Early February 2023 we will have another Jon J. Muth picture book. Now, if you are like me, I loved Muth. After a while, though the stories became similar, but I still love the illustrations, which is why I was excited to see that Stillwater and Koo Save the World (A Stillwater and Friends Book) will be the newest edition the collection.
Muth has our two pandas finding ways to “save the world.” Now, they might not be big, splashy events, but they are important, nonetheless. Little Koo asks big questions, and by answering them in little ways, he has taken steps to figure things out. And the little steps mean that he has left the world a little better. It is a simple enough story, one we have read before, but it is the illustrations of Muth that drew me in. They are soft, bold, solid, and colorful. They are cozy and relaxing and make you sit up and pay attention to what is going on. The artwork is both its own character and a supporter of Stillwater and Koo as they make their trip through the story. I do not have a favorite image, but I like the one where Stillwater and Koo are standing on the bridge, as Stillwater’s body makes a heart.
This was the first Stillwater and Koo book I had read in a while, but it did not seem any different from the others. Therefore, if you like them and must collect all, this is a must have, but if you have read several of the other titles that Muth created, then you can pass on this one. I do feel that this will be a great gift for a favorite teacher, or your child’s classroom.
