Snoopy: First Beagle in Space

by Charles M. Schulz

Aspiring astronaut, Beagle Scout leader . . . Snoopy’s keeping busy in this collection of classic Peanuts strips!Man may have already landed on the moon, Snoopy has a bold new to be the first beagle in space! Join Snoopy as he sets out on his ambitious quest while also leading Woodstock and friends as a Beagle Scout and hanging out with his owner, the round-headed kid Charlie Brown . . . “Schulz’s masterpiece remains . . . relevant and funny for all ages generation after generation.” —Good Comics for Kids, a School Library Journal Blog

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Comics, Animals, Fiction, Humor, Comic Strips

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2020

About the author

Charles 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.”

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

part of my ongoing snoopy phase

i could use less golf and baseball and more space, if i'm honest. based on the title and also in general and upon my principles.

but it's snoopy, so.

bottom line: snoopy forever!!

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This selection of Peanuts comics takes me back to my childhood, and even further. Alongside the usual baseball games, school reports and Peppermint Patty falling asleep in class, the kids’ thoughts on newsworthy occurrences at the time, such as the moon landing and Halley's Comet, are also included.

While Snoopy prepares to be the first beagle on the moon,

Lucy considers the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Naturally it can’t exist; if it did it would have already made contact with her.

When he’s not being an astronaut, Snoopy is either trying to figure out what type of bird Woodstock is or leading Woodstock and the other Beagle Scouts on adventures a little closer to home. When the round-headed kid Charlie Brown bails one of the Scouts out of jail (don’t ask!) and attempts to return her to the rest of the troop they get lost in the woods. Peppermint Patty and Marcie to the rescue!

Sally and Eudora prepare themselves for another summer at camp

and Sally plots revenge.

There’s also time to celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Ground Hug Day,

and I saw some space comics from the archives for the first time.

While I love all of the Peanuts kids I’ve never been that big of a fan of Snoopy himself, especially the World War I flying ace comics. However, there’s plenty of variety in this collection and I’m looking forward to the next one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's wonderful to see that Snoopy and his friends have aged so well. I loved the Peanuts comics as a kid but thought I was too old for them now. It turns out you're never too old for Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus, Marcy and the round-headed kid (as Snoopy calls Charlie Brown).

This is an impressively long book of re-released color comics from before we made it to the moon. Lots of moon-related comics are included (especially at the start and the end) and then there is some great information about the moonlanding, moments in space history (just the good ones) and the surprising role that Snoopy's gang played in the first moonlanding. Kids are sure to like this book and even learn something. Two of my kids are probably going to be arguing over who gets to read this one first, which is a testament to how well this series has endured.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Brown is like the Rodney Dangerfield of comics. He can't get any respect. Even his own dog hasn't bothered to learn his name. Snoopy calls him "the little round-headed kid."

Cheerios and Charlie Brown were my first order of business on Sunday mornings when I was a kid, so it was great fun to read this collection. The title might make it seem like there are only space-themed comics in the book, but happily that is not the case. There are some at the beginning about space, and a few at the end. In between, there is a great variety included here, from many different time periods. There are even a few including the minor character Eudora. I had completely forgotten about her.

This book really cheered me up, and I thank the publisher and Net Galley for the review copy.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this comic in return for an honest opinion. It has been 20 years since Charles Schulz died and while I had gotten bored with the comic in its later years, I really enjoyed being able to go back in time and see some of his classic comic strips. I never realized how many space based strips he had published and for me those were the highlight of the book. But this anthology also includes some great strips involving Woodstock and Charlie Brown. The illustrations are crisp and clear, the jokes can be both humorous and also evoke pathos. Schulz was a master craftsman and after almost 2 decades without reading any of his works, I find that I enjoy the comic more now that I did when I was younger.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's just something so comforting about classic Snoopy comics. I enjoyed the book, especially the instructional information at the back about space exploration. Most of the collection isn't about Snoopy and his space endeavors, however, but normal Peanuts exploits - the kids at school, Charlie Brown playing football, etc. If you enjoy Snoopy comics, I definitely recommend this book.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this comic in return for an honest opinion. It has been 20 years since Charles Schulz died and while I had gotten bored with the comic in its later years, I really enjoyed being able to go back in time and see some of his classic comic strips. I never realized how many space based strips he had published and for me those were the highlight of the book. But this anthology also includes some great strips involving Woodstock and Charlie Brown. The illustrations are crisp and clear, the jokes can be both humorous and also evoke pathos. Schulz was a master craftsman and after almost 2 decades without reading any of his works, I find that I enjoy the comic more now that I did when I was younger.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Despite the theme of the title being about space, most of the cartoons aren't about space. But that's okay because who doesn't love Snoopy and his friends?! This book has a lot of funny classic comics.

[Shea Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrew McMeel Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I absolutely love reading the Peanut comics! There were many different themes in this graphic novel instead of being focused solely on Snoopy going to the moon. I never get tired of reading about Snoopy and the gang because I grew up reading the Peanut comics. I could always count on the Peanut comics to make me smile and laugh whenever Snoopy was up to something. I can't wait to read the next one! A huge thank you to Andrew McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved getting to read this comic strip collection... SO cute!

Snoopy just cracks me up. What great fun to meet up with the entire Peanuts gang again, and it's still such a joy to read about their adventures.

This would make for a great gift for anyone who may have an interest in space too... because anybody would LOVE a Snoopy book!


Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

[Karen (thefictioncorner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic Snoopy comic. Most of the collection isn’t focused on Snoopy’s exploration in space, but there’s still something about it that makes you feel like a kid again.

I received a copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love these.

[Aleetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley who gave the chance to read this book.

It is nice to see how Peppermint Patty was into reading. 🤭🤭🤭 Her teacher might need to give her more book about sports. Now I wonder how great Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates is.

I also like the part when Snoopy mentioned Houston. It took times for me to find out that July 2019 marked as the 50th anniversary of the first humans landing on the moon. That is why they have The First Man, Apollo 11 (Documentary movie) and now First Beagle in Space.

The fact about space on the last pages are also interesting

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all the other books in the series before it this collection is just as fun. These characters are not ones you can ever get enough of. They are definitely top of the list if after a bad day; you ever need something to make you smile.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This was my first time reading Snoopy and it was great. It was funny and I enjoyed it very much.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Peanuts for as long as I can remember, even before I could read. But the first book that I vividly remember reading was a Peanuts book. I will never tire of reading the collections. And this one is a great one to add to the collection.

These are all full-colored, starting with comics featuring Snoopy and company talking about outer space and more. You get to see all of your favorite characters and lots of classic clips, many of which are familiar. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic to read these again.

The book appears to be in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 10 orbiting the moon. That was the mission that adopted Charlie Brown and Snoopy's names as the official call signs of the command module and lunar module. Plus the astronauts used their pictures to explain their mission to kids.

Following the comics are a bunch of space facts and some fun activities for kids to do. And then there is a small section of bonus comics.

Use this for an introduction to the classic Peanuts comics and a little bit of history. I definitely want it in my collection as a fan!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s blastoff time for Snoopy and the Peanuts gang in this collected volume of comics!!

This was the second volume of a bind-up collection of Peanuts comic strips. I’ve loved Peanuts ever since I was small, with that love seemingly only growing as the years go by.

Fun fact about Peanuts: Schulz was a lover of all things outer space and was very encouraging of space exploration. In fact, Snoopy and his human friends have been to space in various ways many times over the years, whether it be in the form of a stuffed animal or drawings.

I will say that while this comic collection was as delightful as the one I had previously read, there wasn’t a whole lot of space content as I think some people would probably expect given the title. Being as I’m not an outer space girl myself, that didn’t bother me, but I’m sure it might disappoint some people while reading it.

Nevertheless, I can’t give Snoopy anything less than five stars, especially since he helped me get out of the Great Reading Slump of 2023!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Charlie Brown and his irresistible beagle, Snoopy, will find this collection of cartoons humorous. While not all of the strips feature Snoopy or his ambitious plans to be the first beagle to land on the Moon, most of them do, and readers will laugh along with some of Charlie Brown's sidekicks as Snoopy leads a troop of birds on an expedition, Charlie Brown gets lost and found in the woods, and Peppermint Patty tries to survive school without doing too much homework. Whenever I read these strips, I'm amazed at how well-developed all of the characters are. While the space race may be long over, the humor found here is timeless and just as entertaining as it was when some of the strips first appeared. Not to mention there are a few philosophical musings that can take readers out of their own self-absorption. Fans of Peanuts will enjoy the back matter showing how the artwork changed from its inception.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Snoopy: First Beagle in Space' by Charles M. Schulz is the 14th collection by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

These collections are repackaged and colorized version of the daily strips with the Sundays included. There are a series of moon related comics, including ones about moon landers running in to Snoopy's relative Spike. Also, Charlie Brown sells peanuts at Peppermint Patty's baseball game, but he really wants to pitch. Snoopy and his scout troop get lost, then Charlie Brown gets lost when he goes to find them.

These are fun collections, but sometimes the strips can feel dated. This time around they don't. In a fun afterword, some really old strips are included with more moon related gags.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Apollo 10 mission was essentially a dress rehearsal for the moon landing mission of Apollo 11, testing all the procedures and components of the mission except for the actual landing. The mission's call signs were Charlie Brown (command module) and Snoopy (lunar module), and creator Charles Schultz even drew mission-related artwork for NASA. It's kinda cool knowing why Snoopy was dreaming of being the first beagle on the moon- while he didn't get there, he helped make it possible!
This collection features many different stories, not just space-related ones, so don't expect it to be all or even mostly space stuff. It's your usually Peanuts fare, but that's fine, Peanuts is always good. It's nice to see them reissued for today's kids!

#SnoopyFirstBeagleinSpacePEANUTSAMPSeriesBook14 #NetGalley

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy spending time with the whimsical Peanuts gang.  Charles Schulz was, in my opinion, one of the best at what he did. 


In this title, Snoopy wants to be the first beagle in space, just as the title indicates.  But, of course, the whole gang is included in this title.  The subsequent comic strips often sweetly hint at home truths or philosophical issues.  There are also strips that will just make you chuckle.  This book also includes a section that has a number of interesting facts about space. 


In my opinion, one can't go wrong spending time in the world of Peanuts.  I highly recommend this title.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Doesn't Love Snoopy!

This was a delightful comic book containing characters from the Peanuts comic strip. Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the rest of the gang, and of course Snoopy and Woodstock. Entertaining with a few of the older strips near the back of the book, and fun and educational facts about space travel. It's geared toward certain age levels but I think anyone who like myself is a huge Snoopy fan will find it enjoyable. I own Snoopy figurines, magnets, and two of my prized possessions were given to be me by my granddaughter, a Snoopy coffee mug and a Snoopy and Woodstock blanket. Both were presents to cheer me up while recovering from a hospital stay. As I said "Who Doesn't Love Snoopy." 💕💕

[Anitalia Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Peanuts collection for the ARC provided.

Who doesn’t like Snoopy? I grew up with this character. Snoopy and his friends always makes me smile with simple and common sense opinions that came from a beagle and kids.

I found myself smiling and laughing while reading this book. The group always completed to each other, interacting, teasing. When Snoopy landed on the moon, I smiled wide to ear instantly.

It’s a good thing that Snoopy and his friends still make a book for generation nowadays, they wont miss any sweet stories from this character.

A great comic book!!

[Flocarine · Rating 4 out of 5]

...cozy, snuggeling Wintertime -Snow outside, sitting at my grandparents house and waiting for Santa Claus - and Snoopy with Friends! One of my favorite Memories of my childhood! If you need a laugh in the morning read it whole you eat breakfast - because the comic strips and the Story are/is not a big portion =) a few pages before you head out to work... nice layout, nice drawings, what else to say? Enjoy it

I did almost the same Review for Book 11 - but I had the same feeling while reading, so why not using the same =) I loved it and I always will love Snoopy .... and I am a big fan of Outer Space =)

Note 1-2 or A

[Silverbuttonbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a palatable nostalgia that comes from reading Snoopy comics and I certainly experienced it while enjoying this free PDF from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The best part of this book for me wasn't Snoopy, but the featuring of some of the gang's more minor characters. I will freely admit that I have never really liked Charlie Brown (or mean ol' Lucy) as much as I do Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Sally and the adorable Woodstock!

Since this is a re-print of previously run comics, the book occasionally struggles from some strips not being directly on theme or a gap in the over-arching storyline. But, that is to be expected in a collection like this one.

If you have a child that is interested in space travel and exploration or the story of how we firs travelled to space, this collection is perfect. Or, if you, like me, just enjoy a trip back to your childhood, you will certainly enjoy this book.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think you can ever be to old for Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. I thought this book would have more about space based on the tittle, but it didn't have a lot. I did learn that Schulz was interested in space and in 1950 as Peanuts was getting started he had comic strips with the Gang talking about space.

#LibbyApp #carlislepubliclibrary #lonokecountylibrarysystem #CharlesMSchulz #SnoopyTheFirstBeagleinSpace

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss 7 enjoyed having this read to her. It's a collection of comic panels (some are space themed) rather than a story.

Miss 7 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peanuts cartoons were my absolute favorite comics in the Sunday paper growing up. I also had a Peanuts comic book subscription at one point in childhood. I was not disappointed in Snoopy: First Beagle in Space. This book is a wonderful collection of previously published comic strips. I enjoyed reading every single one.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Snoopy. This was so refreshing to read. it was nice to see all the peanuts gang. Snoopy was and always will be my favorite. Well Woodstock too and Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy, and Peppermint Patty. You see where I'm going with this. It's fun to revisit old friends, and that's exactly what they feel like.