse for her behavior. Marcie apologizes on her behalf, and everyone realizes that the best dinner is one shared with friends.
Charlie Brown is supposed to go to his grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving, but when Peppermint Patty invites herself -- along with Marcie and Franklin -- over to his house for Thanksgiving dinner, he is unable to tell her no. Instead, Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock cook a Thanksgiving meal of their own, consisting of buttered toast, popcorn, jelly beans, and pretzels.
When Thanksgiving dinner is served, Peppermint Patty is indignant and insults Charlie Brown who walks away dejected. Then Marcie reminds her that Charlie Brown didn’t invite her; she invited herself, and Peppermint Patty experience some remorse for her behavior. Marcie apologizes on her behalf, and everyone realizes that the best dinner is one shared with friends.
December 4, 2025
My son loves Snoopy but just can't jive with the amount of text in these books. He's constantly asking to read it but puts it down soon after. It's word for word exactly like the tv special which admittedly he prefers. Not going to lie, I resonate with Peppermint Patty in this one. Missing out on any dessert, main or side on Thanksgiving is a major bummer. I know from 2 years of having a baby who only lets me eat whatever I can shovel into my mouth before he gets bored that sometimes I can't have my ideal Thanksgiving which is depressing. This is my least favorite of the Peanuts holiday specials because the other two are just iconic with the gimpy Christmas tree & the Great pumpkin but I'll take it in lue of there not being a ton of Thanksgiving nostalgic content to partake in each year.
August 21, 2025
Somehow this book got by me in all my years of working with children’s books. Charles M. Schulz was no less than a genius at putting the right words into the mouths of his well-known characters such as Lucy, Linus, Franklin, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, and Charlie Brown. I bought little book for my seven-year-old grandson, and, of course m, I had to read it. A clever mixture of history, Thanksgiving tradition, and friendship makes it a perfect little gift for a high-level first grade-reader or a second grader.
November 28, 2024
In this book, readers follow the iconic Charlie Brown and his friends through their Thanksgiving activities. The day starts with a football game between the friends. Peppermint Patty invites herself and a few friends to Charlie's house for Thanksgiving dinner. This situation forces Charlie to create a makeshift meal. All's well, as Charlie and the group are invited to his grandma's for dinner. This book is an engaging read with fantastic illustrations. The book gives off cozy fall vibes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
We love Charlie Brown!!!!! (:
We liked the ways charlie brown came up with a solution to every problem he ran into. We loved the ways Charlie and his friends found an opportunity to be together on the holidays. We also love how the book was sweet, light-hearted and Fun. We would recommend this book to everyone.
We liked the ways charlie brown came up with a solution to every problem he ran into. We loved the ways Charlie and his friends found an opportunity to be together on the holidays. We also love how the book was sweet, light-hearted and Fun. We would recommend this book to everyone.
November 19, 2019
Could not resist this favorite story to share with the little people in my life. We watched the great pumpkin on Halloween and I thought the kiddos would enjoy this one during Thanksgiving. We have the movie to watch as well. Can't wait for some peanuts fun!
October 4, 2022
This book tells the classic Charlie Brown Thanksgiving story. It's funny, engaging, and also tells a little about the history and significance of Thanksgiving. The illustrations are great and the message is perfect for reading to kids in November.
January 19, 2023
Never one of my favorite CB specials and I think now, I get why.
The message is nice and the gang,as always, is cute. But Peppermint Patty is super entitled in this and can't even properly apologize when called out on it.
The message is nice and the gang,as always, is cute. But Peppermint Patty is super entitled in this and can't even properly apologize when called out on it.
July 19, 2024
Thanksgiving with Charlie Brown
The Peanuts gang celebrate every holiday, but Thanksgiving is especially important to them. Peppermint invites herself and Marcy , but it all works. Another fun little story from Scullz
The Peanuts gang celebrate every holiday, but Thanksgiving is especially important to them. Peppermint invites herself and Marcy , but it all works. Another fun little story from Scullz
November 26, 2025
Chalie Brown is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving at his grandmother's house. But when Peppermint Patty invites herself and several others over to Charlie's house, a scheduling conflict is caused, and Charlie Brown must find a way to smooth over the mishap.
November 8, 2018
Needs more Lucy
November 10, 2018
Always love how Charlie Brown can manage two Thanksgiving dinners!
January 12, 2019
An enjoyable family holiday read that everyone should find humorous and fun!
June 14, 2019
Recommended for all Peanuts lovers.
October 10, 2019
I read this as a kid and just re-read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews