Kinder Book Club: Zen Shorts
This book, Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth, entered our house on exactly the right day. It was one of those days that sorely needed a bit of calm, quiet reflection. Muth weaves three short zen fables into a whimsical story about three siblings who befriend their new panda bear neighbor. Each child visits the panda and receives a story that applies to the issue he or she faces at the moment.
This book easily surpasses my wish for enlightening children’s books with entertainment value, even if it doesn’t directly relate to volunteerism.
The zen tradition is beautifully described by the New York Times review of Zen Shorts from 2005:
“[Zen] touches on the most fundamental questions of how to live and how to live with others, questions that hold a universal appeal even to the grade-school set.”
The grades-school set. One of my daughters is now firmly in that category, just a month into kindergarten. Reading this book with Miss K and Little Miss Three was an excellent antidote to that dizzying, rushed feeling that has had me thinking three paces a head for… a month. On that first reading, near nap time, I think I took more away from the tale than the kids. Snuggled in, listening to the soothing words, a rather long story, and very serene pictures, the girls fell asleep.
On the other hand, one of the zen fables circulated through my thoughts for the rest of that day, chasing unimportant worries into the shadows. In one story, two monks pass by a wealthy woman who will not step in a puddle and soil her clothes. The younger monk passes her by, but the older one picks her up and carries her over the puddle. She fails to thank him, and even pushes him out of her way as she leaves. Hours later the young monk asks why the older monk had helped that horrible woman.
The wise old monk responds, “I only carried her for a moment, but you have carried her for hours.”
That nasty woman embodied all of my worries that day. I had carried them far longer than necessary, and now, as they resurface, I think to myself, “Are you still carrying her?” It’s a good reminder to let things go.
Enamored with the story as I am, I have offered to read it several times to the girls. Thankfully, they haven’t fallen asleep a second time. When I close the book, I ask what they liked about it.
Three time in a row Miss Kindergarten has pulled something different out of the book. The pages of Zen Shorts provide openings for a discussion about anger and forgiveness, wealth, manners, imagination, patience, luck, and many other big ideas. Regardless of one’s own faith tradition, this book offers a wealth of wisdom from the zen tradition.
Tags: Children's Books
