Recommendations based on Zen Shortsby Jon J. Muth

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Flotsam

    by David Wiesner
    A boy discovers a camera with mysterious photographs, inspiring a journey of exploration.

    The book has no words , but is told through pictures. A boy is at the beach and finds an old camera. He takes the film to get it developed, and sees photos of fantastical undersea cities and ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Kitten's First Full Moon

    by Kevin Henkes
    A young kitten's misadventure when she mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk.

    The nationally bestselling picture book about a kitten, the moon, and a bowl of milk, written by the celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal. From one of the ... (Goodreads)

  3. My Friend Rabbit

    by Eric Rohmann
    An unlikely friendship between a rabbit and a mouse, creating magical and unexpected adventures.

    Rabbit saves the day in a most ingenious way. When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind. From Caldecott Honor award winner Eric Rohmann comes ... (Goodreads)

  4. Olivia

    by Ian Falconer
    A young girl's imaginative adventures, exploring the world around her.

    Have fun with Olivia... dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping (maybe), dancing, painting on walls and - whew! - going to sleep at last. ... (Goodreads)

  5. Harold and the Purple Crayon

    by Crockett Johnson
    A young boy's imaginative journey of creativity and exploration.

    The protagonist, Harold, is a curious four-year-old , boy who, with his purple crayon , has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it. Harold wants to go for a walk in the ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Not a Box

    by Antoinette Portis
    A playful story of a rabbit's creative imagination, transforming a simple box into a world of adventure.

    A box is just a box... unless it's not a box. From mountain to rocket ship, a small rabbit shows that a box will go as far as the imagination allows. Inspired by a memory of sitting in a box on her ... (Goodreads)

  7. Make Way for Ducklings

    by Robert McCloskey
    A family of ducks navigates the city of Boston, finding a safe home.

    This classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1942, Make Way for Ducklings has been ... (Goodreads)

  8. After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back up Again

    by Dan Santat
    A journey of resilience and courage, learning to pick oneself back up after facing adversity.

    My name is Humpty Dumpty. I'm famous for falling off a wall. (You may have heard about it.) But that's only half the story... Because I decided to get back up. And when I did, something amazing ... (Goodreads)

  9. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

    by Ellen Levine
    A slave's courageous escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

    A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist. Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity

    by Mo Willems
    A young girl's adventure to reunite with her beloved stuffed animal, lost in a chaotic city.

    In the book, young Trixie Willems realizes that her classmate Sonja has the same type of "Knuffle Bunny" toy that she does. When the jealous girls begin arguing, their teacher, Mrs. Greengrove ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

    by Judi Barrett
    A whimsical story of a town where food literally falls from the sky.

    A grandfather reads a bedtime story, chronicling the lives of the citizens of an imaginary town called Chewandswallow, which is characterized by food raining from the sky. The sky provided the ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

    by Mo Willems
    A pigeon's mischievous attempts to drive a bus and the humorous exchange between reader and pigeon.

    When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place—a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way ... (Goodreads)

  13. A Sick Day for Amos McGee

    by Philip C. Stead
    A zookeeper and his animal friends learn the value of friendship and compassion.

    Amos McGee is a punctual man who goes about his day the same way every day. He swings his legs out of bed, puts on a fresh uniform and hops on the #5 bus at 6:00 AM to go to the zoo . While at the ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Madeline

    by Ludwig Bemelmans
    A mischievous young girl named Madeline has adventures in Paris with her classmates and kind-hearted nun Miss Clavel.

    Madeline is one of the best-loved characters in children's literature. Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1940 and has as ... (Goodreads)

  15. Goodnight Moon

    by Margaret Wise Brown
    A bedtime story of a young bunny saying goodnight to the various objects in its room.

    In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room – to the picture of the three little bears ... (Goodreads)

  16. I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!

    by Karen Beaumont
    A young child paints their body in various colors, despite their mother's warnings.

    A New York Times best-selling masterpiece featuring a sing-song rhyming text and humorous energetic illustrations about a spirited child and outside-the-box, creative thinking. When the child gets ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

    by Brian Selznick
    An orphaned boy's journey to unravel the secrets of a mechanical man and find his place in the world.

    In 1930s Paris, young Hugo Cabret and his father repair an automaton at the museum where his father works. When Hugo's father dies in a fire, his uncle brings him to live and work at the train ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Sneetches and Other Stories

    by Dr. Seuss
    A collection of humorous tales, exploring the concepts of acceptance and equality.

    "The Sneetches got really quite smart on that day,The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches.,And no kind of Sneetch is the best of the beaches." In this book you'll find a selection of four ... (Goodreads)

  19. Cardboard

    by Doug TenNapel
    A boy creates a magical cardboard box that brings his drawings to life, but soon discovers the consequences of his actions.

    When cardboard creatures come magically to life, a boy must save his town from disaster. Cam's down-and-out father gives him a cardboard box for his birthday and he knows it's the worst present ever. ... (Goodreads)

  20. Stargirl

    by Jerry Spinelli
    An uplifting story of a unique girl who challenges her classmates to be their true selves.

    The book begins with a brief introduction to the main character, Leo, at an early age, which is followed by his move from his home state of Pennsylvania to Arizona when he is 12. Before the move, his ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Snowman

    by Raymond Briggs
    A wordless picture book about a boy who builds a snowman that comes to life and takes him on a magical adventure.

    After a night of heavy snowfall, a boy named James wakes up and plays in the snow, eventually building a large snowman. At the stroke of midnight, he sneaks downstairs to find the snowman magically ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Good Earth

    by Pearl S. Buck
    A story of humble farmers facing the struggles of poverty and the upheaval of social change.

    The story begins on Wang Lung 's wedding day and follows the rise and fall of his fortunes. The House of Hwang, a family of wealthy landowners, lives in the nearby town, where Wang Lung's future ... (Wikipedia)

  23. American Born Chinese

    by Gene Luen Yang
    Three seemingly unrelated stories converge to explore themes of identity, assimilation, and acceptance in the American-born Chinese experience.

    All Jin Wang wants is to fit in. When his family moves to a new neighborhood, he suddenly finds that he's the only Chinese American student at his school. Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly, ... (Goodreads)

  24. Guess How Much I Love You

    by Sam McBratney
    A tender story of a hare and a rabbit who compete to express their love for each other.

    Guess How Much I Love You follows the story of two hares , Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare. The two are never stated to be father and son in the original storybooks, though are referred to ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Habibi

    by Craig Thompson
    A love story between a young man and woman within the context of Middle Eastern culture.

    From the internationally acclaimed author of, Blankets , a highly anticipated new graphic novel. Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, Habibi tells the ... (Goodreads)

  26. An Abundance of Katherines

    by John Green
    A teenage boy's quest for love and self-discovery, learning to accept himself and find happiness.

    Colin Singleton, a child prodigy living in Chicago , fears he will not maintain his genius as an adult. Over the span of his life, Colin has dated nineteen girls named Katherine, all spelled in that ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

    by Christopher Healy
    A band of misfit heroes must work together to defeat a tyrannical prince and save the kingdom.

    Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, ... (Goodreads)

  28. There Is a Bird on Your Head!

    by Mo Willems
    A young girl joins her feathered friend on a silly journey through the house.

    Gerald and Piggie are best friends! Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. In There Is a Bird On My Head! , Gerald ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The Graveyard Book

    by Neil Gaiman
    A young boy's journey through a graveyard, learning the secrets of the dead.

    The story begins as the man Jack murders most of the members of a family (later revealed to be the Dorian family) except for the toddler upstairs. Unknown to him, the toddler has climbed out of his ... (Wikipedia)

  30. A Great and Terrible Beauty

    by Libba Bray
    A Victorian-era boarding school girl discovers a hidden world of magic and danger. She must navigate the treacherous waters of power and desire.

    Gemma Doyle, the series' protagonist, is forced to leave India after the death of her mother to attend a private boarding school in London. On her sixteenth birthday, Gemma and her mother stroll ... (Wikipedia)