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    Zen Ghosts
    Zen Ghosts
    Zen Ghosts
    Audiobook10 minutes

    Zen Ghosts

    Written by Jon J Muth

    Narrated by David Pittu

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    It's Halloween.
    The trees are ablaze in fiery reds. Excited children don colorful costumes. And there's mystery and fun around every corner!

    When Addy, Michael, and Karl finish trick-or-treating, their bags are brimming with treats. But the fun isn't over yet. Their good friend Stillwater the panda has one more special surprise in store for them. A mysterious visitor is about to tell them a spine-tingling story -- one that will fill each and every reader with wonder.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScholastic
    Release dateJul 1, 2012
    ISBN9780545434300
    Zen Ghosts
    Author

    Jon J Muth

    JON J MUTH has written and illustrated many acclaimed picture books including his Caldecott Honor title, Zen Shorts, which Kirkus proclaimed, “As perfect a picture as can be”; and The Three Questions, which the New York Times Book Review called “quietly life-changing.” His book Zen Ties was a New York Times bestseller. He lives in New York State with his wife and four children.

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    Reviews for Zen Ghosts

    4/5

    86 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Muth’s stories are picture books for older readers. They tend to have a thought-provoking message, and more complex storylines. Zen Ghosts is no different. Stillwater Panda returns, along with Addy, Michael and Karl (all characters from the original Zen Shorts and Zen Ties). This time, he shares the story of Senjo and Her Soul Are Separated, a tale about a young woman named Senjo who is forced away from her true love, Ochu, in order to marry another. And yet Senjo manages to find her way back to Ochu…sort of. More than a ghost story, Zen Ghosts invites readers to explore the concept of duality…the way we are different with different people.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful imagery both in the storyline and the book itself. The question within a story within a story is something that can be found across many ideologies. The Zen Ghosts book is part of a Zen series by the same author featuring Stillwater the Panda. This is a nice way to tie in the Halloween theme, tell a fabulous ghost story, and teach a lesson.
    • 4/5
      Stillwater - the wise and gentle Panda whose zen teachings were first to be seen in Zen Shorts and Zen Ties - returns in this third picture-book adventure, inviting Addy, Michael and Karl to a storytelling session at his house, after they finish their Halloween trick-or-treating. Here, in another guise, he unfolds a deliciously creepy, but also thought-provoking ghost story, concerning a young woman named Senjo, and the incredible dual life she leads, in two places at once.Using a well-known Zen koan - a type of paradoxical question meant to provoke a searching introspection that can prove illuminating, in and of itself - that he heard from a number of sources, Jon J. Muth crafts a lovely, contemplative Halloween book in Zen Ghosts, one that continues the education in Zen principles that was begun in the earlier Stillwater books, but also celebrates the spirit of the season. The tale of Senjo and Ochu, and the question of how it is possible to be in two places at once, and to be two people at once, is particularly apropos at Halloween, given the custom of putting on masks and costumes, and assuming (however temporarily) other identities, and the belief about borders between worlds (temporal and spiritual) opening at this time. The artwork here is just as strikingly beautiful as in the other Stillwater books, adding to the enjoyment of this excellent title! Recommended to anyone looking for Halloween titles that are a little different, and stand out from the usual ghostly and witchy fare available.
    • 4/5
      I have been a fan of Jon Muth from his earlier comics days with his work on “Meltdown: Wolverine and Havoc” and the epic “Moonshadow” series. Fantasy writer Micheal Moorcock said of Moonshadow

      ”This is an outstanding graphic tale, told at a level of literary and visual sophistication which introduced new standards and aspirations to the genre”

      Recently his storybook fiction has been equally stirring and eminently life-changing for me as both a former after-school librarian and a massive fan of zen tales and watercolors. Rarely does the poignancy of a koan combine with an emotional exploration as well as it does in Muth’s books.

      His newest book, “Zen Ghosts” follows the haiku speaking panda Stillwater and his young friends through an American Halloween. In a fashion similar to his earlier books “Zen Shorts” and “Zen Ties”, Muth ties together Asian and Buddhist thought in a framework that is easily identifiable by children while engaging to adults with little or no interest in Asian philosophy or culture ( or like me, has a massive interest in both). A wicker basket to be enjoyed for its utility or for the surprises held inside.

      In “Zen Ghosts”, Halloween serves as the backdrop to the Wu-men koan “Senjo and her soul are separated. Which is the true soul?” which was based upon the T’ang period ghost tale where the young girl Senjo appears as sick and lifeless to her parents after they refuse her wedding to the man she loves. The spirit of Senjo manifests into another form and runs off with her lover while her former self remains sick and listless in the house of her parents. Eventually, Senjo is reunited with her other self as her familial ties draw her back to her father’s household.
    • 3/5
      Initially I was a little confused about the character because the book jumps right in (but there are two similar books before this one, which could help explain). But, a giant talking panda monk tells 3 kids a story on Halloween. This story is actually based off of a real koan told by Chinese Buddhist Monks. Koans are questions that the reader must answer for himself, and this story the panda tells poses the question if there are more than one part to a person. More generally, the book could raise the question- do I act differently when I am around different people? While the story line seems choppy, if the reader is able to pick up on these questions, then the book becomes more fulfilling.
    • 5/5
      Stillwater is back just in time for halloween. He tells the children a ghost story about Senjo, that is a Koan, or question you have to answer for yourself.
    • 4/5
      In Jon Muth's Zen Ghosts, Stillwater, a giant panda with a Zen view of the world, goes trick or treating with three siblings and tells them a haunting ghost story about a woman whose soul is separated into two parallel lives, one of love and one of love lost. The atmospheric and luminous water colors complement the Halloween story beautifully. Meanwhile, the ghost story is told with a spare traditional Chinese brush painting style; while these illustrations are not as fully realized as the rest of the story, they are still effective.This is a story that readers of all ages can enjoy. I loved the artwork and the Zen koan. My 9 year old daughter loved the "mysteriousness" of the story. My 6 year old was entertained by the clever artwork (for example, the smallest child's monster costume's expressions changed with each scene), but did not like the ghost story because she didn't understand it.
    • 4/5
      Jake's Review: This book is really cool. I have never read anything like this before. It's like something Jason would read to us for our Karate Class. The illustrations are really cool and different. I think even Jesse would like the pictures, but don't let him touch it, because you know how he is with books (mom's note: sniff, sniff I know). Wicked ghost story within the main story. I liked that Stillwater also enjoyed candy like us kids, made him less serious. The book is definitely for younger boys than me, but I still liked it. I think it should be part of the class library for JK and SK. Although some of the words were way too big for the little babiesJake's Rating: 9/10Mom's Review: The illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful, I spent quite a few minutes on each page just taking in the art. I agree with Jake some of the words are a bit much for the younger reader, but I am pretty sure they will be so entranced with the art, they won't notice. The story is also unusual and unlike any other picture book I have ever seen before too. Definitely going to be an award winner. Another must for any school or public library. We will be passing this around the Karate School too, since many of the kids I think would really enjoy this Mom's Rating: 9/10