It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!

Twelfth animated special based on the cartoon strips of Charles M. Schulz gets around to Easter, as Lucy tries to color her eggs, and Peppermint Patty tries in vain to make Marcie comprehend the proper way to make Easter eggs(going broke in the process). All of them meet at the department store(already pushing Christmas!) to look for Easter gifts and clothes, while Snoopy tries to find a new house for Woodstock after accidentally destroying it. He also gets to dance with some bunnies. Sally is wary about Linus talking about the Easter Beagle after her Great Pumpkin experience, but Snoopy steps in(much to Lucy's annoyance) to save the day. Appealing and warm holiday tale.

Like the Valentine's Day this episode is charming fun. You can't beat a cool Vince Guaraldi soundtrack, wry Charles Schulz humor and the earnest kid's voice actors not to mention some great catch the Beethoven references. This will not disappoint and has much to offer on so many levels. I have not seen it in years, but it cracks me up as much now as it did then. It even has some commentary on modern commercialism which is always heartening. While not as classic as the Christmas and Haloween episodes, it is up there with some of the best, certainly better than the ones which post-dated Vince Guaraldi death. Keep it on the shelf and bring it out in the spring. It will be a tradition you will be proud of!

While not as entertaining as many of the other Peanuts holiday specials (Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas), there's still some amusing scenes that makes It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown worth recommending. Like seeing Peppermint Patty get frustrated every time her friend Marcie cracks open the eggs (to fry, waffle, or boil) as Patty prepares to paint them. Or Snoopy botching some attempts at getting his bird friend Woodstock a bird house. Only a Peanuts cartoon would have a scene in a Discount Mart with a sign saying "Only 246 days till Christmas" with potential presents on sale! Though while Linus' belief in the Easter Beagle, unlike that of the Great Pumkin, comes true, isn't it a bit strange no one acknowledges that it's Snoopy doing the rounds? And why is Schroeder's scene so brief here? Otherwise, this was a pretty entertaining animated special with fine work, as always, by musician Vince Guaraldi on the score.

This is not only one of my favorite Peanuts specials, but also one of my favorite Easter specials/movies of all time, alongside Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, and Yogi the Easter Bear. I'm one of many people who can't argue that the holidays (except for the ones there's no special for, like the 4th of July) would be incomplete without the Peanuts specials, including this one. They're timeless and fun to watch! My favorite part is when Snoopy dances with the bunnies in the egg.

This is one of many Peanuts installments that has a simple plot with not a lot going on; it consists of Peppermint Patty trying to teach Marcie how to boil and color eggs, Snoopy buying and arranging birdhouses for Woodstock, the characters buying Easter items, and Snoopy being the Easter Beagle. The franchise has proved time and time again that a story doesn't need a "complicated" plot in order to be good. Like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Linus is waiting for a legendary holiday figure that nobody else believes in, but it's not the Great Pumpkin this time. It's the Easter Beagle, which gives the story uniqueness. Surprisingly, no mention of the Easter Bunny is made at all. Does the Peanuts Gang not believe in him?

There are a lot of funny visual gags, like Marcie's failed attempts at preparing the eggs, Sally and Snoopy trying on hats, the latter going on the wrong escalator, and his frustrations with Woodstock. Describing funniness is not my specialty. I got to admit that Snoopy is a very expressive character, especially when he gets angry at Woodstock here. When I was little, I reenacted the part where Woodstock dumps the water out of his nest and throws the nest on Snoopy's head. However, I would actually empty a basket of my grandma's cats' toys, put the basket on my head, and pretend it was the nest because it looked like a nest.

The music is very charming, very heartwarming, and really gets to you, especially the music in the beginning and end credits, and the one from the part where Snoopy plays the Easter Beagle. The piece that plays while Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie are sitting in their yards all alone is emotional and makes me feel their pain. Vince Guaraldi did a good job composing the music! I highly recommend It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! I don't know what else to say.

What else is there to say about the Easte Beagle. As usual Snoopy steals the show. Good Old Snoopy always steals the show in the Peanuts specials. However, not only would it not be Easter without Snoopy, we also need to include Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Who cannot love the misadventures of the Peanuts gang? Their specials are what makes the holidays of the year great. From Peppermint Patty struggle to teach Marcie to color Easter eggs. From Snoopy buying the perfect birdhouse for Woodstock. To Linus always having a way of words for the Easter Holiday. To Good Old Charlie Brown, as always, dreading the holiday. Snoopy as the Easter Beagle is a must for Easter and something generations of people can enjoy every year at Easter. The Easter Beagle is Easter.