(2023) by Jon J Muth
Anyone else feeling like they want to save the world right about now?
It can feel overwhelming and quite daunting to hear about all the things that need fixing in our world. Now is an especially ripe time for these feelings. So many areas and so many people that need support and action and help. It can get to a point of leaving people at a complete standstill. Or, worse, the people who want to help create a better world start to feel hopeless or even irritable and angry, creating the opposite of what they want to bring to the world.
I’ve been feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders for many, many years. And it’s such interesting timing. As I’m working to dismantle and de-escalate some of this overwhelming tug to do all the things, it seems the urgency and pile of stuff that needs attention is growing quite large currently. But I know if I want to remain a positive piece of the puzzle and be in a position where I CAN show up – maybe not for all of it, but for some of it – then I need reminders like the one in this beautiful picture book.
In Stillwater and Koo Save the World, young Koo shows up to breakfast one morning and tells her uncle, Stillwater, she wants to “fix all the things that are wrong” today. She wants to do ALL the things and save the world. (I hear ya, Koo!) Wise Stillwater gently guides her through the day, finding ways they can improve their immediate space and help those around them. Seemingly simple tasks like tidying up their home or taking care of their cat or making their new neighbors feel welcome all contribute to a day that makes a positive difference. Even simple acts of wearing helmets and visible vests on their bikes look to me like ways to be kind and safe and respectful. And because they are in a calm state, instead of a frenzied one, they’re able to be present for an emergency moment that arises with some young ducklings. They do end up having quite a heroic moment in their day.
I love this reminder to readers of ALL ages that we are all part of this world. Taking care of ourselves and our spaces in a way that’s not harmful to others is helping the world. Being able to care for our emotional and mental well-being is important so that we can show up kindly for our loved ones and our communities. All of this does make a difference. And by approaching our days in such a way, we allow ourselves to be present when those bigger situations arise. We don’t want to be so burnt-out or checked-out or discouraged that we can’t be there when life does ask us to show up in a bigger way.
If you’re in a state of feeling the overwhelm, or if you have a young person in your life feeling that way, check out this beautiful book in the Stillwater collection by Jon J Muth.
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Author/Illustrator
Muth – pronounced with the “mu” from “music” and then “th”
Scholastic interview with Jon J Muth