Book Review: 'Zen Ghosts' by John Muth

✰✰✰✰½ It's Halloween, and by the end of the evening Addy, Michael, and Karl have loads of candy treats. However, the fun's not over yet. Their panda friend, Stillwater, has one more surprise waiting for them. A mysterious panda storyteller draws them a story, and when it's finished, the kids are mystified. What happened to Stillwater, and just who was this mysterious storyteller? You'll be left wondering too when you check out this seasonal treat.

The Bottom Line: This gentle Halloween ghost story contains a story within a story that will make the reader think about who they really are. Muth's beautiful artwork in watercolor and ink tell the tale as much as the text. Highly recommended for storytimes for grades 1 - 4. Check out the Author's Note at the end for discussion ideas.

Details: Zen Ghosts written & illustrated by John Muth. Picture book published by Scholastic Press in 2010. 40 p. ISBN: 978-439-63430-4