Only what's necessary Charles M. Schulz and the art of Peanuts

When fans and critics alike extol the much-loved comic strip Peanuts, they often tend to focus on its lovable characters or its gentle philosophizing, slighting the deceptively simple cartooning of its creator, Charles Schulz. Rectifying this, renowned art director Kidd has assembled a handsome volume accentuating the graphic element, which Schulz always felt was central to the strip. Given unprecedented access to Schulz's archives, he includes strips from throughout Peanuts' 50-year run, shot from the original artwork, as well as preliminary sketches and unpublished and uncompleted comics. Rarities include episodes of Li'l Folks, the precursor to Peanuts, and seldom-seen non-Peanuts cartoons featuring teenagers and even adults. Ephemera ranges from board games and beverage napkins to early advertisements in which the tykes hawk Ford autos and Butternut Bread. Kidd's search of the archives even turned up Schulz's correspondence with a reader that led to his creation of an African American character in 1968. There's no shortage of coffee-table tributes to Schulz and his career, but this is the one that hardcore Peanuts aficionados will find most rewarding.--Flagg, Gordon Copyright 2016 Booklist