Bonk! A Mutt’s Treasury

By Patrick McDonnell. Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC. $19.99.

Relive a year in the lives of best buddies, Earl, a small mutt with a big heart, and Mooch, an independent cat which tests his best friend’s patience and pep daily, in this delightful 16th collection of Mutts strips.

The 206-page volume mixes color Sunday strips, with black-and-white daily counterparts along with stylish design and holiday-theme pages, beginning with New Year’s resolutions and wrapping with a visit from Santa.

Part of the fun here is that you can accompany Earl and Mooch through a year’s travels either fast-forward or at a turtle’s pace, but that choice is totally yours.

“Bonk!” is a feel-good, spirited travelogue packed with rich nourishment and crisp wit. And who couldn’t use some of that today?