Grass Roots Books and Music: The Power of Mooch

The life of a grown up can be a busy place. We’ve all been there. And although we are all lucky enough to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, there are times when the solace and wisdom found in the nature around us is overlooked or forgotten. These are the times nature can help us the most. The birds the trees, the bugs the leaves, and even our very own cats and dogs can connect us to something that is still and soothing.

Finding this can be profound, at least, but it doesn’t have to be melodramatic all the time. It can be simple, succinct and fun. This is exactly why I love reading the comics and children’s books of Patrick McDonnell so very much. Not only is he an award winning cartoonist who declaratively illustrates our companionship with and love of nature and animals, he is a real crusader for animal rights. He sits on the national board of directors for the humane society and regularly works with animal protection groups.

His collections of comic strips are always great to have when you need a pick up. My copy of Stop and Smell the Roses at home has well worn pages that I have opened many times for a quick and quirky dose of animal wisdom. His newest collection, Our Little Kat King, is even better! Mooch & Earl, and other various woodland and suburban creatures, bring a smile to the face and the feeling that everything is right with the world.

Recently, his collaboration with Eckhart Tolle was released in paperback. Guardians of Being: Spiritual Teachings from Our Dogs and Cats is one of those books that I buy in bulk and give away as often as possible. Each page presents one of McDonnell’s illustrations, and words by Eckhart Tolle that remind us to live in the present moment. They direct the reader to look to their pets as Zen masters who always live in the now. It is poignant, heartwarming and most importantly applicable in our everyday lives.

What Tolle says in Guardians of Being sums up McDonnell’s illustrations pretty well saying, “Everything natural –every flower, tree, and animal – has important lessons to teach us if we would only stop, look and listen.” Patrick McDonnell so effortlessly shows us that in our busy lives we can be present, content, and compassionate. What’s even more, and probably the most important is that he allows us to share this with our children.

Over the years, McDonnell has written several children’s books. They all follow a similar picture book format, featuring around forty pages of his wonderful comic illustrations alongside delightful lines of text. The Gift of Nothing was his very first children’s book. In it Mooch the cat doesn’t know what to get Earl the dog as a gift because he already has everything. In the end he discovers that he can give Earl a moment; a precious present moment with his best friend. This cute story has a very Zen feel. I have used it during story time often- both with the physical book and as an interactive oration. In either situation children love the book and understand the message.
In Just Like Heaven Mooch the cat wakes up to quite a foggy day and decides he must be in heaven. The story is a look at everyday beauty and wonder. The people and places we love are to be appreciated here and now. It reminds me of my foggy morning commutes. Is heaven really just a place on earth? In South, McDonnell actually leaves out print and tells a story just with pictures. I love reading this particular story with children and letting them help tell the story as we go through each of the illustrations. A small bird is left behind by the flock when they fly south. Who will help him find his way??? Mooch of course! The simplest of his books is probably Wag!, which explores what makes Earl the dog’s tail really get going. Earl knows the secret to the joy of life. Do you?

One of my very favorite picture books is Hug Time, which was recently released in a board book version. How exciting! It can be shared with even younger folks now. Jules the kitten goes on a mission to hug the whole world! He hugs a giraffe, tree, petite pudu and even a “species brand new!” It’s all so precious!
And of course, what better way to connect our children with the wisdom and beauty of nature than through a picture book version of Dr. Jane Goodall’s biography? Me…Jane presents the story of a young Dr. Jane Goodall who wanted most of all to live with and help animals. Then what do you know? She does. The story is laid out a little different than his previous books with anecdotes straight from Goodall’s autobiography. When Jane was young, she and Jubilee (her stuffed chimpanzee) started the Alligator Society for young naturalists. McDonnell includes well executed illustrations from her ‘nature notebook’ as she explores the wilderness around her, including squirrels and chickens! Not only does this book challenge children to explore and learn from the world around them, it also shows them that big dreams can, and do, come true. Kids aren’t the only ones who need to be reminded of this. We all do.