The Days Are Just Packed

What a perfect collection of comics to read as the world turns towards summer! It's not too hot yet, but I can definitely feel the lazy summer days coming. Not that we really get many of those as adults, since we have to show up at work every day, but Calvin's wise words about appreciating the free time we have are ones to be remembered.

Calvin, the “Boy of Destiny”, makes a return to mayhem with this action packed volume. Featuring most of the usual suspects such as Ms. Wormwood, Susie, Stupendous Man in addition to the fab trio of Hobbes, and Calvin’s Mom and Dad. I missed Rosalyn in this one. A Calvin book feels incomplete without his troubling his babysitter.

Classic! I love how I get different and more things out of C&H both every time I read it as well as while I age. Truly written for both kids and adults. Masterful.

I remember being disappointed when this one came out, mostly because it's printed at a bigger size than the previous Calvin and Hobbes books and it made the cartoon shelf of my bookcase look sloppy. That's about the biggest complaint I have against this volume. Oh, the strips don't seem to be quite as funny as Mr. Watterson's previous efforts, but they still manage to make me smile, chuckle or even laugh out loud. The Sunday strips are also in color, a little perk to make up for the book's inconvenient size.
--J.

Sometimes I, a parent of a child too-smart-for-his-own-good, get a little fed-up with Calvin. But said child and I both agree that Watterson is a genius.

A giant-sized collection, bearing one of the grossest and funniest cartoons on top of pg. 91, and one on pg. 109 that reminds me of my childhood, and makes me wish I'd thought of that.

This would be a good book for grades 5 and up. It follows the stories of Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes and contains advanced humor and philosophical topics. Kids won't understand all of the content, but it would be good for them to learn how to read more complex dialogue and funny jokes, along with beautiful illustrations.