---
product_id: 2168542
title: "Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) (Caldecott Honor Book)"
price: "VT5774"
currency: VUV
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/2168542-zen-shorts-a-stillwater-and-friends-book-caldecott-honor-book
store_origin: VU
region: Vanuatu
---

# Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) (Caldecott Honor Book)

**Price:** VT5774
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) (Caldecott Honor Book)
- **How much does it cost?** VT5774 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/2168542-zen-shorts-a-stillwater-and-friends-book-caldecott-honor-book)

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## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) (Caldecott Honor Book) [Muth, Jon J, Muth, Jon J] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) (Caldecott Honor Book)

Review: Great artwork, great stories, great messages. A family favorite. - If your household is anything like ours, you've got books aplenty. We could open a small library at this point, because as my now 3.5-year-old has grown, we saved all his books for his little sister. We haven't hit the phase yet where books can be donated because we've got another baby ready to read the old ones. So, when it comes to recommending a book to someone, knowing that they too may have a million books already, I really try to think it through. And this book is one I recommend to everyone, even if they've got room for just one more on their kid's shelf. It's well drawn, it's a good length for toddlers, it's peaceful, and there are messages in the stories that will evolve with your child as they grow. I remember the first time we read it when my boy was two. He liked the pictures and sat through it, listening the whole way. He asked for it a few times a week. And now that he's closer to four, we still read it, and he asks thoughtful questions about the Zen short stories that he (hopefully) absorbs and help him down the road. It's the type of book that's all fun on the surface with deep, positive ripples underneath. Our copy has been read maybe 80 times and we've gifted the book to a few others as well. Apple TV+ even recently created an animated show around the book so the stories of the three kids and their neighbor panda, Stillwater, can continue to evolve. I just love books like this. They teach kids lessons about how to understand some of the day-to-day stresses of life, while keeping it fun and positive. I'd much rather my kids learn how to handle difficult emotions as a normal part of the big picture rather than being scared or confused by them. If only we could all have a Zen panda living next door to us... The world would be better for it.
Review: Not just the same old stories told again. Beautifully drawn, masterfully told, engaging stories, and practical lessons. - This set of books about Stillwater the panda are wondrous. Art work is beautiful, and enchanting. The stories are unique and thought provoking. My 3 yro has all of them, and loves them. He's still too young to get the depth of the stories, but still the story provides something he can grab onto now, and as he has grown, repeated reading have allowed him to gain new insights. The characters are pleasant and relatable to a child. What I really appreciate about the story is they are not static stories. There's levels to them. And they are not just another reiteration of the same stories you see repeated in children's book time and time again. For example, rather then just talk about being mean, or sharing, or considerate, on story is about a child who wants to play robots with Stillwater. The child tells Stillwater that he will be "the bad guy". So, with some cookies, Stillwater demonstrates that being the bad guy is no fun for himself, or for others, but still agrees to be the bad guy. Then allows the child to decide to play differently by having both robots go on an adventure together, changing the playtime from a conflict oriented imagination, to a cooperative and positive game. The feel of these books is not a classic story, there is a mundanity to and a flow that provides a very nice change of pace. The Not just how you interact with others, but how you interact with yourself. This should be obvious from the "Zen" in all the titles, but until you have read it (20 times at least) it is hard to appreciate how these books flow and form a story that is both thought provoking for little (and old) minds, and still provide a story that is immersive and childlike. I sincerely hope Mr. Muth makes more of this story line, and if not, I thank him for these pieces of joy.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #17,448 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #92 in Children's Values Books #143 in Children's Bear Books (Books) #394 in Children's Books on Emotions & Feelings (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,067) |
| Dimensions  | 10.5 x 0.25 x 11 inches |
| Grade level  | Preschool - 3 |
| ISBN-10  | 0439339111 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0439339117 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Part of series  | Stillwater and Friends |
| Print length  | 40 pages |
| Publication date  | March 1, 2005 |
| Publisher  | Scholastic Press |
| Reading age  | 2 - 7 years, from customers |

## Images

![Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) (Caldecott Honor Book) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91axUG7vvDL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great artwork, great stories, great messages. A family favorite.
*by J***. on January 17, 2024*

If your household is anything like ours, you've got books aplenty. We could open a small library at this point, because as my now 3.5-year-old has grown, we saved all his books for his little sister. We haven't hit the phase yet where books can be donated because we've got another baby ready to read the old ones. So, when it comes to recommending a book to someone, knowing that they too may have a million books already, I really try to think it through. And this book is one I recommend to everyone, even if they've got room for just one more on their kid's shelf. It's well drawn, it's a good length for toddlers, it's peaceful, and there are messages in the stories that will evolve with your child as they grow. I remember the first time we read it when my boy was two. He liked the pictures and sat through it, listening the whole way. He asked for it a few times a week. And now that he's closer to four, we still read it, and he asks thoughtful questions about the Zen short stories that he (hopefully) absorbs and help him down the road. It's the type of book that's all fun on the surface with deep, positive ripples underneath. Our copy has been read maybe 80 times and we've gifted the book to a few others as well. Apple TV+ even recently created an animated show around the book so the stories of the three kids and their neighbor panda, Stillwater, can continue to evolve. I just love books like this. They teach kids lessons about how to understand some of the day-to-day stresses of life, while keeping it fun and positive. I'd much rather my kids learn how to handle difficult emotions as a normal part of the big picture rather than being scared or confused by them. If only we could all have a Zen panda living next door to us... The world would be better for it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not just the same old stories told again. Beautifully drawn, masterfully told, engaging stories, and practical lessons.
*by I***T on April 20, 2017*

This set of books about Stillwater the panda are wondrous. Art work is beautiful, and enchanting. The stories are unique and thought provoking. My 3 yro has all of them, and loves them. He's still too young to get the depth of the stories, but still the story provides something he can grab onto now, and as he has grown, repeated reading have allowed him to gain new insights. The characters are pleasant and relatable to a child. What I really appreciate about the story is they are not static stories. There's levels to them. And they are not just another reiteration of the same stories you see repeated in children's book time and time again. For example, rather then just talk about being mean, or sharing, or considerate, on story is about a child who wants to play robots with Stillwater. The child tells Stillwater that he will be "the bad guy". So, with some cookies, Stillwater demonstrates that being the bad guy is no fun for himself, or for others, but still agrees to be the bad guy. Then allows the child to decide to play differently by having both robots go on an adventure together, changing the playtime from a conflict oriented imagination, to a cooperative and positive game. The feel of these books is not a classic story, there is a mundanity to and a flow that provides a very nice change of pace. The Not just how you interact with others, but how you interact with yourself. This should be obvious from the "Zen" in all the titles, but until you have read it (20 times at least) it is hard to appreciate how these books flow and form a story that is both thought provoking for little (and old) minds, and still provide a story that is immersive and childlike. I sincerely hope Mr. Muth makes more of this story line, and if not, I thank him for these pieces of joy.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'm so glad I ordered this book, it's as good for me as it is for the children I share it with
*by D***Y on November 17, 2008*

"There's a bear outside" Yes Stillwater has arrived in the back yard with his large red umbrella. He is a kind, poite and gentle Panda. After the children have formally met Stillwater they each take turns visiting him, upon each visit Stillwater has a story to tell the children. Each story is a lesson in achieving zen. It's quite lovely, the pictures change from the beautiful watercolor of the world of Stillwater and the children to a different - simpler form of illustration when Stillwater tells a story - which was an extremely effective way to see that you were now inside Stillwater's stories. The first story stillwater tells is about his Uncle Ry who catches a robber in his house and gives him what he has. The second story Stillwater tells is about luck, somethings that may seem like great luck at first could be bad luck, and bad luck could be good luck. The last story is the story of the monks, one physically carries a woman and the other is carrying a grudge about her. All of the stories leave room for discussion if you want to go there, or you can simply read the book and let your children absorb what they will. This book left us in a very peaceful state. The age recommendation is 4 to 8, I think this is appropriate. I think at 6 or above your children will be more prone to abosrb the stories of zen. However, the book is very charming and likeable for your [...].

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*Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu*
*Store origin: VU*
*Last updated: 2026-05-05*