They Moved My Bowl: Dog Cartoons by New Yorker Cartoonist Charles Barsotti

I bought this as a Christmas gift for a dog lover. She seemed happy to receive it.

I've always loved Barsotti; his intelligence, drier-than-dust humor, razor-sharp wit and economy with line is unmatched, in my opinion. But there's a special, perfect innocence to his Pup cartoons, a sweetness that always elicits an "awww" rather than "ergh." This collection is long overdue.

There's no kinder commentary on human/canine society than Barsotti's funny take on people as pups/pups as people. This is not just for dog lovers, it's a great gift or bedside pal for the down-in-the-mouth, stressed-out crankypants who needs to connect with his/her inner pooch. Would that be you? How do you beat a dog judge commenting to a doggy defendant, "As unbelievable as it may seem to you today, this court was once a puppy too." If you haven't collected Charley's works, start now! Add some grins to your goofball world.

Five stars aren't really enough. I used to think that Charles Barsotti was James Thurber reborn in the mid-west, but that underestimated his extraordinary talent. His latest book, "They moved my bowl' appears to be about pups but, of course it isn't. It's about us, and about you. If you look in the mirror, like most people do at every opportunity, you absolutely have to buy this book and spend some time with it. It's a mirror in which you'll find both the essence of 'puppyness' and a discerning insight into you.

Barsotti's drawings have graced the New Yorker, Fast Company, The Atlantic and Playboy for years. His takes on topics as diverse as corporate life and string theory always reflect a whimsical intelligence. But, the quintessential Barsotti drawing involves a dog. With a few simple lines Barsotti exhibits a deep understanding of the modern relationship between dogs, humans and the humor that this ancient partnership has created. Any true dog lover will cherish this long-overdue collection of his New Yorker drawings.