This limp adaptation proves that it takes more than pop-up paper sculptures to make a successful film-to-book transition. Some movable elements are amusing enough—Snoopy races by, towing Linus by his blanket, and sends Charlie Brown tumbling; a pull-out tab spins Charlie Brown around while the rest of the gang goof off—but by and large the tableaux are hopelessly static, and the narration is utterly pallid. “Then Charlie Brown spotted a small, scraggly pine tree. It had a wooden trunk and soft green needles. ‘This little green one here seems to need a good home!’ he said excitedly.” It’s not as though access to the animated special is limited in these days of DVD and video on demand; why, for the price of this book, you can buy a copy of the real thing and have a little left over. (Pop-up. 4-8)
