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Mutts
Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.
Until one has loved an animal, one's soul remains unawakened." --Anatole FranceThis 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 Stories" strips with real-life, fan-submitted testimonials and photographs to provide an emotionally gratifying look into the lives of the millions of 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."
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 Stories" strips with real-life, fan-submitted testimonials and photographs to provide an emotionally gratifying look into the lives of the millions of 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."
176 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
10 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Patrick McDonnell
179 books388 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 21, 2015
Not so much of a humorous comic, though some strips were intended to be. It was quite cute, though, and I enjoyed reading it.
About 2/3 of the book is made up of comic strips from 'Mutts', some with the series' main characters appearing, but many others centred around shelter animals who are waiting for or meeting with their new families.
The other 1/3 of the book is made up of photos of various animals that people adopted from animal rescues and shelters, with short lines of text written by their families.
About 2/3 of the book is made up of comic strips from 'Mutts', some with the series' main characters appearing, but many others centred around shelter animals who are waiting for or meeting with their new families.
The other 1/3 of the book is made up of photos of various animals that people adopted from animal rescues and shelters, with short lines of text written by their families.
August 9, 2019
Read for Book Roast's Magical Readathon: NEWTs Exams. Subject: Muggle Studies, A Level. (Photo Element on the Cover)
I. can. not.
I need to adopt all the animals. ALL OF THEM.
The shelter stories in the Mutts comics are always the hardest for me to read, and this is those stories collected into one volume, along with beautiful photos of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds who were rescued and taken to their forever homes.
THIS BOOK HURTS MY COLD BLACK HEART.
Also there's a whole series devoted to Katrina rescue animals and I JUST AM NOT MENTALLY STRONG ENOUGH FOR THESE PRECIOUS BABIES.
36 books in 31 days: Book 12
I. can. not.
I need to adopt all the animals. ALL OF THEM.
The shelter stories in the Mutts comics are always the hardest for me to read, and this is those stories collected into one volume, along with beautiful photos of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds who were rescued and taken to their forever homes.
THIS BOOK HURTS MY COLD BLACK HEART.
Also there's a whole series devoted to Katrina rescue animals and I JUST AM NOT MENTALLY STRONG ENOUGH FOR THESE PRECIOUS BABIES.
36 books in 31 days: Book 12
July 8, 2013
I LOVE Mutts the comic strip and author Patrick McDonnell's animal advocacy message. The trials and tribulations of shelter pet's delivered in a heartwarming and heartbreaking way make this a classic!
July 28, 2011
Mutts is my favorite comic strip and I've always loved the strips that the artist has put out during Shelter Week. This book collects them all and intersperses them with pictures of real adopted pets and short comments by their new guardians.
September 8, 2019
Fantastic, heartwarming book that reinforces a love for animals. McDonnell's artwork is so simple, yet charming. Highly recommended!
July 5, 2024
Loved this book! I am a proud owner of a Shelter Dog who rescued me and stole my heart from the moment I met him.
I loved the mixture of the heartwarming comics along with the pictures and stories of actual Shelter Animals that found their happily after.
This book really resonated with me and took me back to that special day when my Mr. Oliver claimed me as his own by peeing on me and marking his territory when we met at the shelter.
I loved the mixture of the heartwarming comics along with the pictures and stories of actual Shelter Animals that found their happily after.
This book really resonated with me and took me back to that special day when my Mr. Oliver claimed me as his own by peeing on me and marking his territory when we met at the shelter.
January 20, 2025
Great book. I loved the stories, the art, and the subject matter. We've adopted two shelter dogs over the years, and they have each been wonderful. Forever in our hearts. A Labrador Retriever and a Great Pyrenees. This book was my first from this author. I like his art style and will now be tracking down more of his collections.
February 18, 2020
A lot of the shelter strips add in with successfully adopted shelter pets. It is a beautiful collection and a gentle reminder to love your animals and to look for them. You never know where your newest member of the family may be.
July 26, 2018
This book restores my faith in humanity. Through the many re-reads, it never fails to uplift my spirits.
September 18, 2021
The pictures and stories of the pet's were heartwarming, the comic part was very repetitive and I tended to skip over them since it was pretty much the same story over and over again.
December 10, 2025
Shelter Stories are always my favorite. Sometimes sad but always heart warming. In between there are some pictures/small stories from "real" shelter animals who have found a happy ending.
April 28, 2008
I was a little disappointed in this book. I was expecting full length stories about pets who had been rescued from a shelter rather than a few sentences or a paragraph. I think that may have been more effective at persuading people to adopt a pet. I'm also not sure I agree with the advice about elderly people adopting older animals. Adult animals yes, but elderly animals (and animals are considered elderly relatively early in life) require a lot of extra care and often expensive medical treatment. The cartoons were cute but a little repetitive.
Having said all that, the book is still a nice read and very touching. The photography is just beautiful. The book also pointed out that shelters may have more than just dogs and cats. Sometimes there are rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, etc. The cartoons were actually more touching than the few lines about each animal. The book also had some good information at the end about how and why to adopt an animal from a shelter.
Having said all that, the book is still a nice read and very touching. The photography is just beautiful. The book also pointed out that shelters may have more than just dogs and cats. Sometimes there are rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, etc. The cartoons were actually more touching than the few lines about each animal. The book also had some good information at the end about how and why to adopt an animal from a shelter.
November 26, 2011
This book was about what animals think of in a shelter and people and their pets. It has some comics about what the author thinks what animals think about in the shelter(their trust in humans, what they've been through etc.). It also was about what people first experienced when they were about to adopt their pet. This book was not that intresting but it might incourage people to visit their nearest shelter and see if they can bring home a new friend. I got this book because it I thought it might be intresting but mostly because it was one of the only books that I could find. I finished this book because I wanted to know what other people think when their getting a pet and because I might have been able to persuade my mom to get me a pet dog. I would suggest this book to animal lovers because it was about what other people think of after they get a pet.
July 7, 2010
I've liked Patrick McDonnell for years now. A combination of style and content, no doubt. Shelter Stories is really a fantastic little book of McDonnell's shelter-centered comics and really charming photos of adopted animals. (The photos made me think of Rachel Hale's Smitten and Snog, cat and dog photography respectively.) As I've worked with animals for a bit now in various forms (and with more rescues than not), it's hard for me not to be more than a bit touched by the pro-adoption theme, particularly of older animals and those that come with a multitude of issues because of human idiocy. Definitely a nice gift book to give to any animal lover.
September 17, 2011
I thought this book was going to have, well, stories in it. You know, about shelter animals. I didn't expect one or two milquetoast comments over a picture of the shelter animal. I knew this book was Mutts related but it was way more Mutts and way less shelter animal goodness than I thought it was going to be.[return][return]That said, it's a visually appealing book. It still manages to be touching and amusing. The problems I had with it won't bother anyone who sees it in a bookstore and flips through it. I was just unprepared by the description for what it actually was. I think those beautiful animals deserved more attention than they got!
January 2, 2014
This book is really hit or miss.
I personally find the Mutts comics to be dull, and a lot of this book is as well. The "stories" are repetitive. The comics are interspersed with photo's and little stories of successful adoptions, which is nice to see. All of the comics center around adopting animals from shelters.
I will say that if you are in the right mood, or the right person this book can really get to you. I was a shelter worker for years, and I was having a rough day when I initially picked up the book. I was in absolute tears because some cartoon animals didn't get adopted. My boyfriend probably thought I was crazy, bawling while reading comics!
I personally find the Mutts comics to be dull, and a lot of this book is as well. The "stories" are repetitive. The comics are interspersed with photo's and little stories of successful adoptions, which is nice to see. All of the comics center around adopting animals from shelters.
I will say that if you are in the right mood, or the right person this book can really get to you. I was a shelter worker for years, and I was having a rough day when I initially picked up the book. I was in absolute tears because some cartoon animals didn't get adopted. My boyfriend probably thought I was crazy, bawling while reading comics!
July 15, 2014
Will make you proud if you've adopted a pet from a shelter, encourage you to do so if you haven't, and make you think about volunteering to help at all of the variations of shelters that need assistance in caring for these wonderful creatures who just need some love and a second chance.
The pictures and captions are enjoyable, some make you smile or laugh out loud. And the comics by Patrick McDonnell are a joy for fans of his Mutts series because they are a chance to see some new comics since he retired years ago.
Hats off to Patrick for his work on various humane society boards as well as encouraging the rest of us to adopt from and volunteer at animal shelters!
The pictures and captions are enjoyable, some make you smile or laugh out loud. And the comics by Patrick McDonnell are a joy for fans of his Mutts series because they are a chance to see some new comics since he retired years ago.
Hats off to Patrick for his work on various humane society boards as well as encouraging the rest of us to adopt from and volunteer at animal shelters!
April 23, 2008
It wasn't easy to read this book. Not because it was boring, or too long, but because every time I put it down, someone else would pick it up. 'How cute!' or 'Look at that!' When I finally got the book all to myself, I was charmed. The pictures are adorable and the stories of the animal were inspiration. The little comics added a lot to the book. I especially loved Chickpea and his brother. My favorite cartoon was at the end, with the little cat saying, 'I'll take them all!' If you are animal lover, you will love this little book.
March 9, 2009
Read this in bed in one sitting and keep wanting to reach down to pet the little monsters' head who were crowding me on the bed as always. Duvet stealers, carpets and sofa wreckers, books and boxes chewers.... furballs in the shape of cats but you'd swear that they're crossbreeds with horses and rats. But I love them to bits and I guess they love me too by the way they'd insist on sitting on me or any body parts whenever they could and the looks they give me... adopt a pet. Or two. Or three. Definitely worth it.
January 12, 2015
I love my MUTTS and I love this book. I love that McDonnell is such an advocate for adopting animals at shelters and works with the HSUS. I loved seeing the pictures and the little snippets about each dog. (Although at least a paragraph about each saved animal would have been nice!) A few of his cartoons brought tears to my eyes; they are all so sweet and remind me how much an animal has to give to just the right person!
May 10, 2018
I LOVE this little book. (Actually, to be honest, I love everything Patrick McDonnell does--the man has a wonderful big heart.)
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to go and clean out the local animal shelter and bring them all home with you. That's a good thing for a book to inspire.
I just ordered a copy of this book to save for a Christmas gift for a dear friend, cuz I can't give up my own copy. I expect to read it again and again.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to go and clean out the local animal shelter and bring them all home with you. That's a good thing for a book to inspire.
I just ordered a copy of this book to save for a Christmas gift for a dear friend, cuz I can't give up my own copy. I expect to read it again and again.
October 8, 2009
Comic strips with talking animals.
Plus glossy pics of four-legged (or fewer), pleading and/or battle-scarred adoptees.
Took an hour or so to get through.
Also a kleenex box.
What's not to like?
Ideal gift for someone who insists that they are done bringing pets into their homes.
Am I evil, or what?
Plus glossy pics of four-legged (or fewer), pleading and/or battle-scarred adoptees.
Took an hour or so to get through.
Also a kleenex box.
What's not to like?
Ideal gift for someone who insists that they are done bringing pets into their homes.
Am I evil, or what?
June 29, 2011
Very quick to read given that it's comic strips, but McDonnell does a great job of drawing attention to the number of animals waiting in shelters to be adopted. This book uses quotes from folks that have adopted shelter animals and the strips that McDonnell has written about some of these animals.
October 24, 2011
I Love, Love, Love this book! The pictures together with the comic strip makes for a great combination. I especially like that all of the photos were taken by the pet owners. The pictures alone spoke volumes. But the captions and comics were wonderful additions![return]Will recommend to all animal lovers with a coffee table!
December 29, 2018
A short compilation of MUTTS comics and stories of rescued shelter animals: if you’re looking for a heart-warming read this is the book for you. It would also be fantastic for waiting rooms, guest rooms, etc. because it’s such a positive read which is digestible in very short chunks. It would also make a fantastic gift for an animal lover. LOVE IT!
January 12, 2020
Highly recommend. Spent an hour one lazy Sunday afternoon reading this anthology cover to cover, with my senior shelter dog sleeping on my lap. Happy cried most of the read. I especially loved the photos and stories of real shelter pets throughout the book. Now, it's a great conversation piece resting on my living room coffee table.
February 1, 2009
This book features pictures of animals, mostly cats & dogs, who were rescued from shelters. Each picture includes a little snippet from the owner about their animal. Intermingled is cartoons by McDonnell, the guy who does Mutts. This book truly did my heart good.
November 14, 2010
i thought that the book was fairly good. some of the comics were humourous in a sad way. it almost made me go to the adoption center right now and adopt something. i reccomend this book to anyone who likes to read about animals :)
June 27, 2011
Affirmed the choices I have made. 4 dogs, 1 cat, all rescues. Plus 3 previous dogs and 1 hamster rescued as well and lived full lives in my care in spite of their beginnings. Well, they all have rescued me right back too! My babies!
April 27, 2018
As an animal lover, and someone who worked at an animal shelter, I've always loved the pro-adoption focus of this comic strip, which has made me tear up many times over the years. I'm going to take this book to my restaurant for others to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews