[Review written by my younger self]
I love the focus on Snoopy writing comics. As for the advice? Meh. ( )

Snoopy writes the same story over and over, without seeming to realize it, just like me and so many other writers. He receives the most outrageous rejections in the business, sometimes days before he's finished, let alone submitted, his manuscripts. Snoopy's "brother" Monte, son of Charles Schulz, has provided the ultimate fantasy writing guide: a collection of strips featuring Snoopy as auteur and brief essays from writers that are part fan letter, part heartfelt advice for the struggling rooftop typist. Comfort and reassurance--and bracing, hard recommendations--are all wrapped up in the star of Happiness Is a Warm Puppy. ( )

The premise here is an attractive one: take all those old Peanuts cartoons in which Snoopy bangs out "It was a dark and stormy night" on his typewriter, and put them together with thoughts on writing by well-known writers. I like reading writers on writing; author interviews can be fascinating. But not this time.

The publisher says it all here. Writer's Digest Books refuses to consider writing from any standpoint save the commercial, as this broadens their appeal. So we get everything from a serious literary writer to a writer of moronic self-help texts (Five Steps to Writing Five Steps to Anything!), with a wide swath of mass-market, commercial hacks (Danielle Steel, Clive Cussler) in between. You can't be all things to all people, but Writer's Digest Books always tries, and always fails.

On the upside, you do get a bunch of writing-related Peanuts cartoons, some of which are actually funny. But they're not worth the cover price.

The essays are lightweight, but still contain some nuggets. And the cartoons are, of course, utterly charming. ( )

"It was a dark and stormy night..." Ah, the immortal words of the beagle author. I am a huge Snoopy fan and the fact that we are both writers makes me smile.

I'm not sure if this book will help get you published, but it will give you a few laughs. ( )