Zen Ghosts

Zen #3

by Jon J. Muth

Stillwater, the beloved Zen panda, now in his own Apple TV+ original series!

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Fiction, Holiday, Ghosts, Philosophy

Audio CD

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

Jon J. Muth is an American comic artist. His works include J. M. DeMatteis' graphic novel Moonshadow, Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: The Wake (along with Michael Zulli, Charles Vess), Mike Carey's Lucifer: Nirvana and Swamp Thing: Roots. Muth has gone on to an award-winning career as a children's book writer and illustrator. He received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for his illustrations in Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse.

He has also created a version of the Stone soup fable set in China.

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book! This book did leave us with a lot of unanswered questions.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story whisps into your bones like a ghost. It is a Zen Koan story to make you intuitively come up with an answer. It is set at Halloween with all the fun of Halloween. The ghost is a giant panda. The art is pastels and film-y like a dream. I enjoyed this story and the question it posed. Which me is me?
A gentle story.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

”When our hearts are taken in two different directions, where are we?”

Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth is one of my all-time favorite books. So my first thought when I spotted Zen Ghosts in the bookstore was—Gah! How did this slip by me?

From the very first flip and step into this story, my imagination latched on to the warmth and wonder of the illustrations. Picture after picture will catch your eye and never let go. Rich, warm autumn colors, leaves, and shadows set the mood for a full moon Halloween of trick-or-treating with ghosts, pumpkins, and of course—oodles & oodles of candy! Readers will see and feel the magic of Halloween on every page.

Young Michael’s costume alone illuminates the essence of the holiday for me—an Owl Pirate! How awesome is that? :D My favorite part of Halloween is that we can be anything or anyone we want, anything we can dream up for one night. Dream, create, and be.

And to celebrate the night, Stillwater, our favorite Zen panda, treats us with a story of sadness and shivers. A tale filled with questions, magic, and mystery about who we are, the decisions we make, and how those decisions or demands tear us apart each and every day.

Please be sure to read the author’s note at the end. Mr. Muth says it all so perfectly:

”It is the kind of story that leaves you with more questions than it answers. Stories like that can’t be neatly wrapped up and placed on a quiet shelf and forgotten. The thoughts they raise are constantly reemerging and changing as we go through our lives.”

A beautiful Halloween book.

Note to parents: I recommend trying this one as a library book before buying. I’m not sure how little ones will react to Stillwater’s tale. I loved it. My 7 year old niece loved the pictures, but thought the story was just “okay”. :D

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I do think that Muth really stretches the limits (of understanding?) with his children’s picture books, but I do like them.

I liked this one very much, although the Halloween story combined with the Buddhist koan was a peculiar combination for me.

For school aged children, I think this book could get some interesting discussions started. There is an author’s note at the end about koans, etc. and it’s definitely written for adults and older children.

I adored the illustrations. The style changes from one part of the story to another. By far my favorite illustration was the two page long spread of the trick or treaters, which includes a witch who is actually flying.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stillwater the panda returns to his friends, the three young children, as they prepare for Halloween. (I love that the one little boy can't decide if he wants to be a pirate or an owl and that Stillwater tells him he can be both--this is such a great foreshadowing of the theme of this story!) After the children go trick-or-treating, they meet Stillwater for a ghost story and Stillwater tells them a Zen Koan (a teaching story with no "right or wrong" answer but something for the student to internalize--it's meant to resonate), the Story of Senjo.

The illustrations are beautiful--the trick-or-treat scene is a feast for the senses and I'm so in love with the girl's white dress! I also appreciate how the Stillwater narrative is in color whereas the illustrations for the story he tells are mostly black-and-white and much more Asian in flavor.

For some reason, I wasn't as enamored with this particular Stillwater book as I hoped I would be. I really appreciate Muth's work, and I admire that he is introducing children (and adults) to Zen. I love his artwork, the way he parallels the koan with the children's Halloween story is very clever. But, the story just didn't really flow--the koan is rather long and breaks-up the narrative of the Stillwater/children story. I think some children will be frustrated by this--though, of course, that's no reason not to share this story with them. But, I actually appreciated the picture book more after I read Muth's Afterward--I got what he's trying to say, and really appreciate the concepts he is trying to highlight and make accessible for children (i.e., the duality in our personalities, how we can sometimes feel like different people depending on who we are with, etc.) I guess I just wanted a little more from the text of the Stillwater story since the illustrations are so gorgeous and Muth's purpose seems so rich with possibility.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn's review says pretty much what I would, and says it better. I did not appreciate this much at all until I got to the author's note... and now I want to read/ study (?) some of the other koans in The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans and The Blue Cliff Record. Even though I don't particularly like Halloween, I'm glad I read this book. All of Muth's books are good for me, both enriching and enjoyable.

Highly recommended, especially if you read another in the series first.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's October, so I thought I should probably read at least one Halloween story. I happened to see this e-book in the library system, so I thought I'd give it a try.

This is the second picture book I've read that tries to teach elements of Zen to young children (the first one being Sanjay Nambiar's Maybe: A Little Zen for Little Ones, which I thought was pretty awful). I'm not sure it's something that the age group is really ready for. I understand why the author thinks the topic is appropriate for children, and I agree to a certain extent. But many children today are very literal thinkers, and puzzling over a koan probably isn't going to be a very useful experience.

The pictures are lovely, and I wouldn't mind checking out more books illustrated by this author/artist. However, I did find some of the plot points a bit unnerving. Three little kids go trick-or-treating alone, and then they're told by a giant talking panda to meet him somewhere so he can take them off to his house to tell them a ghost story. Does that not sound like child luring to you? The added element of candy just makes it all the more uncomfortable. (I realize these kids have some sort of past with Stillwater the panda, but I still didn't like the way they just went off with him without parental consent. Adult family friends can and do take advantage of children, and I don't know if this message of explicit trust is the best one to be sending.)

So... "yes" to the pictures, "maybe" to the koan, "no" to the rest of the story. I hoped to like this one more than I did, but I just can't get past the slightly creepy panda taking three unsupervised children to his house. Maybe I'm just too paranoid/cynical for books like this.

[Soumya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. God.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful Stillwater the panda returns for a third time with another picture book filled with Zen. In this book, Stillwater spends time with the children as they prepare to go trick-or-treating. Then after they are finished, he brings them to a place where a panda tells them the story of Senjo. In the story, Senjo is in love with her best friend from childhood. But when her father gets ills, she is forced to marry a wealthy man. Ochu, the man she loves, leaves the village because he cannot bear to see her marry someone else. But as he is leaving, he sees Senjo on the bank and they run off together. Years later, Senjo feels she must try to reunite with her father. When they return to the village, Ochu speaks to her father and then discovers that Senjo has been ill in bed since the night Ochu left years ago. The two Senjos meet and merge together into one. So the question asked is which Senjo is the true one? It is a marvelous Koan that is not meant to be solved. Modern children may be frustrated by this type of story, but all the more reason for them to hear it.

Muth takes the setting of Halloween, combines it with a ghost story of sorts, and turns the holiday into something new. The children in the story are always talking about their candy and their costumes. Just as in the other Zen books by Muth, the children remain children completely. They ponder new ideas and discover new ways of thinking, but they are children still. Muth’s water colors are rich and autumnal here until the story within the story begins and the colors fade to whites and grays. Muth offers several great double-page spreads that really capture autumn and Halloween.

This is a very different Halloween story, but one that really has a place in every library. It is beautifully written, illustrated with elegance and offers a new perspective for readers. What more could one want? Appropriate for ages 5-9.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 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.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stillwater tells an ancient, non-spooky tale to his friends, and candy is consumed.

As in all of Muth's Zen books - the artwork is the star. This one is particularly lovely with vivid orange and red autumnal landscapes, and a delightful two-page spread of all the kiddies in their costumes. My favorite is the monkey/cowboy. Is it a real monkey dressed up, or a child who couldn't decide between two costumes? It doesn't really matter - that's the magic of Halloween, folks.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might possibly be my favorite in the "Zen" series.

Addy, Michael, and Karl are changing into their Halloween costumes when they think they see a ghost...but it is their good friend and mentor, Stillwater. Stillwater invites them to come over for something special after the children are finished trick-or-treating. Once the children are settled at Stillwater's home, he begins to tell them the story of "Senjo and Her Soul". It is a tragic love story about two best friends that grow up together and fall in love but due to a sick grandparent, Senjo must wed a richer man instead of her best friend. Senjo and her friend run away together, leaving everything behind. One day, they return back home but things are not what the seem... Stillwater leaves the children pondering a question about ghosts and duality.

Like the other books in the series, Stillwater's Zen shorts and Muth's water-colored illustrations demand the reader's attention and really make you think. my favorite scene in this book is the double page spread of all the children trick-or-treating...it's remarkable and there are plenty of small details to keep your eyes busy for hours. I also appreciated the butterflies that accompanied the Senjo story...

Great book.

[Jennifer Strong · Rating 2 out of 5]

A ghost panda tells three siblings an ancient "ghost story" after they are done trick-or-treating.
•
I have a lot of issues with this book. One, I did not realize this is the third in the "zen panda" series. Nothing on the book warned me. So that made the sudden jump into the children's lives confusing. They weren't surprised or afraid to see a ghost outside their house, and quickly identified him. That left me with questions- how do you know who he is? It felt like I missed the introduction. Second, the "ghost story" the panda tells them isn't a ghost story! It's a koan. (Which the author's note explains, is "basically questions you have to answer for yourself.") The koan told is actually super interesting! I don't understand why the rest of the story had to be included. The koan on its own would have made a great story! The Halloween elements and awful dialogue between the panda and children ruined this book for me. Perhaps if you've read the first two (and liked them), you may like this one, but it's not for me. (Which is a shame because the illustrations are nice.)

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addy, Karl, and Michael are looking forward to Halloween. They are deciding on their costumes when their good friend Stillwater visits them. He offers to tell them a ghost story after they finish trick-or-treating.

In Zen, this story is known as a koan. It is "a nonsensical or paradoxical question to a student for which an answer is demanded, the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating." (www.dictionary.com) The question in this book deals with the duality of self. For example, "I am the me with my parents, the me with my friends, and there is still another me with a different group of friends."

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zen Ghosts is a Halloween-night book, and as such the color palette is darker than Zen Shorts or Zen Ties, lovely deep blues and inky blacks and purple-greys, though there's also autumnal red and yellow and orange, with occasional flashes of grass-green. Stillwater the panda, already dressed as a ghost, visits his neighbors just before Halloween to tell them to meet up with him after trick-or-treating because he knows someone who will tell them a ghost story. Addy, Karl, and Michael comply, and are surprised to see that the storyteller is a panda who looks just like Stillwater. The story itself, which comes from a Buddhist koan, is about duality: if we have two selves, which is the true one? Can you even say we have more than one self, or is it just one self? If it's just one, why do we act different in different social circles/contexts? This being a koan, the story doesn't give an answer: you just have to turn it over in your mind. As in Zen Shorts, Muth uses a mix of watercolors and ink for the art in this book, and the combination works really well— I especially love the richness of the watercolors. The text of this book, since it's a ghost story, is mostly pretty solemn, but it's not without its funny/sweet moments, like Karl saving a bamboo-flavored candy bar for Stillwater. I also love that when Michael can't decide whether to be an owl or a pirate for Halloween, Stillwater suggests that could be an Owl-Pirate, which horrifies Karl, who says Michael has to choose to be one or the other. (More duality! And I love that Michael takes Stillwater's suggestion.)

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stillwater (great name for a Zen panda!) is back as the children prepare for Halloween. Stillwater tells then a ghost story which is really a koan (Zen story designed to get you to think). I loved the koan/ghost story about duality, which ended with an unexpected twist. I think I'd have liked the whole book better without the Stillwater framework, though. Jon Muth's note at the end of the book explaining the history of this story and what koans are and how they are used was interesting. His explanation of what the koan means to him hadn't occurred to me, so I found that interesting too. I would like to read more of these koans, and will look into some of the titles Muth mentions in the author's note. I also have to say that I like his illustrations, especially the last 2-page spread, where Stillwater and the 3 children are seated on the terrace facing the view of the village, with 2 butterflies representing the 2 lovers in the ghost story and the moon with an equally-sized round lantern hanging in the sky. Beautiful! Recommended.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the Zen stories by Jon J. Muth, featuring Stillwater and friends. The stories are very interesting and also teach a little bit about Zen Buddhism. The illustrations are softly rendered and just beautiful! I really enjoyed this tale.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Today, we’re starting our four-day extravaganza of Halloween books! To kick things off, we’ve chosen Zen Ghosts by Jon J. Muth, the third book in the delightful yet deep Stillwater Panda series.

It’s Halloween, and Stillwater Panda stops by to visit his young friends Addy, Michael and Karl, who are preparing their Halloween costumes. Karl is going to be a monster, Michael is deciding between an owl and a pirate (maybe an owl pirate?), and Addy is going to be a radiant moon princess. In fact, her lovely costume reminds Stillwater of a Halloween story, and he invites his friends to meet up with him after trick-or-treating so that he can have a storyteller perform it for them. The friends and Stillwater meet and head to Stillwater’s home, where they find that the storyteller is a panda who looks identical to their familiar friend. He imparts a tale of love and duty, and leaves them, and the reader, with a sense of mysterious wonder, as well as the question: what makes a ghost?

I’ve always been a fan of the Stillwater series, which teaches children Zen concepts, koans and thought experiments through the stories of a quiet, wise Zen panda and his young human friends. And this is a great addition to series: the serene way the story (and story-within-a-story) are told is lovely to read, and left open-ended enough that it encourages readers to contemplate its meaning, as any good Zen lesson should do. The art here is just as lovely as in previous Stillwater books, this time capturing the crisp, bright colors of fall and the ethereal environments of the ghost story beautifully. The length may be pushing it for the youngest bookworms, but JJ loved it. A strange and wonderful Halloween story full of mystery and wonder, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read some ghost stories for class, and if I was going to read ghost stories, then I thought there should at least be a panda involved! I enjoyed this, and the spooky story wasn't so much ghost-related as a supernatural question of identity.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was…weird.
I liked that the story was sorta happy?
Weird the women were one and the same, like her soul had split.
And the panda was one and the same.
Didn’t feel very Halloween, besides trick or treating.
The page with the leaves was pretty.

The end where it describes koans, (does that mean stories? What does it mean?), was more confusing. I get where it’s saying you’re different with different people. Me with my family, me with friends, me at work, but other than that it was confusing. Rest philosophical and deep and metaphorical and way too much for a kids book, or any book that I wanna read for that matter.

1.5 stars

[Tifa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art of this story was quite nice accompanied with the art style made a pleasant read. The message the author is trying to get out to children is nice and understanding.

[Katie Rodante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just lovely.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Good Halloween Read

4 - 8 years

[Dodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book in the Zen series that makes you think.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this one.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summarize the book:

Zen Ghosts is the story of three siblings who spend part of their Halloween night with their friend, Stillwater. It is the third in a series about Stillwater and the children. Stillwater is a panda bear who demonstrates facets of Zen Bhuddism without ever making those facets explicit. Zen Ghosts (and Zen Shorts) utilizes the Buddhist teaching-stories.

The children and Stillwater discuss their halloween plans. After trick or treating, the children travel to Stillwater's house to hear a "ghost story." When they arrive, there is a second panda bear. At first they think the other bear is Stillwater, then decide it is not. The bear tells the story of two lovers who cannot marry because of lack of wealth. The two run off together anyways, marry and start a family. After many years of being away, they both miss their families and decide to return to their home village and apologize to their parents.

When they arrive, the husband approaches his father-in-law while his wife waits in their boat. He apologizes and says they have come home. The father-in-law looks astonished and says that ever since the husband left the village, his daughter has been sick in bed, for all these years. The husband says, "no, she's in the boat. You have grandchildren! Let me bring her to you." The story ends with the two versions of the women meeting and merging into one.

When the story ends, only Stillwater and the children remain, no second bear, and the reader is left wondering both about the two women and whether or not their really was another bear. Stillwater and the children then trade some candy. The final and beautiful image in the book is the four of them sitting in a Stillwater's meditation space, looking out over their town.

Genre
This book is a picture book in that in combines many images, sometimes only images, and text to tell a story. It is definitely an "art object" (we display it on the mantle in autumn). I am on the fence as to whether it is a "picture storybook" with a great emphasis on text, or simply a picture book. It would fall into the genre anthropomorphic and also a little bit of mystery. Because of the rich additional context provided by the "author's note" at the end of the book, it could also be viewed as informational in terms of aspects of Asian culture and Buddhism.

Specific Concepts that could be Integrated into the Classroom
Asian culture; ambiguity; mystery; Buddhism; story-telling techniques (story-within-a-story).

Other Suggestions
This worked well as a read aloud with 3rd and 4th graders and to teach the use of context clues for vocabulary development.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Halloween, Stillwater the panda, who dons a spooky costume and mask, promises his human friends Addy, Michael, and Karl a spine-tingling ghost story to be told by a mysterious storyteller.

The storyteller--who looks remarkably like Stillwater--tells the children an unforgettable ancient Zen story about a girl named Senjo who hopes to marry Ochu, the boy next door.

Senjo's parents have different plans for her future. They want her to marry a more prosperous man than Ochu--someone who will care for the family and her ailing father. Heartbroken by the prospect of being separated, the two run off to a far away village & marry. As the years pass, Senjo's regret for having left her family slowly eats away at her happiness, and she and Ocho return home to make amends.

But a surprise ending is in store. For Senjo's father swears his daughter has been sick and living at home with him the entire time. Yet Ocho knows differently, for he has been living with Senjo for many years. What is the truth? Who is the real Senjo?

The story of Senjo was originally written down by a Chinese Buddhist Monk Master named Wu-men Hui-hai in the early 13th Century. This type of story, called a Koan, is used by students of Zen to attain enlightenment. It provokes thought and conversation--yet has no concrete answers.

Zen Ghosts is an original, beautifully crafted story, perfect for Halloween--or any time. (Goodreads Summary)

Zen Ghosts is a beautiful, thought provoking story that makes the reader and listener think for themselves. The watercolor and ink illustrations are wonderful, with humor included with "real" floating ghosta and running pumpkins mixed in with children. For second to 5th grade, and all who love Muth's art.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the same author who brought us Zen Shorts and Zen Ties, comes another story about dual nature of being human. After a fruitful night of trick-or-treating, siblings Addy, Michael, and Karl meet their friend, Stillwater, the Zen Buddhist panda, at his house for a ghost story. The story is to be told by a mystery storyteller. The storyteller (who looks an awful lot like Stillwater) tells of two friends, Ochu and Senjo, who fall in love. When Senjo’s family arranges for her to marry another man, she and Ochu run away together. After years away, they return to find that Senjo’s father believes without a doubt that Senjo never left, but, rather, had been with him the whole time. Senjo does not seem surprised by this spooky detail. The two Senjos meet and merge into one. The storyteller ends with at question. He asks, “Which Senjo is the true one? Are they one or are they two?” When the story is finished, only the storyteller Stillwater remains in the room, the other has vanished! An author note at the end explains that this type of story is a koan, a riddle that one must ask and contemplate for oneself. The author’s note goes on to explain the history of this koan, and the importance of asking questions without easy answers. Similar to the other Zen books by Muth, this hair-raising ghost story will leave readers with deep questions about perception—this time specifically about how people can sometimes be more than one thing at once.

[Atziri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon J. Muth's books have become a favorite of mine. The illustrations give a sense of peace, but they are still full of life. The author is both the writer and illustrator. The story is based on a "koan" which are basically questions that you have to answer for yourself. These appeal directly to the intuitive part of human consciousness, not the intellect. The story is an adaptation from a Chinese story titled "Senjo and her Soul are Separated".

In this book the Giant Panda, Stillwater, takes Addy, Michael and Karl, to a storyteller (who looks almost exactly like Stillwater). The storyteller draws and tells them a story. Senjo hopes to marry her best friend Ochu, but her father asks her to marry another man. Ochu learns about this and decides to leave. As he traveled up the river he saw a figure running along the bank and was surprised to find Senjo. They married and had to children. After some time they decided to return to see their parents. When they arrive Senjo's dad tells Ochu that Senjo has been very sick eve since Ochu left. Ochu tries to explain that Senjo is not sick and living with him. The sick Senjo rose from her bed and ran downstairs to find another Senjo. They both got reunited and became one. So... which Senjo is the true one? Are they one or are they two?, asked the storyteller.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 4 out of 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 babies

Jake's Rating: 9/10

Mom'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