BOOK PICKS.Byline: The Register-Guard "Zen Shorts" By Jon J Muth Scholastic Press, 2005 Ages 5 to 9 Three siblings, Addy, Michael and Karl, look out the window and see a giant panda panda, name for two nocturnal Asian mammals of the order Carnivora: the red panda, Ailurus fulgens, and the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca. in their backyard. The panda, Stillwater, introduces himself ("He speaks with a slight panda accent') and over the next few days each of the children visit him. During each visit, the panda tells a story. Addy, who brings Stillwater a cake with a piece of bamboo on top, hears a story about Uncle Ry, who discovers a "visitor" (a robber raccoon raccoon, nocturnal New World mammal of the genus Procyon. The common raccoon of North America, Procyon lotor, also called coon, is found from S Canada to South America, except in parts of the Rocky Mts. and in deserts. ) in his house. Uncle Ry welcomes the visitor, but because he is so poor, he frets that he has nothing to give his guest. The robber wants to make a quick exit, but Uncle Ry won't let him leave without a gift. Finally, Uncle Ry takes off his very worn robe and gives it to the robber. When Michael visits Stillwater, he hears a story about a farmer whose bad luck might be good luck and whose good luck might be bad luck. As Michael says, "Maybe good luck and bad luck are all mixed up. You never know what will happen next." Karl, the youngest, who is so angry at his brother that he can't enjoy swimming with Stillwater, hears a story about living in the moment. In the author's note, Muth says that the stories come from Zen Buddhist Noun 1. Zen Buddhist - an adherent of the doctrines of Zen Buddhism Zen, Zen Buddhism - school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith; China and Japan and ancient Tao literature. He explains that Zen, in Japanese, means meditation, and "Zen shorts are short meditations - ideas to puzzle over Verb 1. puzzle over - try to solve cerebrate, cogitate, think - use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments; "I've been thinking all day and getting nowhere" ." Muth's illustrations in this large, square, expansive book are done in soft but beautifully detailed watercolor. There is a roominess room·y adj. room·i·er, room·i·est Having plenty of room; spacious. See Synonyms at spacious. room  i·ly adv. about the pictures that is very pleasing;
nothing feels busy or crowded. When Karl sits on Stillwater's furry fur·ry adj. fur·ri·er, fur·ri·est 1. Consisting of or similar to fur. 2. a. Covered with, wearing, or trimmed with fur. b. Covered with a furlike substance. 3. belly, we can imagine how good that feels. The Zen stories are depicted in black and white, with humorously drawn animal characters. The contrast between the two styles is dramatic, helping children to "switch gears" easily. "Zen Shorts," which was just named a 2006 Caldecott Honor Award winner for its exceptional illustrations, is a unique book to share with a child. - Susan Jewett, librarian Riverbend Elementary School elementary school: see school. Springfield |
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