Peanuts comic strips – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Peanuts comic strips

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2025Comics & Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels

91%

WISE Score

5.0

Amazon

Charlie Brown’s existential dread is somehow the most relatable thing a kid can read, even 70 years later.

Peanuts comic strips

book

2025, Comics & Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels

91%

WISE Score

5.0

Amazon

Charlie Brown’s existential dread is somehow the most relatable thing a kid can read, even 70 years later.

5.0

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Screenwise Verdict

Peanuts is the ultimate 'anti-brain rot.' While modern kids are used to high-octane YouTube edits, the quiet, thoughtful, and slightly cynical world of Charlie Brown is a necessary palate cleanser.

This 2025 collection captures the 'Golden Era' of the strip. It’s not just nostalgia for parents; the themes of 'I’m not good at sports' and 'my dog is cooler than me' are universal. It’s slow-paced, yes, but that’s a feature, not a bug. If your kid likes Dog Man, this is the sophisticated ancestor they should meet.

Age Fit

Perfect for ages 6 to 99. It’s simple enough for a first-grader to giggle at Snoopy, but deep enough that you'll find yourself actually enjoying the reread during bedtime.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It deals with real-world emotions—failure, anxiety, and unrequited love—without being depressing. The core is about a group of kids supporting (and occasionally ribbing) each other through the mundane struggles of childhood.

Imaginative

Snoopy’s fantasy life as the World War I Flying Ace or a world-famous novelist set the bar for imaginative play in media. It encourages kids to see their backyard as a literal battlefield or a different world.

Safe

It’s about as safe as it gets. Beyond some mild 1950s-era name-calling like 'blockhead' or Lucy being a bit of a bully, there is zero content that would shock a parent.

Enriching

It's essentially 'Philosophy for Kids.' It teaches resilience—Charlie Brown loses every game and never kicks that football, yet he wakes up the next day and tries again. That’s a massive life lesson.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Short, four-panel gags are perfect for kids with shorter attention spans or those just starting to read independently.
Snoopy is the goat of physical and imaginative comedy; he doesn't even need to speak to be the funniest character in the book.
It models how to handle 'the blues' and disappointment in a way that modern 'everything is awesome' cartoons usually skip.
The minimalist art style is timeless and doesn't feel cluttered or overstimulating like modern graphic novels.

⚠

What to Watch For

Lucy can be a real piece of work. She’s the original 'mean girl,' and her treatment of Charlie Brown might need a quick 'don't do this at school' chat.
Some of the 1950s/60s references (like rotary phones or specific cultural nods) will need a translation for a kid born in the 2020s.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Charlie Brown keeps trying to kick the football even though he knows Lucy might pull it away?"
"Which character do you feel like today? Are you feeling like a Linus (smart but needs a blanket) or a Charlie Brown?"
"If you were Snoopy, what would your 'imaginary' job be?"
"Is Lucy actually a good friend, or is she just bossy?"

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