My daughter is in love with Jon J. Muth’s wonderful book, Zen Ties. It’s funny, it’s one of the first post-board book picture books that she asked me to read to her, beginning at age two. She still greatly enjoys the gentle story, which teaches children about not wasting, family and friendship, doing your best, and being nice to people you normally wouldn’t and being surprised from the results of such kindness.

Zen Ties is possibly one of the most spiritual books for children I’ve come across without being religious at the same time. Stillwater, the giant panda featured in other Muth works, is a calm, wise teacher who leads three children and his cousin, Koo (He says, “Hi, Koo!” as in haiku, get it?) in some gentle yet meaningful lessons. The learning comes from life, not an organized classroom, and Stillwater says very little to guide the children, allowing them to learn their lessons and glean truths on their own.

Other key associations with Zen, such as meditation and tai chi, are included, though only lightly so; kids will probably not walk away understanding what they are exactly, but their presence still helps to create a calming mood while reading the story. Each time Koo speaks, it is in a haiku format—and though it may not be as gorgeous a poem as a single haiku on its own might be, it still establishes a rhythm that meshes so well with the story itself.

Through the simple task of caring for an elderly neighbor who is ill—and presumably cranky—the children learn that appearances are not always as they seem. They make her soup, draw her pictures, and clean her home, and while they are at her home they realize that she’s not as bad as they had thought. She’s just older, and it’s getting harder for her to see. Once she is well, she helps one boy with his spelling words, and she makes apple tea for the children to drink.

The children spend the summer learning and playing with the pandas, and when Koo is ready to go home, it’s obvious that he’s learned a lot, since instead of throwing away the cup he asked to throw away at the beginning of the story, he says he will keep it at the end of his adventure. The end of the book also features a bit about the play on words in the book, as well as a little more information about haiku in general.