Pictures Speak Louder Than Words in Patrick McDonnell's South

My mom and I went to the mall with a friend recently, and as we were leaving a flock of geese flew overhead in a graceful formation. "Goodbye!" our friend called out, waving toward the sky. "See you next year!" Yes, the time for migration is upon us, summer having slipped by all too quickly. It's the perfect occasion to read Patrick McDonnell's South, the simple, nearly-wordless story of a songbird that sleeps through his flock's take-off. What's a poor bird to do? Find a friend like Mooch.

Mooch is the altruistic feline at the heart of McDonnell's comic strip Mutts. The strip, which has run since the early '90s and was a favorite of Charles Schulz, frequently emphasizes the virtues of kindness and cooperation. One wouldn't expect a cat to come upon a little lost songbird and commit to spending as long as it takes accompanying him on a journey to find his flock, but that is exactly what Mooch does, and fans of the strip won't be all that surprised to see this particular cat make such a magnanimous gesture. Mooch has an especially generous nature.

South is printed on creamy paper and features full-color illustrations that focus on autumnal hues, then wintry. Bluish-black Mooch offers his paw, and a yellow wing accepts. Together they traverse a landscape of browning grass, fallen leaves, barren trees and, eventually, snow. One image of them trekking among stands of birches as a fawn looks on is especially serene. We get the sense that this is a very young bird; until he finally reunites with those who left him behind, he never makes any attempt to fly. I suspect he lacks confidence as a solo flier.

So he walks, and the progress is slow but steady. Poor Mooch can't even get a nap in, since his charge feels abandoned yet again when he tries to catch some Zs. But you won't hear any complaints from this steadfast cat, nor does his face betray any annoyance. He has a job to do, and he will see it through to the end. He knows a cozy spot waits for him by the fireplace back at home; rest can wait until then.

This is a lovely book for children and parents to "read" together. Of course, it isn't so much reading as studying the illustrations, which only occasionally contain a demonstrative word like "WEEP WEEP WEEP," which emanates from the songbird in particularly helpless moments. There is no true dialogue, and certainly no narration. That's for the reader to furnish, if he or she so desires. Picture books can be wonderful exercises in storytelling, with the structure of the tale already laid out and nothing left to add but the words. Then again, McDonnell's sparse book is complete as is, so it may be preferable to simply enjoy the pages together as a finished product.

However one chooses to peruse these pages, South is a beautiful little book, an ode to the unchanging patterns of life and the richness added when one embarks upon the journey with a friend.