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Calvin and Hobbes
The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
Find Sunday comic favorites in this classic Calvin and Hobbes collection.
This is a collection of the classic comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life. Filled with Watterson’s full-page Sunday strips, this collection is sure to please fans and newcomers alike.
This is a collection of the classic comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life. Filled with Watterson’s full-page Sunday strips, this collection is sure to please fans and newcomers alike.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
55 people are currently reading
4658 people want to read
About the author
Bill Watterson
398 books4,792 followersBill Watterson (born William Boyd Watterson II) is an American cartoonist, and the author of the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes". His career as a syndicated cartoonist ran from 1985 to 1995; he stopped drawing "Calvin and Hobbes" at the end of 1995 with a short statement to newspaper editors and his fans that he felt he had achieved all he could in the comic strip medium. During the early years of his career he produced several drawings and additional contributions for "Target: The Political Cartoon Quarterly". Watterson is known for his views on licensing and comic syndication, as well as for his reclusive nature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
March 1, 2021
“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”
Calvin & Hobbes is unbeatable!
“The Calvin & Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book” is an all-color collection of some of the Sunday strips that Bill Watterson created.
It is a visually stunning book. It pops. People forget that Watterson was a gifted artist, and a very talented atmospheric illustrator. Especially appealing (visually) are the strips featuring the Intrepid Spaceman Spiff and his interplanetary adventures. The text also features all 4 seasons, so you see a variety of Watterson’s visual talent on display as well.
In a short “Afterward” Bill Watterson laments the “retrograde evolution” of the Sunday comics as an institution and art from. Considering that he published this book in 1989, I can only imagine what he would say today. It makes me a little sad and more than a little nostalgic as I have fond memories of reading the Sunday comics as a kid.
I enjoyed this collection. You cannot go wrong with Bill Watterson and Calvin & Hobbes.
Calvin & Hobbes is unbeatable!
“The Calvin & Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book” is an all-color collection of some of the Sunday strips that Bill Watterson created.
It is a visually stunning book. It pops. People forget that Watterson was a gifted artist, and a very talented atmospheric illustrator. Especially appealing (visually) are the strips featuring the Intrepid Spaceman Spiff and his interplanetary adventures. The text also features all 4 seasons, so you see a variety of Watterson’s visual talent on display as well.
In a short “Afterward” Bill Watterson laments the “retrograde evolution” of the Sunday comics as an institution and art from. Considering that he published this book in 1989, I can only imagine what he would say today. It makes me a little sad and more than a little nostalgic as I have fond memories of reading the Sunday comics as a kid.
I enjoyed this collection. You cannot go wrong with Bill Watterson and Calvin & Hobbes.
Read
May 1, 2024Qual a única coisa melhor do que uma tira de BD de Calvin & Hobbes? Uma prancha de BD colorida de Calvin & Hobbes. E qual a única coisa melhor do que uma prancha de BD colorida de Calvin & Hobbes? Uma coletânea delas, claro!
Plácidos Domingos é essa coletânea - oferecendo um conjunto das pranchas que, aos domingos, por oposição às minúsculas tiras publicadas de segunda a sexta feira, ocupavam uma página inteira nos jornais norte americanos. E, caramba, vale cada minuto!
Em tempos, as histórias de quadradinhos de Domingo ocupavam uma página de jornal inteira. Cada. uma era como um poster colorido. Não é de espantar que, com todo esse espaço disponível, os cartonistas criassem obras de incrível beleza e força, que já não vemos, agora que essas histórias ocupam um terço ou um quarto das dimensões Iniciais.
[...]
Todas as coisas que fazem com que as bandas desenhadas sejam divertidas - a história, os diálogos, as imagens - tornaram-se cada vez mais simples, a fim de que a obra fosse legível em formatos cada vez mais pequenos. Ao longo de décadas esta forma de arte tem vindo a sofrer uma evolução retrógrada. Para aqueles de nós que tentam recuperar o prazer que tínhamos na infância ao maravilharmo-nos com os desenhos das histórias aos quadradinhos, hoje em dia as oportunidades são desoladoras.
Bill Watterson
Plácidos Domingos é essa coletânea - oferecendo um conjunto das pranchas que, aos domingos, por oposição às minúsculas tiras publicadas de segunda a sexta feira, ocupavam uma página inteira nos jornais norte americanos. E, caramba, vale cada minuto!
Em tempos, as histórias de quadradinhos de Domingo ocupavam uma página de jornal inteira. Cada. uma era como um poster colorido. Não é de espantar que, com todo esse espaço disponível, os cartonistas criassem obras de incrível beleza e força, que já não vemos, agora que essas histórias ocupam um terço ou um quarto das dimensões Iniciais.
[...]
Todas as coisas que fazem com que as bandas desenhadas sejam divertidas - a história, os diálogos, as imagens - tornaram-se cada vez mais simples, a fim de que a obra fosse legível em formatos cada vez mais pequenos. Ao longo de décadas esta forma de arte tem vindo a sofrer uma evolução retrógrada. Para aqueles de nós que tentam recuperar o prazer que tínhamos na infância ao maravilharmo-nos com os desenhos das histórias aos quadradinhos, hoje em dia as oportunidades são desoladoras.
Bill Watterson
November 14, 2023
My funny bone always giggles at these two.
April 18, 2012
I enjoyed reading this book. Witty and funny with colorful well-drawn images. There are only 5 characters: 4 y/o Calvin; his stuff toy tiger and lone playmate Hobbes who in Calvin's wild imagination can turn into a live precocious and sometimes silly tiger; Suzie who is a girl reaching out for Calvin but gets bullied by Calvin because he seems to be contented playing with Hobbes and there is a stage in a boy's life when girls are yucky; Calvin's father; and Calvin's mother.
Even if there are only 5 characters, the small situations that Bill Watterson created in the comics strips sour high. Most are outrageously funny I found myself grinning from ear to ear. Who would not feel that way looking at the mischievous face of Calvin while planning something naughty or when he gets a surprise of his life and his eyes just expand unbelievably with his hair raising like he is a porcupine or something. Then when he returns to being a boy, he could be endearing and cute like a yellow marshmallow.
Calvin and Hobbes was a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson (born 1958). The names of the characters were taken from the Protestant reformer, John Calvin and the social philosopher, Thomas Hobbes.The comic strip ran from 1985 to 1995. At the end of 1995, Watterson drew his last issue with a short statement to newspaper editors and his readers what he felt he had achieved all he could do in the medium.
Watterson spent much of his career trying to change the climate of newspaper comics. He believed that the artistic value of comics was being undermined, and that the space they occupied in newspapers continually decreased, subject to arbitrary whims of shortsighted publishers. Furthermore, he opined that art should not be judged by the medium for which it is created (i.e., there is no “high” art or “low art” – just art).
Watterson’s legacy is the change on the Sunday newspaper cartoons: the standard cartoon starts with a large, wide rectangle featuring the cartoon's logo or a throwaway panel tangential to the main area so that newspapers pressed for space can remove the top third of the cartoon if they wish; the rest of the strip is presented in a series of rectangles of different widths. In Watterson's opinion, this format limited the cartoonist's options of allowable presentation. After his sabbatical year in 1991 he managed to gain an exception to these constraints for Calvin and Hobbes, allowing him to draw his Sunday strip the way he wanted. In many, panels overlap or contain their own panels; in some, the action progresses diagonally across the strip.
I did not grow up with this comic strip so I did not have any reminiscing moments while reading this. I bought this book around 10 years ago at Border's along Orchard when I was in Singapore. It was on sale and I decided to buy this because a couple of months before I was requested by an office mate to buy a Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt at a weekend flea market in Bangkok. When I saw the t-shirts they were so cool and it made me wonder who were those comics characters. I only knew Popeye, Brutus and Olive Oyl and Tarzan when I was growing up.
Now while reading Wiki entries about Bill Watterson, I learned that those images on the t-shirts were illegal. Bill Matterson did not allow to merchandise his works because he said it would cheapen his work. Finally, a guy with some deep-seated principles.
After I closed this book, I was craving for more. The images of Calvin will stay in my mind for a long time. I wished I was a child in 1985-1995 when this was being syndicated on Sunday newspaper. It's so cool.
Even if there are only 5 characters, the small situations that Bill Watterson created in the comics strips sour high. Most are outrageously funny I found myself grinning from ear to ear. Who would not feel that way looking at the mischievous face of Calvin while planning something naughty or when he gets a surprise of his life and his eyes just expand unbelievably with his hair raising like he is a porcupine or something. Then when he returns to being a boy, he could be endearing and cute like a yellow marshmallow.
Calvin and Hobbes was a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson (born 1958). The names of the characters were taken from the Protestant reformer, John Calvin and the social philosopher, Thomas Hobbes.The comic strip ran from 1985 to 1995. At the end of 1995, Watterson drew his last issue with a short statement to newspaper editors and his readers what he felt he had achieved all he could do in the medium.
Watterson spent much of his career trying to change the climate of newspaper comics. He believed that the artistic value of comics was being undermined, and that the space they occupied in newspapers continually decreased, subject to arbitrary whims of shortsighted publishers. Furthermore, he opined that art should not be judged by the medium for which it is created (i.e., there is no “high” art or “low art” – just art).
Watterson’s legacy is the change on the Sunday newspaper cartoons: the standard cartoon starts with a large, wide rectangle featuring the cartoon's logo or a throwaway panel tangential to the main area so that newspapers pressed for space can remove the top third of the cartoon if they wish; the rest of the strip is presented in a series of rectangles of different widths. In Watterson's opinion, this format limited the cartoonist's options of allowable presentation. After his sabbatical year in 1991 he managed to gain an exception to these constraints for Calvin and Hobbes, allowing him to draw his Sunday strip the way he wanted. In many, panels overlap or contain their own panels; in some, the action progresses diagonally across the strip.
I did not grow up with this comic strip so I did not have any reminiscing moments while reading this. I bought this book around 10 years ago at Border's along Orchard when I was in Singapore. It was on sale and I decided to buy this because a couple of months before I was requested by an office mate to buy a Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt at a weekend flea market in Bangkok. When I saw the t-shirts they were so cool and it made me wonder who were those comics characters. I only knew Popeye, Brutus and Olive Oyl and Tarzan when I was growing up.
Now while reading Wiki entries about Bill Watterson, I learned that those images on the t-shirts were illegal. Bill Matterson did not allow to merchandise his works because he said it would cheapen his work. Finally, a guy with some deep-seated principles.
After I closed this book, I was craving for more. The images of Calvin will stay in my mind for a long time. I wished I was a child in 1985-1995 when this was being syndicated on Sunday newspaper. It's so cool.
March 8, 2025
Calvin & Hobbes are just so philosophical it makes me think all the time...
"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take the time to enjoy where we are. Days go by and we hardly notice them. Life becomes a blur. Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present. Then suddenly we wake up and see all the mistakes we've made, but it's too late to change anything."
I just met my calamity with my father's illness and cannot change anything about what I missed...
"Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend"
Hopefully I've got my spouse here with me who helps so much.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
Let me just not think and do nothing at all.
♥️
"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take the time to enjoy where we are. Days go by and we hardly notice them. Life becomes a blur. Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present. Then suddenly we wake up and see all the mistakes we've made, but it's too late to change anything."
I just met my calamity with my father's illness and cannot change anything about what I missed...
"Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend"
Hopefully I've got my spouse here with me who helps so much.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
Let me just not think and do nothing at all.
♥️
January 12, 2017
This book is a treasure chest of the full colour old-school Sunday Comics. While it doesn't have the ongoing storylines of the black and white Calvin & Hobbes, which allow for strong characterisation and captivating narrative arcs, these Sunday comics are wonderful in their own unique way.
The humour is sharp and the philosophising is done in effective short bites. What's more the illustrations display Bill Watterson's serious artistic talent.
Marvellous work.
The humour is sharp and the philosophising is done in effective short bites. What's more the illustrations display Bill Watterson's serious artistic talent.
Marvellous work.
January 4, 2016
I made a great choice in actually reading this on a Sunday. A post-holiday, no obligations, lazy Sunday.
It's been years since I've picked up a Calvin and Hobbes book. It felt how (I imagine) reuniting with an old friend would feel. Cozy and comfortable yet slightly different through (older) adult eyes. An example of seeing things differently through (older) adult eyes:
Days go by and we hardly notice them. Life becomes a blur. Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present. Then suddenly we wake up and see all the mistakes we've made, but it's too late to change anything.
This collection has it all:
1. The whole book is in full color. It's gorgeous. It's so bright that I couldn't be grumpy even when I wanted to be.
2. You get a full, satisfying sampler of Calvin's identities. We see Stupendous Man, Spaceman Stiff, Tyrannosaurus, shrunken Calvin, the Human Slinky, even a Song Sparrow Calvin - just to name a few. There is no limit to his imagination. One of my favorite things to do is to avoid looking at the last panel and to try to guess what situation Calvin is in/who the other person involved is.
It's a loathesome bat-webbed booger being...a repulsive leech-like creature that attached itself to you and never lets you alone until you're dead!
(Susie asking to play.)
The queen demands his tireless toil! Calvin is back off to the anthill as fast as he can go!
(Having to clean his room.)
3. There are all the moments I could ever hope for in a Calvin and Hobbes book (or any book for that matter). There are humorous moments and touching moments and reflective moments and "oh my god...that is so true" moments.
-The following dialogue is from a strip showing typical "old time" adult comic book characters, which is Susie and Calvin playing "house":
"Darlinggg, I'm home!..And I brought a surprise!"
"Let's hope it's a divorce!"
-These summer days go by so quickly. It's good that every now and then we have to wait for something.
-I can never enjoy Sundays, because in the back of my mind I always know I've got to go to school the next day. It's like trying to enjoy your last meal before the execution.
I found myself nostalgic for my young Calvin days and identifying more and more with his parents and with "wise" Calvin (often appearing while sledding down a large hill or meandering through nature).
There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.
AMEN TO THAT.
It's been years since I've picked up a Calvin and Hobbes book. It felt how (I imagine) reuniting with an old friend would feel. Cozy and comfortable yet slightly different through (older) adult eyes. An example of seeing things differently through (older) adult eyes:
Days go by and we hardly notice them. Life becomes a blur. Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present. Then suddenly we wake up and see all the mistakes we've made, but it's too late to change anything.
This collection has it all:
1. The whole book is in full color. It's gorgeous. It's so bright that I couldn't be grumpy even when I wanted to be.
2. You get a full, satisfying sampler of Calvin's identities. We see Stupendous Man, Spaceman Stiff, Tyrannosaurus, shrunken Calvin, the Human Slinky, even a Song Sparrow Calvin - just to name a few. There is no limit to his imagination. One of my favorite things to do is to avoid looking at the last panel and to try to guess what situation Calvin is in/who the other person involved is.
It's a loathesome bat-webbed booger being...a repulsive leech-like creature that attached itself to you and never lets you alone until you're dead!
(Susie asking to play.)
The queen demands his tireless toil! Calvin is back off to the anthill as fast as he can go!
(Having to clean his room.)
3. There are all the moments I could ever hope for in a Calvin and Hobbes book (or any book for that matter). There are humorous moments and touching moments and reflective moments and "oh my god...that is so true" moments.
-The following dialogue is from a strip showing typical "old time" adult comic book characters, which is Susie and Calvin playing "house":
"Darlinggg, I'm home!..And I brought a surprise!"
"Let's hope it's a divorce!"
-These summer days go by so quickly. It's good that every now and then we have to wait for something.
-I can never enjoy Sundays, because in the back of my mind I always know I've got to go to school the next day. It's like trying to enjoy your last meal before the execution.
I found myself nostalgic for my young Calvin days and identifying more and more with his parents and with "wise" Calvin (often appearing while sledding down a large hill or meandering through nature).
There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.
AMEN TO THAT.
March 3, 2011
Disclaimer: the notes you're about to read were extracted from this book and I do not intend to take personal credit for any of them:
Watterson is so damn intelligent :) ...
Calvin : I call this “lookout” hill
Hobbes: Yes you can certainly see far from up here
Calvin: I call it “lookout” hill Because that’s what you yell whenever we go down it.
Calvin: You Know, sometimes it seems things go by too Quickly.
Calvin: We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take the time to enjoy where we are.
Calvin: Days go by and we hardly notice them . Life becomes a blur.
Calvin: Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present.
Calvin: The suddenly we wake up an see all the mistakes we’ve made but it’s too late to change anything
Calvin: It’s like…it’s like…
Hobbes: It’s like what?
Calvin: it’s like something I just can’t think of it
_________
Calvin: School’s out! Free at last!
Calvin: And just six precious hours before bed to forget everything I learned today
_________
Calvin: My parents are the two stupidest people on earth
Calvin: Just my luck they’d get married and have me
Calvin: I hate everybody.
Calvin: I don’t see how anyone could ever fall in love people are jerks
Hobbes: Sometimes they are, but look at all the colors on the threes today.
Calvin: Yeah? So What?
Hobbes: I think it’s more fun to see something like this with someone than just by yourself.
Calvin: I Guesss so…but I’d still rather see this with a tiger than a person
Hobbes: Well, that goes without saying
_________
Calvin : True friends are hard to come by
Calvin: I need more money
Calvin: I wish people were more like animals
Calvin: Animals don’t try to change you or make you fit in, They just enjoy the pleasure of our company.
Calvin: Animals aren’t conditional about friendships. Animals like you just the way you are.
Calvin: They listen to your problems, they confort you when you’re sad, and all they ask in return is a little kindness
Hobbes (with a handkershief and tear in his eyes) : ...And speaking of “a little kindness” I’d have a tuna fish sandwich any time soon that you happen to make one.
Calvin: Of Course some animals get on your nerves once in a while.
_________
Calvin: Did you watch any television yesterday?
Hobbes: No
Calvin: Gosh, what was yesterday like?
Calvin: I think life should be more like tv.
Calvin: I think life’s problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don’t you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns.
Calvin: I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars . All our desires should be instantly gratified.
Calvin: Women should always wear tight clothes, and men whould carry powerful handguns.
Calvin: Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don’t you think?
Hobbes: I think my life is too featherbrained already.
Calvin: Of course, if life was really like that, what would we watch on tv?.
Watterson is so damn intelligent :) ...
Calvin : I call this “lookout” hill
Hobbes: Yes you can certainly see far from up here
Calvin: I call it “lookout” hill Because that’s what you yell whenever we go down it.
Calvin: You Know, sometimes it seems things go by too Quickly.
Calvin: We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take the time to enjoy where we are.
Calvin: Days go by and we hardly notice them . Life becomes a blur.
Calvin: Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present.
Calvin: The suddenly we wake up an see all the mistakes we’ve made but it’s too late to change anything
Calvin: It’s like…it’s like…
Hobbes: It’s like what?
Calvin: it’s like something I just can’t think of it
_________
Calvin: School’s out! Free at last!
Calvin: And just six precious hours before bed to forget everything I learned today
_________
Calvin: My parents are the two stupidest people on earth
Calvin: Just my luck they’d get married and have me
Calvin: I hate everybody.
Calvin: I don’t see how anyone could ever fall in love people are jerks
Hobbes: Sometimes they are, but look at all the colors on the threes today.
Calvin: Yeah? So What?
Hobbes: I think it’s more fun to see something like this with someone than just by yourself.
Calvin: I Guesss so…but I’d still rather see this with a tiger than a person
Hobbes: Well, that goes without saying
_________
Calvin : True friends are hard to come by
Calvin: I need more money
Calvin: I wish people were more like animals
Calvin: Animals don’t try to change you or make you fit in, They just enjoy the pleasure of our company.
Calvin: Animals aren’t conditional about friendships. Animals like you just the way you are.
Calvin: They listen to your problems, they confort you when you’re sad, and all they ask in return is a little kindness
Hobbes (with a handkershief and tear in his eyes) : ...And speaking of “a little kindness” I’d have a tuna fish sandwich any time soon that you happen to make one.
Calvin: Of Course some animals get on your nerves once in a while.
_________
Calvin: Did you watch any television yesterday?
Hobbes: No
Calvin: Gosh, what was yesterday like?
Calvin: I think life should be more like tv.
Calvin: I think life’s problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don’t you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns.
Calvin: I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars . All our desires should be instantly gratified.
Calvin: Women should always wear tight clothes, and men whould carry powerful handguns.
Calvin: Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don’t you think?
Hobbes: I think my life is too featherbrained already.
Calvin: Of course, if life was really like that, what would we watch on tv?.
May 25, 2019
There is a certain something about writing a critical review of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, Lazy Sunday Book that feels like feeding belt ammo to a guy hunting with a machine gun. It should not be done. Either you get the innocent insouciance of this five-year-old boy and his favorite toy companion or please put the book down and move on.
I was already a 30 something when this strip was first syndicated. Calvin is an only child just like his predecessor- Dennis the Menace but with a broader fantasy life. His bestest pal, Hobbes the Tiger carries a hint of the more wary and worldly wise person we become once we loose Calvin’s innocence. Bill Watterson has clearly cranked things up a few on the old classic.
Calvin and his animated Hobbes live in the rich consuming imagination of the child. Calvin lives amost seamlessly in his version of outer space, or on dinosaur adventures or in the reality of long ruminating walks in a wood more varied and less child proof that the Three Acre Wood of Winnie the Pooh. Calvin has his enemy, the neighborhood girl, Susie who cannot understand his enmity nor takes it without returning it. Usually paying back more than given.
Unfortunately, number 1: by sticking with only the longer Sunday episodes we do not get the build up that can precede the Sunday payoff.
Number 2: Calvin is much given to devilment ranging from elaborately imagined water balloon attacks on his mother to again overly imagined in class fantasies involving his teacher as a space monster. Read a few at a time most of us can see ourselves and wish we had such a rich inner life. Taken together Calvin can stop being mischievous and become a bad boy.
Number 3 the paperback binding is not going to stand up to much handling.
The great news is that Bill Watterson not only has a wondrous imagination for his little boy and his world, but his artwork can range from beautiful detailed nature and outer space creatures to simpler classic comic strip art.
My recommendation, read The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book slowly and try to handle the book and the boy in the spirit intended.
I was already a 30 something when this strip was first syndicated. Calvin is an only child just like his predecessor- Dennis the Menace but with a broader fantasy life. His bestest pal, Hobbes the Tiger carries a hint of the more wary and worldly wise person we become once we loose Calvin’s innocence. Bill Watterson has clearly cranked things up a few on the old classic.
Calvin and his animated Hobbes live in the rich consuming imagination of the child. Calvin lives amost seamlessly in his version of outer space, or on dinosaur adventures or in the reality of long ruminating walks in a wood more varied and less child proof that the Three Acre Wood of Winnie the Pooh. Calvin has his enemy, the neighborhood girl, Susie who cannot understand his enmity nor takes it without returning it. Usually paying back more than given.
Unfortunately, number 1: by sticking with only the longer Sunday episodes we do not get the build up that can precede the Sunday payoff.
Number 2: Calvin is much given to devilment ranging from elaborately imagined water balloon attacks on his mother to again overly imagined in class fantasies involving his teacher as a space monster. Read a few at a time most of us can see ourselves and wish we had such a rich inner life. Taken together Calvin can stop being mischievous and become a bad boy.
Number 3 the paperback binding is not going to stand up to much handling.
The great news is that Bill Watterson not only has a wondrous imagination for his little boy and his world, but his artwork can range from beautiful detailed nature and outer space creatures to simpler classic comic strip art.
My recommendation, read The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book slowly and try to handle the book and the boy in the spirit intended.
March 3, 2017
This loses its impact if you've read some of the other collections, as it duplicates many of those, but the strips themselves are still charming.
June 4, 2011
first book that I have ever found!
June 3, 2012
Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, Calvin the Tyrannosaurus... the kid's imagination has no ends, no bounds, no limits! Laws of the universe held sacred for centuries bend to his will if he wants to. The Creator of the Worlds is the Destroyer of the Worlds... and he is Calvin! Hats off to Bill Watterson for creating one of the best partnerships in the comic world, an undying friendship that does moisten your eyes once in a while, a relationship of love and sarcasm that makes you laugh so hard that your stomach hurts... the partnership between Calvin and Hobbes! None of the comics of Calvin and Hobbes has ever disappointed, and this one too holds good to the standards set so high by Watterson. There are moments of pure genius in these stories which makes me appreciate the kid inside Watterson whom he brings out so well through the imagination of Calvin. There is a particular box that is so hard to forget, when Calvin has pasted his arms with fake feathers and turns around to a bird and shouts 'Wipe that grin off your face!' Calvin and Hobbes literally add colour to the reader's life. Highly recommended for all those who appreciate a good laugh!
November 14, 2023
Aw I loved this!
Reading this was so nostalgic? Reminded me of being a child with no care in the world. Such a fun, silly, easy to follow comic recommended for young and older readers alike :)
Reading this was so nostalgic? Reminded me of being a child with no care in the world. Such a fun, silly, easy to follow comic recommended for young and older readers alike :)
July 26, 2009
"The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book" opens with Calvin's 10-page adventure as Spaceman Spiff, interplanetary explorer extraordinaire, with one mission in mind: to destroy all aliens, which in real life, are disguised as his mother and Susie. Very funny stuff.
Yet Calvin's wild imagination doesn't stop there. For the rest of the colorful 100+ pages, he agitates his parents mercilessly, particularly his father; while with his mother, he adversely chokes down every disgusting meal she cooks, making some of the funniest faces while doing so. A lot of times, his expressions say more than any number of words. Take the family meal scene on page 30, where he makes a long-drawn-out attempt at tasting the green pile of gunk on his plate. Then there's a good facial example on page 104, where he's sitting, reading a book; then looks up with this absolutely wicked smile on his face. You can only imagine what he's up to---and it's definitely not safe.
All the comics in this wonderful collection are in color, and are rendered incredibly well. I think that Bill Watterson was born in the wrong era. He would have been much happier in the era when Sunday comics were permitted a full page to tell a refined story, where the art was rich with detail.
Book Details:
Title The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
Author Bill Watterson
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Yet Calvin's wild imagination doesn't stop there. For the rest of the colorful 100+ pages, he agitates his parents mercilessly, particularly his father; while with his mother, he adversely chokes down every disgusting meal she cooks, making some of the funniest faces while doing so. A lot of times, his expressions say more than any number of words. Take the family meal scene on page 30, where he makes a long-drawn-out attempt at tasting the green pile of gunk on his plate. Then there's a good facial example on page 104, where he's sitting, reading a book; then looks up with this absolutely wicked smile on his face. You can only imagine what he's up to---and it's definitely not safe.
All the comics in this wonderful collection are in color, and are rendered incredibly well. I think that Bill Watterson was born in the wrong era. He would have been much happier in the era when Sunday comics were permitted a full page to tell a refined story, where the art was rich with detail.
Book Details:
Title The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
Author Bill Watterson
Reviewed By Purplycookie
March 4, 2008
This book is as the title suggests... lazy and beautiful, AND in full color!! Nice.
August 24, 2009
Comics for very smart people. If you haven't read these you should check them out.
December 16, 2012
I miss Calvin and Hobbes. Stopped reading comics altogether when it stopped. Nothing compares...
August 17, 2018
Delightful. I stopped reading when I stopped laughing, then started again another day so that I could again be in the mood to be filled with laughter while reading it.
February 9, 2019
Spending a few hours with this book on a lazy Saturday morning was great for my soul.
September 20, 2023
Tenho tantas saudades dos tempos em que este era o único livro na minha avó que eu gostava de ler 😌
October 15, 2022
Culled from the Sunday papers, where apparently the comics are given more space allowing the artist to work outside of the regular 3-4 panel layout (and use more colours), this series of stand-alone pages are typically, wonderfully Watterson. Opening with a beautifully painted image of our heroes, walking through a snowy field, highlights for me include monsters under the bed, the intricacies of two-man baseball, the joy of giving a tiger a scratch, losing against Hobbes at Monopoly, Calvin’s Dad reading “The Disembodied Hand” and what happens if you put your hand over your nose when you sneeze. But my two absolute favourites are both poignant ones - Calvin too scared to sleep and finding comfort in the fact that he can cuddle up to a snoozing Hobbes and Calvin, at Christmas, realising Hobbes doesn’t have any presents and giving him a hug - “Well here’s a present from me anyway, hope it fits,” he says. “The best presents don’t come in boxes,” says Hobbes, “I’ll treasure this one forever.” Bringing together laughter, touches of profundity and the odd lump to the throat, this is prime Calvin & Hobbes and, as such, is very highly recommended indeed.
May 20, 2016
I'd never really picked up a Calvin and Hobbes book before, though I did love the strips I happened upon. These are all in color, the pages are bigger than usual, and the paper is a bit thicker. It's a beautiful edition that I got for my birthday this year, and I decided to take the following day -- a lazy Valentine's Day Sunday -- to read it. It is pretty awesome.
Calvin's imagination is unique, and this book shows a lot of it. It's got stories set in every season. It's got incredible friendship moments and nice thoughts on life -- mostly by Hobbes --, some hot chocolate and snowballs. And yes, some elements and moments are repeated in different strips, but I wouldn't consider it actually repetitive because this is a collection, not a linear story.
Calvin's imagination is unique, and this book shows a lot of it. It's got stories set in every season. It's got incredible friendship moments and nice thoughts on life -- mostly by Hobbes --, some hot chocolate and snowballs. And yes, some elements and moments are repeated in different strips, but I wouldn't consider it actually repetitive because this is a collection, not a linear story.
August 16, 2009
I LOVE this book. LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO
(two hours later)
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
this book.
(two hours later)
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
this book.
June 12, 2025
I first read this book when I was seven, too young to know what an atheist or the Andes was. I wanted to be like Hobbes when I grew up. Now, 15 years later, I know what an atheist is, and I know both what the Andes are and where to find them. I grew up to be Calvin's Dad.
January 12, 2016
A great book for a lazy Sunday, indeed. The edition had a lot more spaceman Spiff comics than casual philosophy, so more laughter and lesser thoughts. I loved the little epilogue by Watterson.
December 2, 2019
Just the big Sunday strips. Oh frabjous joy. If you're not a fan of this strip, I'm wondering if I can call you friend. ;)
January 30, 2024
A masterpiece far ahead of its time.
June 10, 2014
Cute. Perfect for those nights where I just need a little light something before bed. :)
August 2, 2020
I love Calvin & Hobbes, and it's been far too long since I read one of these collections. So when I found this alongside my other well-loved collections, I had to save this for a Lazy Sunday myself and devour it on the couch with a cup of tea at my side. This is particularly nice as all the illustrations are colour, and you get a nice variety of seasons that are at times timely and at other times cosy with the thought of impending autumn and winter. The only thing I didn't love about this collection was that over 50% of it was Calvin's alter egos which, although fun, aren't my favourite parts of the comics. I love the philosophical musings and the parents' input a lot more. But it did make me laugh out loud several times, and made me feel so nostalgic for the time I was discovering these characters at the age of 11/12.
July 18, 2025
Uma bela reunião de pranchas coloridas publicadas aos domingos. Ler o Calvin a cores é todo um outro toque de magia. Já tinha saudades de acompanhar as aventuras deste pequeno matreiro e o seu amigo tigre.
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