O Cãozinho da Páscoa

The peanuts gang are up to their usual mischief in preparation for Easter Sunday, but no one seems to be listening to Linus. He swears that the Easter Beagle will come and make the celebrations complete. Typically no one listens to him, he is little bit 'Ralph Wiggum' remember.

Though Snoopy ends up being that very Beagle, he's far too busy trying to help out Woodstock. The poor little bird is freezing in his cruddy little nest full of cold water. So Snoopy goes off to the mall (already advertising Xmas goodies!) to buy him a bird house. With hilarious results.

After much hijinks and endless trips to the mall for eggs (Marcie keeps smashing them as she doesn't know how to do egg-painting) Snoopy saves the day and proves Linus right after all. Sigh! They don't make 'em like this anymore. I'll take Snoopy over Spongebob any day.

The Peanuts gang is preparing to celebrate Easter. Peppermint Patty and Marcie struggle to make Easter eggs, Snoopy tries to help Woodstock find a new home, and Linus is once again waiting on an enigmatic holiday figure. It's not the Great Pumpkin this time, though. It's the Easter Beagle. One guess on who that will turn out to be. Charlie Brown takes a backseat in this one, as his friends get most of the plot. It's a sweet, smart, funny cartoon, as all of the '60s and '70s Peanuts specials were. They're timeless really. Oh and the groovy soundtrack is a plus. It's not on par with the Christmas or Halloween classics, but it's still pretty good.

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.

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!

Let's see, error prone Marcie, crabby Lucy, wise Linus, helping Snoopy, and good old Charlie Brown. I like the part where the Easterbeagle (i.e. Snoopy) approaches and gives the eggs to the kids. I also like the part where Snoopy is at the store, and dances with Marcie and Peppermint Patty. Woodstock is funny. The music is cool. And Marcie keeps messing up on boiling eggs. Which makes Peppermint Patty say "AAAUGGHH!" This happens for about 4 or 5 times. Why not just kick her out of here or something and let her do it herself. Or better yet, explain that eggs should not be broken, toasted or roasted in the beginning. That way she would not go through all this mess. I bet a lot of you people went up into similar problems as Peppermint Patty went into. You had similar problems with your friends or family members (like your siblings or parents no offense). Some scenes got edited into, THE CHARLIE BROWN AND SNOOPY SHOW (1983-1985). If you like this one, you'll like IT'S ARBOR DAY CHARLIE BROWN (1976).