‘TOON TALK

Happiness Is a Warm Petit Chien : Cartoonist Charles Schulz drew lofty praise from the keepers of French culture Tuesday as they lavishly celebrated the 40th birthday of America’s favorite floppy-eared dog, the irrepressible Snoopy. The beagle was glorified with a giant retrospective at the Decorative Arts Museum in the northern wing of the Louvre complex. The show, which features 300 stuffed Snoopies dressed by the world’s leading fashion designers and original “Peanuts” drawings, opened to the public today and runs through April 22. French Culture Minister Jack Lang named Schulz a Commander of Arts and Letters, one of France’s highest awards for excellence in the arts. Lang told Schulz, “Your character is both mythical and hedonistic and he has taken over our collective consciousness and become a part of our everyday lives.” Negotiations are under way to bring the exhibit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.