I haven't read a Calvin & Hobbes book in ages and I had forgotten how insightful and prescient they are. When I was younger, I reveled in the zaniness and irreverence of Calvin's hijinks and the philosophical conversations he always had with Hobbes. Revisiting these comics as an adult, though, has given me a newfound appreciate for Bill Watterson's insights about human beings and life in general. He was way ahead of his time in his concern of the ecology of the planet, and as a parent I've really come to appreciate the humor elements added by the "adults" in the comic strip, including his mother, father, teacher, and even his babysitter.

This is Watterson's second collection of comic strips in book form, and I think the specific extended storyline that resonated the most with me upon rereading this month was the story about Calvin finding the injured raccoon and trying to nurse it back to health with his parents. It was such a poignant example of a kid's innocence being lost, and parents who struggle to communicate "grown up" issues to young kids. Of course, I also still love the recurring themes of Calvin reporting his dad's "polls" as if being a father is an elected position, and Calvin and Hobbes' philosophical conversations, often as they're careening down a hill in a wagon or a sled.

If you haven't had a chance to read Calvin & Hobbes before (or haven't read it in a while), it's definitely worth checking out. I need to dig my "complete" collection of out of the garage and give the whole thing a read-through again.

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Created Apr 27, 2025 at 2:50pm • Submit your own review...