A gift set of the third and fourth "Complete Peanuts" volumes. A boxed set of the third and fourth volumes, just in time for the holidays, designed by the Award-winning graphic novelist, Seth The collection of books identical to the individual volumes ships shrinkwrapped, with Vols. 1955-1956 and 1957-1958 packed in a sturdy custom box designed especially for this set. The perfect gift item. "The Complete Peanuts 1955-1956" takes us into the mid-1950s as Linus learns to talk, Snoopy begins to explore his eccentricities (including his hilarious first series of impressions), Lucy's unrequited crush on Schroeder takes final shape, and Charlie Brown becomes...well, even more Charlie Brown-ish Over half of the strips in this volume have never been printed since their original appearance in newspapers a half-century ago Even the most dedicated Peanuts collector/fan is sure to find many new treasures. In "The Complete Peanuts 1957-1958," "Peanuts" definitively enters its golden age. Linus, who had just learned to speak in the previous volume, becomes downright eloquent and even begins to fend off Lucy's bullying; even so, his security neurosis becomes more pronounced, including a harrowing two-week "Lost Weekend" sequence of blanketlessness. Charlie Brown cascades further down the hill to loserdom, with spectacularly lost kites, humiliating baseball losses (including one where he becomes "the Goat" and is driven from the field in a chorus of BAAAAHs); at least his newly acquired "pencil pal" affords him some comfort. Pig-Pen, Shermy, Violet, and Patty are also around, as is an increasingly Beethoven-fixated Schroeder. But the rising star is undoubtedly Snoopy. He's at the centerof the most graphically dynamic and action-packed episodes (the ones in which he attempts to grab Linus's blanket at a dead run). He even tentatively tries to sleep on the crest of his doghouse roof once or twice, with mixed results. And his imitations continue apace, including penguins, anteaters, sea monsters, vultures and (much to her chagrin) Lucy. No wonder the beagle is the cover star not only of this volume but also of the beautiful collector's slipcase to this set