Zen Socks (A Stillwater and Friends Book)

Starred review from July 20, 2015
Muth continues his series of stories about Stillwater, the neighborhood panda who may or may not be a Zen master. Stillwater’s original neighbors, Addy and her brothers, are gone—grown up, perhaps—and new neighbors, Leo and Molly, have recently moved in. “What’s his name again?” Leo asks. “Mister... Quietpuddle?” True to form, Stillwater responds to Molly’s fizzy eagerness to be a famous ballerina with a Zen tale about the sword master Banzo and his overeager pupil, Jiro. (When Jiro says that 10 years is too long to become a swordsman and asks how long it will take if he works even harder, Banzo replies, “Oh, well then, maybe thirty years.”) Later, Stillwater and Leo contemplate badness and selfishness over cookies and toy robots, and the book concludes with an episode of a starfish rescue mission on the beach, based on a story by nature writer Loren Eiseley. While Stillwater’s focus now widens to include wisdom that doesn’t derive from Zen sources, Muth’s art remains strikingly beautiful, and Stillwater is perennially charming. Ages 4–8. Agent: Allen Spiegel, Allen Spiegel Fine Arts.

June 15, 2015
Stillwater, the wise panda from Muth's Zen picture books is back. Brother and sister Leo and Molly and their cat, Moss, have moved to a new neighborhood and find that their neighbor is a giant panda named Stillwater. Readers of Muth's earlier books will be familiar with Stillwater's serene grace as he delivers messages of life's essence to young friends. In this book, filled with light-infused watercolors of uplifting hues, Stillwater teaches Molly, a dancer, the value of patience with his story of Banzo's sword. The Zen story is encapsulated within the bigger story, set off by brushed-ink illustrations and ivory paper. When Leo visits Stillwater, wishing to play good-guy-bad-guy robots with him, Stillwater shows rather than tells what a bad guy is (by hogging all the cookies)-a graceful reminder to readers that no one is immune to selfishness. One day they all ride their bikes to the beach (the rather loose connection to the dancer-and-robot storyline is that they are all friends and do things together), where they discover starfish stranded as the tide goes out. As they begin to throw the seemingly endless starfish back into the water, they are rewarded at the end of the day by a beach empty of starfish and a sky filled with stars. Lessons of patience, compassion, and sharing, delivered gently. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-10)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from July 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-The sage giant panda, Stillwater, returns to bestow knowledge through storytelling, this time while occasionally donning a pair of red-and-white striped socks. As Muth explains in the author's note, Zen Socks was inspired "by all of the unexpected way I have benefitted from those who have 'socked it to me.'" Readers meet Leo and Molly, siblings who have moved into a new neighborhood and are delighted to discover that the unusual panda ("'What's his name again?' asked Leo. 'Mister...Quietpuddle?'") is their neighbor. When Molly expresses the desire to be a famous ballerina with her name on glittery posters, Stillwater tells "The Taste of Banzo's Sword," a humorous tale adapted from Paul Reps's Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (Tuttle, 1957), which emphasizes the importance of patience. Later, Leo and Stillwater muse about the nature of "bad guys" and selfishness. Finally, the trio heads to the beach where they find starfish stranded on the shore. Though there are too many starfish and it seems nearly impossible to help, the siblings rally, coming to understand that even very small acts of kindness make a difference. Muth once again employs dual styles: sumi ink-style black-and-white drawings for the Banzo's Sword story, and loose, light-filled watercolors for the scenes with Stillwater and the children. The compositions create a tranquil atmosphere and an appropriately Zenlike airiness, allowing young readers to focus on the character's interactions and observations. There are certainly lessons here, but they are imparted with gentle grace and respect for a child's developing sensibilities. VERDICT Muth makes a meditation on patience, kindness, and faith not only accessible, but charming.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
Grades K-2 Muth's giant panda Stillwater returns in another book about friendship, feelings, and the power of stories. In a leisurely style, Muth reacquaints readers with Stillwater and introduces Leo, Molly, and their cat, Moss. But serious questions mingle with the fun. Molly wants to be a ballet dancer and hopes that very soon she will be onstage. So Stillwater tells her the tale of impatient Jiro and his desire to become a swordsman. (Despite its message of hard work, this adaptation of The Taste of Banzo's Sword may raise eyebrows when master gives apprentice some whacks with a spoon and broom.) When Leo offers Stillwater cookies, the panda wants only the best ones for himself, which leads to a conversation about greed and generosity. Finally, the group finds a beach full of starfish destined to die unless someone has the tenacity to fling them back into the sea. Muth's artwork here is superb and varied. The graceful watercolors can be filled with affection and humor or marked by serenity in the nature scenes. Jiro's tale is executed in sturdy pen-and-ink with monkey characters. A visual delight that invites discussion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)