Review of ZEN SHORTS

Muth, Jon J. 2005. ZEN SHORTS. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0-329-45474-9

ZEN SHORTS is stories within a story. The story begins with Karl, the youngest of three siblings, seeing a panda bear in the backyard. His name is Stillwater. Each of the children visit with Stillwater and, in turn, is told a story. Stillwater’s traditional Buddhist and Taoist stories reflect human desires, fears, and the struggle for inner peace. While these stories have centuries-old roots, their placement in western children’s literature is distinctive. Despite the stories’ esoteric nature, the audience’s interest is piqued through the use of a story-telling panda. Muth appropriately assigns a calm voice to Stillwater, thus increasing the likelihood the characters (and the audience) will hear his message. Other indications of Muth’s ability to use voice and characterization are the typical complaints about a bossy big brother and a child’s wonderings about flight. When the children talk with Stillwater, he tells them stories which address their concerns and clarify their personalities. Finally, Muth’s painterly techniques with watercolor and ink garnered this book a Caldecott Honor Medal. With the exception of the bright red umbrella; muted, calming colors fill the pages. Supporting the text, the illustrations show Stillwater’s giant, unobtrusive, and nonjudgmental presence. But for an occasional smile, he stands and listens, his expression relatively unchanging. Muth’s use of details such as the bamboo-adorned cake and flying paper airplanes add depth and breadth to the story’s text.

Highly recommended for readers ages 6-11+ years. Though the anecdotes may be a bit obscure for younger readers, they provide fantastic springboards for conversations.