Preschool Book Review - Zen Shorts

From the Preschool Book

"There was once an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day, his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. 'Such bad luck,' they said sympathetically. 'Maybe,' the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it tow other wild horses. 'Such good luck!' the neighbors exclaimed. 'Maybe,' replied the farmer."

About the Preschool Book

In Zen Shorts (A Caldecott Honor Book), Michael, Karl, and their sister Addy have an unexpected new neighbor, a giant panda bear named Stillwater. They quickly become friends with Stillwater and discover that he has some wonderful lessons to teach them. One by one, the siblings go to Stillwater's house to visit and each time they discover that he has a wonderful stories or "zen shorts", to teach them the important lessons in life.

From the Reviewer

Zen Shorts, by Jon J. Muth, immediately captures preschoolers attention with it's beautiful watercolor-like illustrations and it's lovable characters. Stillwater is the type of neighbor that every preschooler wants, kind, inviting, and he also happens to be a giant panda bear. Stillwater is never too busy to spend time playing with or teaching the children. The wonderful "Zen shorts" incorporated throughout the book tell beautiful traditional stories that teach important life lessons in a way that is simple and meaningful to preschoolers.

Zen Shorts may be better suited to older preschoolers. The stories can be slightly long for preschoolers attention spans but once they are engaged in the story many older preschoolers will begin to listen to the true meaning behind the story. Zen Shorts, teaches beautiful lessons about forgiveness, love, and life. They are important lessons to be learned by people of all ages.

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