Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
64 used & new from $5.75

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Tell a Friend
The Gift of Nothing
 
 
Are You an Author or Publisher?
Find out how to publish your own Kindle Books
 
  

The Gift of Nothing (Hardcover)

by Patrick McDonnell (Author) "It was a special day and Mooch wanted to give his best friend, Earl, a gift..." (more)
4.9 out of 5 stars  (30 customer reviews)

List Price: $14.99
Price: $10.19 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.80 (32%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

64 used & new available from $5.75

Better Together

Buy this book with Just Like Heaven: A Mutts Children's Book by Patrick McDonnell today!

The Gift of Nothing Just Like Heaven: A Mutts Children's Book
Buy Together Today: $20.38

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Hug Time

Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell

5.0 out of 5 stars (10)  $10.19
Art

Art by Patrick McDonnell

4.3 out of 5 stars (6) 
The Three Questions

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth

4.8 out of 5 stars (57)  $11.55
Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (The Little Light of Mine Series)

Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (The Little Light of Mine Series) by Sarah Conover

4.7 out of 5 stars (13)  $19.95
The Best of MUTTS

The Best of MUTTS by Patrick McDonnell

5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  $16.47
Explore similar items : Books (99) Toys (1)

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The stars of the Mutts comic strip, Mooch the cat and his canine friend, Earl, break out of the Sunday funnies into the picture book world. McDonnell applies his spare style, sketching his cheeky characters with only a few deliberate lines. Each has a distinctive feature—Mooch's red ellipse-shaped nose, Earl's Princess Leia ears—that makes them instantly endearing. With plain backgrounds, a limited palette and a small square trim size, the book looks like a blown-up cartoon strip (even the pages have a newspaper-like grittiness). But the story has more depth than the minimalist visuals would suggest. Here, Mooch searches for the perfect gift for Earl. "What do you get someone who has everything?" he wonders. (Earl is the proud owner of a bowl, bed and chewy toy.) Mooch mulls it over (red and black dots and bubbles indicate his deep thinking) and comes up with "Nothing! He would give Earl the gift of nothing." But where to find nothing? Mooch tries shopping (because "Millie came home from the store and said, 'There was nothing to buy!' "). But alas, "nothing was not for sale." How he solves the problem is pure delight, reminding young readers that the greatest gift is friendship, not things. Both Mutts fans and newcomers will appreciate McDonnell's clever wordplay and lovable characters, who prove that nothing can be everything. All ages.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4–This story features characters from McDonnell's comic strip Mutts. Mooch (a cat) wants to give Earl (a dog) a gift, but he already has a bowl, a bed, and even a chewy toy. In fact, he [has] it ALL. In a flash of inspiration, Mooch decides to give him nothing, and sets out to find it. Though the kids say there is nothing to do, they always seem to be doing something. And even though Millie says there [is] nothing to buy, Mooch finds plenty in the stores. In the end, he wraps a big box with nothing in it and presents it to his friend. There's nothing here, says Earl. Nothing…but me and you, Mooch replies. And that's the point. The text is minimal and the small cartoon drawings are executed in black and white with touches of red and surrounded by plenty of white space. As Mooch ponders over his dilemma, he is engulfed by question marks. The picture of the two friends sitting wrapped paw-in-paw as they enjoy nothing and everything is charming. A fine vehicle for a one-on-one discussion of the meaning of friendship and gift-giving.–Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details
  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 56 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; Library Binding edition (October 5, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 031611488X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316114882
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  (30 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,280 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #44 in  Books > Children's Books > Animals > Cats > Fiction
    #45 in