What do you think?
Rate this book
Mutts
Just Like Heaven
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 the joys of nature, home and friends are blessings to appreciate here and now. Heaven really is a place on earth!
48 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2006
1 person is currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Patrick McDonnell
182 books389 followersPatrick McDonnell’s comic strip, MUTTS, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries. MUTTS has received numerous awards for its artistry and its animal and environmental themes. These include the NCS Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year, seven Harveys and the Eisner Humanitarian Award. Charles Schulz called MUTTS “One of the best comics strips of all time.”
BREAKING THE CHAIN: THE GUARD DOG STORY, a collection of his newsworthy story centered freeing MUTTS chained dog, Guard Dog, will be published in fall 2024.
McDonnell’s latest book is THE SUPER HERO’S JOURNEY, a graphic novel love letter to Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby. It was on 11 ‘best of’ lists for 2023.
THE ART OF NOTHING, an oeuvre of McDonnell’s work, comprehensively celebrates Patrick’s comic strip career. McDonnell is also the author of New York Times bestselling picture books, including THE GIFT OF NOTHING and the Caldecott Honor winning ME...JANE (a childhood biography of Dr. Jane Goodall). Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. In addition, he has collaborated with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle on GUARDIANS OF BEING and with poet Daniel Ladinsky on DARLING I LOVE YOU. HEART TO HEART: A CONVERSATION ON LOVE AND HOPE FOR OUR PRECIOUS PLANET is a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has said “It is my hope that this book will open the eyes, minds and hearts of all people.”
In 2021, Ohio State University hosted Side Effects, a major exhibition of his large scale canvases. There will be a year-long retrospective of McDonnell’s comic strips, book illustrations and paintings at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum opening in January 2025.
McDonnell was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years as well as The Fund for Animals, and continues to serve as a director for The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.
You can sign up for the MUTTS daily email at mutts.com.
BREAKING THE CHAIN: THE GUARD DOG STORY, a collection of his newsworthy story centered freeing MUTTS chained dog, Guard Dog, will be published in fall 2024.
McDonnell’s latest book is THE SUPER HERO’S JOURNEY, a graphic novel love letter to Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby. It was on 11 ‘best of’ lists for 2023.
THE ART OF NOTHING, an oeuvre of McDonnell’s work, comprehensively celebrates Patrick’s comic strip career. McDonnell is also the author of New York Times bestselling picture books, including THE GIFT OF NOTHING and the Caldecott Honor winning ME...JANE (a childhood biography of Dr. Jane Goodall). Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. In addition, he has collaborated with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle on GUARDIANS OF BEING and with poet Daniel Ladinsky on DARLING I LOVE YOU. HEART TO HEART: A CONVERSATION ON LOVE AND HOPE FOR OUR PRECIOUS PLANET is a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has said “It is my hope that this book will open the eyes, minds and hearts of all people.”
In 2021, Ohio State University hosted Side Effects, a major exhibition of his large scale canvases. There will be a year-long retrospective of McDonnell’s comic strips, book illustrations and paintings at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum opening in January 2025.
McDonnell was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years as well as The Fund for Animals, and continues to serve as a director for The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.
You can sign up for the MUTTS daily email at mutts.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 26, 2019
I have been a Mutts fan since the first strip I read in the later ‘90’s. How could anyone not be? In this quick book, Mooch the cat falls asleep under a tree and wakes to find himself in a fog bank, which he assumes is actually Heaven. He sets out to explore the sights, not too different than “home”... just mistier. When he happens upon a chained and aggressive dog, he has no fear.. it’s Heaven, after all, and reaches out with a hug. Everyone needs a hug. Back to his tree to nap again, he wakes after the fig has lifted, realizing life is Heavenly wherever you choose it to be.
Adorable!
Adorable!
February 6, 2017
Patrick McDonnell is in his creative zone when illustrating and writing for his Mutts characters, and Just Like Heaven is a nice example of what he can do with the characters and setting. A foggy day unexpectedly yields new appreciation for this world we live in, elevating a drowsy cat's perspective on the blessings of life. What is heaven like, and why do we yearn for it? There may be unimaginable joy in the afterlife, but pieces of its radiance are already reflected in the world around us, and it's important that we don't miss out because we take them for granted. A fresh outlook can give fresh appreciation for the people and things we're privileged to love every day.
When Mooch the cat sacks out under his favorite tree one day, thick fog tiptoes in on feline feet. Mooch awakens to a misty, surreal scene, and concludes he must be in heaven. The flowers smell sweet, birds tweet merrily, children laugh on the playground, and Mooch's house is filled with people he loves. "Wow," thinks Mooch. "What a great place." Even a grouchy, snarly dog can't scare him; if they're in heaven, what harm can the canine do? The cat extends friendship to the barking beast, and his goodwill blunts the dog's testy temper. Was it always that easy to bridge the divide between antagonistic parties? Mooch winds his way back to his napping tree, dozes off, and wakes up next to his friend Earl after the fog has cleared. Earth is a lot like heaven, he realizes. It's a pretty nice place to live.
Using rudimentary drawings and short sentences, Patrick McDonnell leads us to remove our blinders and reevaluate life's splendor. Each day is packed with beauty and originality, the magnificence of creation manifested in a virtually infinite variety of ways right here on earth. We grow so familiar with it that sometimes we neglect to drink deeply of that beauty and be enchanted anew, but the awesome gift of consciousness should not be treated with indifference. Life is a miracle far beyond apprehending, a limitless store of riches we can spend our entire lives digging through and never hit bottom, and it's up to us not to stop digging while there's more joy to be unearthed. This life can be similar to heaven if we give it a chance. Leave it to an animal to figure that out and teach it to us humans.
The author's Me...Jane was awarded a 2012 Caldecott Honor, but I consider Just Like Heaven even more deserving in its own publication year. The story thrives in simplicity and gentle humor, offering a message worthy of anyone's attention. I'd give Just Like Heaven two and a half stars, and considered rounding up to three. Books like this are ones kids remember for a lifetime, and there's no more winsome compliment for creators of picture books than that their work become a fond lifelong companion for readers. Many will surely regard Just Like Heaven that way.
When Mooch the cat sacks out under his favorite tree one day, thick fog tiptoes in on feline feet. Mooch awakens to a misty, surreal scene, and concludes he must be in heaven. The flowers smell sweet, birds tweet merrily, children laugh on the playground, and Mooch's house is filled with people he loves. "Wow," thinks Mooch. "What a great place." Even a grouchy, snarly dog can't scare him; if they're in heaven, what harm can the canine do? The cat extends friendship to the barking beast, and his goodwill blunts the dog's testy temper. Was it always that easy to bridge the divide between antagonistic parties? Mooch winds his way back to his napping tree, dozes off, and wakes up next to his friend Earl after the fog has cleared. Earth is a lot like heaven, he realizes. It's a pretty nice place to live.
Using rudimentary drawings and short sentences, Patrick McDonnell leads us to remove our blinders and reevaluate life's splendor. Each day is packed with beauty and originality, the magnificence of creation manifested in a virtually infinite variety of ways right here on earth. We grow so familiar with it that sometimes we neglect to drink deeply of that beauty and be enchanted anew, but the awesome gift of consciousness should not be treated with indifference. Life is a miracle far beyond apprehending, a limitless store of riches we can spend our entire lives digging through and never hit bottom, and it's up to us not to stop digging while there's more joy to be unearthed. This life can be similar to heaven if we give it a chance. Leave it to an animal to figure that out and teach it to us humans.
The author's Me...Jane was awarded a 2012 Caldecott Honor, but I consider Just Like Heaven even more deserving in its own publication year. The story thrives in simplicity and gentle humor, offering a message worthy of anyone's attention. I'd give Just Like Heaven two and a half stars, and considered rounding up to three. Books like this are ones kids remember for a lifetime, and there's no more winsome compliment for creators of picture books than that their work become a fond lifelong companion for readers. Many will surely regard Just Like Heaven that way.
October 3, 2019
5/5 estrellas.
Es tremenda la enseñanza que deja a través de unas pocas líneas y unas muy bonitas ilustraciones.
¿Me llegó al cora? Me llegó al cora.
Es tremenda la enseñanza que deja a través de unas pocas líneas y unas muy bonitas ilustraciones.
¿Me llegó al cora? Me llegó al cora.
October 21, 2025
Delightful. I didn't know McDonnell was doing picture books now.
October 20, 2009
This is such a cute book!!! I've always loved the comics, but these books are so happy and cute, it could almost bring a tear to your eye. They're a perfect gift to someone who loves book, or loves dogs, or cats, or even loves anything. You can't NOT love them.
Heaven...? He thought.
I must be in heaven!
Heaven...? He thought.
I must be in heaven!
November 19, 2016
I got this book accidentally when I ordered another book by the same name. I was surprised to see that it was a book for children. But when I finished reading it I wondered if it really was a book for children after all. Isn't it amazing how God or the universe or whatever you want to call it so often surprises us with things we need just when we especially need them? Why don't you try starting the surprises with this book?
November 30, 2017
This modern fantasy book, good for grades 2-5, is such a great book that has cute story line and has incorporated a secret message to it. I love the fact that Patrick McDonnell has a way of incorporating a hidden message that I think makes the book have a deeper meaning. It is because of this hidden message that this book means so much more to me and part of the reason that I would love to have it in my classroom.
Read
June 13, 2019The illustrations are engaging and leave room to capture the imaginations of all listeners and readers. The presentation is simple, using text judiciously and allowing the pictures to carry the message. Read the review at the Reading Tub.
February 6, 2020
This was such a cut and sweet little book. I would say it is for all ages.
Mooch is the main character in this one. Other than that can’t say much or would be giving it all away.
Might just bring a bittersweet smile to your face if you have recently lost a pet or someone.
Mooch is the main character in this one. Other than that can’t say much or would be giving it all away.
Might just bring a bittersweet smile to your face if you have recently lost a pet or someone.
September 25, 2017
Just beautiful. This guy is so talented. Wonderful little read for a relaxed, snuggle time.
November 5, 2017
Must buy
June 19, 2018
wow.
such a strong message.
such a strong message.
July 12, 2018
Great for any age!
September 26, 2018
After hearing Mooch I can easily say this is ..."Just Like Heave". Thank you Patrick. We love You.
October 1, 2019
Un hermoso el mensaje para el día a día, observando lo fantástico que es el mundo en el que vivimos
January 23, 2020
De esos libritos que te llenan el alma.
Bello en todo su esplendor ♥️
Bello en todo su esplendor ♥️
June 9, 2020
A very cute story. 🙂
December 7, 2022
Leído en el ateneo 🫶 muy wholesome
January 11, 2025
Me encantó y conmovió mucho lo del perrito que no ha recibido amor.
November 22, 2016
Simple and sweet with a lovely message. The illustrations are a charming example of less is more.
January 4, 2021
McDonnell has done it again. Another book of great quality and many positive lessons to learn. I enjoy reading his books to my child, especially since it makes you feel all warm inside after reading it.
A cat falls asleep and thinks he's in heaven. He sees all these positive things about the world. Even the potentially negative things have becomes positive just because of what he state of mind. He goes back to sleep and wakes up, seeing the world around him, being just like heaven.
I really like his simple artwork. I really like his message in the book. I really like how he keeps you wanted to read, seeing what happens in the end. Great book for children of any age and would be great as a gift too.
A cat falls asleep and thinks he's in heaven. He sees all these positive things about the world. Even the potentially negative things have becomes positive just because of what he state of mind. He goes back to sleep and wakes up, seeing the world around him, being just like heaven.
I really like his simple artwork. I really like his message in the book. I really like how he keeps you wanted to read, seeing what happens in the end. Great book for children of any age and would be great as a gift too.
May 16, 2016
Mooch wakes up in a heavy fog and thinks he must be in heaven. He enjoys the dew, the sweet scents, the sounds of children laughing, and in his mistaken mindset even offers a hug to a dog.
Theological potential mix-ups about what heaven is aside (easily talked about with little ones because Mooch is obviously wrong), this is a cute book. I loved that Mooch was unfazed by the barking dog and gave him a hug because he thought it was heaven, and it seemed that was what the dog needed. If we take fear out of the picture, how would we change our actions to be more loving? Hmm. Lots to discuss with this one.
Theological potential mix-ups about what heaven is aside (easily talked about with little ones because Mooch is obviously wrong), this is a cute book. I loved that Mooch was unfazed by the barking dog and gave him a hug because he thought it was heaven, and it seemed that was what the dog needed. If we take fear out of the picture, how would we change our actions to be more loving? Hmm. Lots to discuss with this one.
February 23, 2016
CIP: "Having awakened from a nap to find himself surrounded by fog, Mooch the cat decides he must be in heaven, especially when he sees that all of his loved ones are there."
I'm not a follower of the Mutts comic strip, but McDonnell was featured on the PBS show, Religion and Ethics News Weekly, a couple of weeks ago and I was really impressed with his perspective and the degree of spirituality he brings to his artistry. This is a very sweet story that reminds one to enjoy every day's simple delights, the ordinary blessings that enrich our lives.
I'm not a follower of the Mutts comic strip, but McDonnell was featured on the PBS show, Religion and Ethics News Weekly, a couple of weeks ago and I was really impressed with his perspective and the degree of spirituality he brings to his artistry. This is a very sweet story that reminds one to enjoy every day's simple delights, the ordinary blessings that enrich our lives.
December 29, 2011
While this book had a sweet message and cute illustrations, it was a letdown. I was browsing the bookstore and I saw a stack sitting on the shelf and picked it up out of curiosity. The story just didn't have enough poignancy for me to like it and I thought it was a little dumbed-down. Other people might like it, but I just didn't care for it.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2011...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2011...
January 2, 2013
This is a sweet tale that depicts Mooch enveloped by a thick fog. He imagines that he is in heaven and the story has a simple joy and a serendipitous ending. The illustrations feature the classic characters from the Mutts cartoon by Patrick McDonnell.
Overall, the message is simple, but nice. We enjoyed reading this book together.
Overall, the message is simple, but nice. We enjoyed reading this book together.
July 31, 2007
While asleep, the forest in which Mooch and Earl are asleep begins to fog. When Mooch wakes up thinking he was in heaven and then takes a walk and finds many things in heaven. Tired, Mooch sleeps again. When woken up, he finds himself back on earth again, takes a stroll again, and finds the same things he found in heaven :-)
June 17, 2008
A sweet tale about friendship and being thankful for what surrounds us. I used this picture book at a dedication ceremony in memory of a friend/teacher. It worked really well and in my opinion kept things light and happy but still fit the purpose of the event.
December 15, 2008
Good book, but I like Hug Time better. This one just doesn't flow like the other one but the story is very sweet. I loved "The big dog growled (as uloved dogs often do)line. It is not as colorful but the illustrations are still very cute.
January 11, 2009
"Home is where the heart is" is eloquently demonstrated with a minimum of words, and maximum feeling.
May 21, 2009
Heartwarming but not overy sentimental (in my opinion and I'm pretty sentimental) story about Mooch (of Patrick McDonnell's comic strip "Mutts") waking up in a fog and believing he's in Heaven, which affects the way he sees the world.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews