The Gift of Nothing

(Little, Brown, 2005)
™ and © Little Brown

Patrick McDonnell’s Mutts newspaper strip was introduced Sept. 5, 1994, when the pup Earl and his owner Ozzie were introduced. Within the next month, Mooch (the cat who lives next door), Millie (in whose house Mooch resides), and “loveable coot” Frank were introduced—and Mooch said, “Yesh!”

Mooch’s mushy speech pattern is distinctive, though not necessarily endearing; while the characters, on the other hand, are both distinctive and endearing—and so is this children’s book. When Mooch wants to give Earl a gift, he realizes Earl has a bowl, a bed, and a chewy toy. “He had it all.” So Mooch must ponder, “What do you get someone who has everything?” It’s a simple picture book for little kids—but it’s also a thought-provoker that is designed for after-reading discussions between those kids and the grownups who do the reading. Is nothing really nothing? The price is standard for children’s books these days, with the value to come from frequent re-readings. McDonnell’s art is minimalist and effective; the simple book is, too.

— Maggie Thompson

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