Actress's New Book Mitzi's World Pairs Poetry and Painting with a Pup!

Looking for a lost dog has never been this much fun! Mitzi's World, a new children's book, follows a clever little pup named Mitzi as she experiences the four seasons in different American towns. But it's the reader's job to find her on each page, everywhere from New York and San Francisco to tiny neighborhoods and farms. A collection of bright images and poetry, the book is the brainchild of character actress Deborah Raffin (7th Heaven) and her artist friend, Jane Wooster Scott. "I'd always wanted to write a children's book," Raffin tells PEOPLEPets.com. "And I believed Scott's work was just perfect. So I sat down with her and convinced her it made sense for us to collaborate."

As it turned out, Scott had a habit of hiding her childhood dog, Mitzi, in many of her paintings. The black-and-white spotted mutt — who always wore a red collar — would typically be in the background of a work. So from there, the "hunt for Mitzi" premise of the book (similar to Where's Waldo?) was born. "We decided we were on the same page, wanting the book to be fun and interactive," says Raffin. "It's an activity book, as well as a coffee table keepsake, for all ages." It's also an award-winning book: Raffin and Scott just won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Book Award for their work.

Mitzi's World is just the first in a series that the two women plan to publish. "We'll take it one at a time," Raffin says. Proceeds from the tomes will be donated to various pet rescue charities, including New York's Friends of Animal Rescue. "One of our hopes is to bring about more awareness of rescue pets," says Raffin, who is mom to a Pomeranian herself. "We have to protect our beloved animals, too."

See more animal-inspired books on PEOPLEPets.com:
Come Back, Como Tells the Story of Rescue Dog with 'A Lot of Baggage'
America's Next Top Dog Model! Glamour Dogs Book Showcases Fierce Pups

Kate Hogan