The Gift of Nothing
by Patrick McDonnell
Patrick
McDonnell is the creator of the comic strip Mutts and he
brings two of his star characters, Mooch and Earl, to charm readers
in The Gift of Nothing. Big-eyed kitty Mooch wonders, what
do you give a pup that has everything? He decides that all that
is left is nothing. Despite the number of folks claiming to have
nothing, do nothing, see nothing - Mooch finds the world far too
full of somethings. But Mooch will not give up in his search for
the perfect gift for his good friend Earl!
The
book has a simple story line but the play on the word nothing might
be a bit confusing for younger children. My five year old found
it very funny, but I suspect she would have struggled with the idea
just a year earlier. She also loved the warm ending - something
any child can understand. The whimsy and fun of the sketchy two-color
illustrations add to the charm and - really - I think this little
book would be a good gift for a close friend of any age. The great
blend of silly and tender would be likely to touch adults even more
than kids - and sometimes we could all use the gift of nothing. |
The
Book |
Little,
Brown and Company / Time Warner |
October
2005 |
Hardbound
Picture book |
031611488X |
Children's
Fiction Age Level: Ages 4 - 8 |
More at Amazon.com |
The
Reviewer |
Jan
Fields |
Reviewed
2005 |
NOTE:
Reviewer Jan Fields has written dozens of stories and articles
for the children's magazine market. |
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