Friday, July 07, 2006

Zen Shorts

Muth, Jon. Zen Shorts. Illustrated by Jon Muth. Scholastic, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0439339111. $16.95. Ages 6-9.

As the peaceful and subdued Stillwater humbles himself for his new made friends Addy, Micheal, and Karl merge together through Japanese Zen. They spend their time with the giant panda learning life lessons through shared stories. Artistic illustrations of soft color coated through watercolors set the mood of serenity. The flashbacks of Zen Buddhist literature is captured through ink blotches, giving just a hint of texture. The inspirational text allows for the characters to communicate in a serene tongue, and gentle scenery of Muth's illustrations augments the submissive feel of the text. A restrained message underlying the nature of diplomatic actions is sure to be an immensive read.

Nathan Hillery, Early Education Major, Junior, BGSU

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