"Show me a good mouser, and I'll show you a cat with bad breath."

December's Carnival of Children's Literature will showcase ideas for gift books, so here's an easy one: Garfield. And you don't even have to spend a lot of money, since collections of the grouchy fat-cat cartoons turn up frequently at thrift shops like Goodwill. The 8-year-old Garfield fan in my house thinks the cheeky feline is hilarious and quotes from the books often—plus, he has developed a love of lasagna, a Garfield staple. (Our copies cost 50 cents apiece at a library sale.)

Capable young readers who aren't that into chapter books yet will be thrilled to see Garfield under the Christmas tree. If you do decide to pay full price, check the humor section of your favorite bookstore.

Additional Garfield quotations, such as the one I used as the title's post, as well as e-cards and more, can be found at Garfield.com. The comic strip turns 30 in 2008.