Zen Ties

Stillwater the panda returns in this sequel to Muth's Zen Shorts, this time teaching Addy, Michael and Karl an important lesson about kindness to the elderly and looking under the surface of things... Also features a visit from Stillwater's adorable haiku-quoting nephew, Koo (Hi, Koo!).

Although I enjoyed this story, and found Muth's watercolor illustrations just as luminous and lovely as those which graced the first book, I wouldn't say this was quite as compelling as Zen Shorts. Perhaps my penchant for folktales bumped that one from three to four stars? Whatever the case may be, this is still a wonderful picture book.

The one term that comes to my mind when I read Jon J. Muth's Zen Ties is that it is one of those tales, those stories that can be described as being deceptively simple. On the surface, it is simply a sweet story of friendship, one that even the youngest children will easily enjoy and understand. But beneath the seeming simplicity of the narrative, there are not only delightful haikus and plays on words, there also exist sparkling flashes of wisdom and philosophy. For example, when Miss Whitaker talks about the roots of words, one can see that these roots are not only essential for words and plants, as she mentions, but also that real friendships require strong roots as well, and that these roots must be nurtured and cultivated in order show more for them to flourish. Zen Ties is thus a book I would recommend for and to both adults and children, a wonderful collection of sweetness and wisdom, where both joy and sadness, delight and seriousness are presented in small, delightful and easily digested portions (sweet, satisfying and enlightening all at once).

I have to admit that I was not and am not all that keen on some of Jon J. Muth's illustrations. I think that for the most part, they do work very well with the text, and I do love the way he depicts/paints landscapes and buildings. Personally though, I find the illustrations of the pandas, especially some of the larger depictions of Stillwater, a bit overbearing, even potentially frightening (I think if I had had Zen Ties read to me as a child, I might have found Stillwater a bit creepy and potentially frightening at first, until I realised what a truly wonderful character he is). I know that most people really, really love these illustrations, and I honestly believe that this is a personal preference, but gigantic Stillwater (and the large, completely opaque, black eyes of both Stillwater and Koo) really did require some getting used to for me. show less

Zen Ties is another adorable Stillwater the Zen panda book by Jon J. Muth. This one has a good moral story and haikus done by Koo, Stillwater's nephew. This is certainly a nice story about friendship and compassion, but it felt a little lofty. But because of the humour and gentleness of the story and the beauty of the illustrations and the adorable characters - young, old, animal and human, this is still a good book to read for both adults and children.
Love these pandas!!

Of special poignancy to me as I age and wish that I knew how to make friends with the neighbor children. Really hard to do if they're never outside playing, though, especially.
Don't miss comparing the front and back cover, for a revelation about how perspective works... and recall that 'perspective' is not just a drawing tool but also a tool for empathy & compassion.

I absolutely LOVED this book! There's so much going on to discuss as a class. There is rich heritage in the haiku presentations, the tea, the pandas...elements of Asian culture. The reader can relate to the children's fear of the old woman, too, as everyone knows an elderly person who has become bitter or grouchy. The symbolism of the disposable cup is wonderful, as well.

FANTASY: The book includes talking panda bears who are friends with children. No one seems to think anything of it even though the bears talk, ride trains, and wear ties. The children are friends with the panda bears.

All of Jon Muth's books are wonderful. I loved this one because the panda is doing Tai Chi on the inside front (and back ) covers of this book & it reminded me of my friend Cordel. It is a wonderfully illustrated children's book, but I know a few adults who could learn some from it as well. This is on my currently reading shelf, as my kids won't let me keep it on an actual bookshelf right now!

I already loved the beginning where a panda is pictured in different taichi moves, an art I used to know how to do. Stillwater the Panda reminded me of Totoro as he was friendly and quite playful with the children in the story. The story itself was a great way to portray that we are all quite connected and can relate to one another well.