Patrick McDonnell is a major animal welfare advocate. He's also a prominent proponent of funny and a keen observer of the small, everyday moments that make up our lives. Stop and Smell the Roses: A Mutts Treasury is a collection of dailies and Sundays of the adventures of McDonnell's dynamic dog and cat duo.

* "Patrick McDonnell's Mutts is up there with Peanuts, Pogo, Krazy Kat, and Calvin and Hobbes--cartoons that are smart and funny, brilliantly drawn and full of heart." --Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons

* McDonnell was awarded Germany's Max and Moritz Award for best international comic strip and the Adamson Statuette from the Swedish Academy of Comic Art for Best International Comic Strip Artist. Mutts was also honored with the Genesis Award for highlighting animal welfare issues.

* Mutts characters are featured on special New Jersey license plates to raise funds for low-cost spaying and neutering....

DESCRIPTION: In the spirit of Harold and the Purple Crayon, Patrick McDonnell's ART introduces you to an imaginative and colorful world of splotches, blotches, squiggles, curlicues, and more. A young artist, Art is your lively guide into this captivating and dynamic book. Art celebrates art (and Art) with a simple text that's full of life, creations that practically dance off the pages, and a surprising and heartwarming ending. It is an expression of pure joy....

In Mutts, Patrick McDonnell strikes a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and responsible social commentary through the exploits of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat-now chronicled in their 16th book collection.

Earl and Mooch, along with supporting sidekicks Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby, humorously approach a range of subjects-from napping and daydreaming to summer vacations and Christmas anticipations-in addition to tackling important issues like responsible pet ownership, animal shelters, and saving our endangered species. Syndicated since 1994, Mutts appears in 700 newspapers in over 20 countries and receives at least one million visits each month to its official Web site, www.muttscomics.com.

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There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug!

And so Jules the kitten (also known in the Mutts cartoons as "Shtinky Puddin'") goes down the stairs to hug his friends, then all the birds in the park--and then he travels the world, hugging all those he meets! As Jules learns, a hug is the simplest--but kindest--gift we can give. And you can start giving right here, right now with the one who's closest to you. A joyous story about sharing love with a gently environmental theme....

DESCRIPTION: Mooch the cat desperately wants to find a gift for his friend Earl the dog, but Earl already has everything. "What do you give a guy who has everything?" Mooch wonders. The answer, of course, is nothing! This simple story features characters from Patrick McDonnell's popular comic strip, Mutts, and has the same depth, charm, and heart that he gives to his daily readers. With delightfully spare illustrations and text, this book has all the makings of a longtime classic, perfect for gift-giving all year round....

Everyday Mutts marks the 11th book of the award-winning Mutts strip. It is the follow-up to Patrick McDonnell's successful collection Who Let the Cat Out? as well as his first storybook, The Gift of Nothing, which reached the New York Times Best-Seller List for Children's Picture Books in January 2006.

McDonnell's classic cartooning style not only delivers consistent laughs but often a message that reminds us to take care of our furry friends. With its expressive art and clever, often philosophical pet banter, Mutts has built a large and loyal fan base among readers and cartoonists alike. McDonnell is a past winner of the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award, and Mutts won the coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award in 1996. Today it appears in almost 600 daily newspapers.

This unique collection includes 16 pages of full-color bonus material, including watercolors, other artwork, and items personally selected from the creator's sketchbook to accompany the black-and-white dailies and McDonnell's Sunday pages with his signature title panels. As always, the tales¿and tails¿of this especially close dog-kitty friendship can be counted on for charming adventures and gentle laughs, reminding us that there is more than it seems to the Everyday Mutts we meet on the street....

Since its publication in 2005, The Gift of Nothing has become an instant classic--the perfect gift for "the person who has everything." In this appealing picture book, Mooch the cat--star of the nationally-syndicated comic strip Mutts--searches for a present for his friend, Earl the dog. Earl already has everything he needs: a bowl, a bed, a chewy toy...What else could Mooch get him? Then it dawns on him: NOTHING! This timeless tale has a heart-warming message about the most valuable gift of all--friendship--that appeals to readers of all ages. Great for a last minute gift, this special edition includes an elegant paper slipcase designed to look like gift wrap with foil accents and an embossed bow and faux hang tag....

It seems that everything gets Earl's tail wagging--a bowl of food, a field of flowers, long walks, and belly rubs. But Mooch, Earl's best friend, knows what all of these things have in common: love is what makes Earl's tail wag. Patrick McDonnell, creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip, Mutts, pays an incredibly sweet tribute to his dog in a tale of wiggling and waggling, fwipping and fwapping...and every dog's secret to the joy of life....

I Want to Be the Kitty marks the eighth collection of this award-winning strip and is the follow-up to the successful What Now. As usual, the lovable duo of Earl the dog and his feline friend Mooch can be counted on for charming adventures and out-loud laughs.The sweet and unique friendship of this special dog and kitty comes through in every strip. When Mooch decides one January morning he's going to hibernate by staying in bed all winter, Earl tries desperately to get him out of bed until he finds out himself how "toashty" it is, in the words of Mooch. Next thing you know, Mooch has a bedmate who announces "I'll see ya in March." The two snore though hibernation together-that is, until they are called for dinner.With its expressive art and clever, sometimes philosophical, pet banter, Mutts has built a large and loyal fan base among readers and fellow cartoonists worldwide. The strip has been the discussion topic of Tonight show guests (Brooke Shields), it's earned the National Cartoonists Society's coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award, and it can be found in more than 500 daily newspapers. And now, as a testament to its ever-growing popularity, fans in New Jersey can show their loyalty to the strip-and animal protection-by getting a state license plate complete with Earl and Mooch and the slogan "Animal Friendly." In Mutts, cartoonist Patrick McDonnell has created a classic strip that not only delivers consistent laughs but often a message as well....

Giant events, earth-shaking themes, complex issues . . . all of these can make for captivating cartoons. But it's the artist who can take the simple, keep it simple, and still tell a story who really stands apart from the crowd. Patrick McDonnell, creator of Mutt's Mooch the cat and Earl the dog, is such a cartoonist.The quickest way to absorb McDonnell's mastery of his art is to pick up this third Mutts treasury, in which frame after frame and strip after strip he consistently displays his wit, cleverness, and ability with a pen. Mutts is the perfect way to escape into what appears to be an easygoing, carefree world. But just beneath the character's banter and endearing mannerisms are the universal concerns of animals and people alike. The cartoonist's spare style and gentle humor invite readers to fill out the frames with their own imaginations.Mutts, syndicated by King Features since 1994, enjoys a circulation of more than 500 daily newspapers. Nationally McDonnell has received awards ranging from Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year to Newspaper Comic Strip of the Year, and worldwide he has received such praise as being named the Swedish Academy of Comic Art's Best International Comic Strip Artist. This strip's a winner the world around....

In its eight short years, the comic strip Mutts has won the National Cartoonists Society's coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award, its author Patrick McDonnell has earned the NCS's Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Award, and the strip has topped a circulation of 500 papers. So, what now for Mutts? That's exactly what the title of McDonnell's latest cartoon collection asks. What Now chronicles the most recent humorous happenings of Earl the dog and his feline friend Mooch. As usual, the endearing pair can be counted on for laughs and charming adventures. In this latest collection, Mooch professes his love...for a little pink sock. Earl and Mooch put their comic spin on a wide range of subjects, from napping and poetry to summer vacations and Christmas anticipations. Interspersed with its charming humor are more weighty messages on issues important to McDonnell, such as animal shelters, saving our endangered species, and other animal-protection topics. What Now follows Mutts' well-established tradition of delivering creative style and the charm of yesteryear unlike any other strip on the funny pages today....

When a little bird awakens to find that all of his friends and family have gone south for the winter, it takes a surprising friendship with Mooch the cat to help him find his way. This is a wordless and profoundly moving story--by the creator of the beloved comic strip Mutts--that explores being lost and found, crossing boundaries, saying goodbye, and broadening horizons....

Animal lovers everywhere adore Patrick McDonnell's charming but pointed Mutts. The strip strikes a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and social commentary-on the human condition as well as the animal world.

The deceptively simple comic follows the adventures of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, an unlikely best-friend team, and Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby.

Patrick's distinctive cartooning style effectively relays the all-too-real concerns of his characters with entertaining, clever, laugh-out-loud banter.

Infodad.com describes Mutts as "humane and funny and gentle and caring and heartfelt and-did we mention funny?" The site goes on to say that the strip "includes enough hijinks and outstanding art (yes, art!) to please anyone with a taste for animals and amusement."

Mutts has been syndicated by King Features since 1994 and enjoys a circulation of more than 500 daily newspapers. Muttscomics.com, the strip's official Web site, has experienced great popularity since its launch in 2003....

Readers of all ages have a variety of reasons why they love the daily comic strip Mutts. But for some readers, Sunday is the most special day of the week because it is the day that cartoonist Patrick McDonnell unleashes his full-color Sunday strips.

Those Sunday-loving readers are in for a real treat with the release of Sunday Evenings. This new Mutts treasury is the fourth in the "Sunday" series and stars Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, who despite their obvious differences prefer to tackle life as a mostly harmonious partnership.

Under the skilled pen of cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, Mutts is about far more than the simple, carefree world of pets. Underneath the banter of its endearing characters, the reader often faces the all-too-real concerns of animals and life on the planet Earth. It's what makes this book such a rich and enjoyable experience, one that readers will savor each time they page through the collection....

To me, Mutts is exactly what a comic strip should be." -Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator

MUTTS appears in 700 newspapers in more than 20 countries and receives about 1 million visits each month to its official Web site at www.muttscomics.com.

Always striking a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and responsible social commentary, Patrick McDonnell's MUTTS has been recognized by the National Cartoonists Society as Best Strip of the Year for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor, and strong yet gentle stand on important social issues.

McDonnell, a New York Times best-selling author, has been awarded the Reuben Award for Best Cartoonist of the Year, as well as the Max and Moritz Award for Best International Comic Strip, the Adamson Statuette from the Swedish Academy of Comic Art for Best International Comic Strip Artist, and multiple Genesis Awards....

Patrick McDonnell's hypnotic picture book featuring the stars of his Mutts comic strip is a captivating ode to everyday beauty and wonder. When Mooch the cat awakes to find himself lost in a deep fog, he concludes he's in heaven. "Wow," he remarks as he explores, "What a great place."! But when Mooch comes face-to-face in heaven with a big and scary dog, what, he wonders, is he supposed to do? Mooch's reassuring answer reveals that everyday joys of nature, home, and friends are blessings to appreciate here and now. Heaven really is a place on earth!...

Until one has loved an animal, one's soul remains unawakened." --Anatole France

"This book is a credit to [Patrick McDonnell's] life's work and passion, and I know you will enjoy it and be moved by it." --Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, the Humane Society of the United States

Patrick McDonnell's Mutts is up there with Peanuts, Pogo, Krazy Kat, and Calvin and Hobbes--cartoons that are smart and funny, brilliantly drawn, and full of heart." --Matt Groening, The Simpsons creator

To me, Mutts is exactly what a comic strip should be" --Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator

Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell pairs his heartwarming "Shelter Story" strips with real-life, fan-submitted testimonials and photographs to provide an emotionally gratifying look into the lives of the 10 million rescue animals adopted into loving homes each year. In this emotive collection, McDonnell spotlights stories of animal rescue submitted by fans across the nation.

More than 70 full-color photographs of adopted pets--including cute and cuddly dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, and ferrets--are featured alongside more than 100 of McDonnell's popular Mutts "Shelter Stories" strips. Also included is an authoritative reference section with an Adoption Guide and resourceful links that encourage readers to, as McDonnell writes, "Adopt some love today....