The many fans of Muth's award winning Zen Shorts will be delighted to see the giant panda Stillwater offering Zen lessons to his human friends Addy, Michael, and Karl. This time around, Stillwater is hosting his nephew Koo, who plays a peripheral role in the main story. While Koo's haikus act as a lovely chorus, much of the story concerns how Stillwater's mild suggestions and example guide the three children and their bad-tempered and sick elderly neighbor to see they have much to gain by interacting respectfully with each other: Mrs Whitaker gets comfort and help with tasks she is too frail to manage, while she dispenses tips on how to do well at spelling and apple tea, made from the fruit the children helped pick. As in his other works, Muth's soft wash watercolor and ink illustrations reinforce the peaceful tone of the book, and, as Koo's farewell haiku sums up the way simple events can take on a resonance that is likely to stay precious: "Nearing my visit./ summer now tastes of apple tea,/ I will keep my cup." Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry

In this companion to Muth's Caldecott Honor-winning Zen Shorts (2006), the wise and gentle Giant Panda Stillwater and his young friends are joined by Stillwater's young nephew Koo. This time, the friends tackle two problems: Michael's nervousness over an impending spelling bee and an irascible elderly neighbor, Miss Whitaker. The plot is predictable: With some friendly attention from Stillwater and the children, Miss Whitaker will turn out to be more vulnerable than nasty and, as a former English teacher, will help Michael overcome his spelling anxiety. The pleasure, as always, is with Muth's irresistible storytelling, both visual and textual. In most of the delicate, finely detailed watercolor paintings the towering figure of Stillwater dominates. In others, the frail figure of Miss Whitaker dressed in red and purple with a magnificent fluff of white hair carries the most visual weight. The story's theme of intergenerational kindness is tender, and the text is infused with bits of haiku, wordplay and small lessons that charmingly avoid didacticism. A welcome return. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)