Anzu the Great Listener

Ages 4 to 8

Walt Disney Studios animator Benson Shum reintroduces readers to Anzu the Kaiju and shares a powerful lesson about patience, empathy, and what helping really looks like.

Anzu the kaiju loves to tend to his bonsai.

Whenever he feels overwhelmed or unsettled, it helps him pause and reminds him to just . . . breathe.

One day, when Anzu hears crying in the distance, he’s eager to help! The flower-power that makes his bonsai bloom has a way of making others smile.

But when Anzu’s flowers seem to lose their power, hurting more than they help, he’s not sure where to turn—until he remembers some valuable lessons he learned from his bonsai tree.

In Anzu the Great Listener, creator and Walt Disney Studios animator Benson Shum illustrates the importance of patience, empathy, and above all, taking the time to listen.

About the Author

Benson Shum is a children's book author and illustrator who has illustrated a number of picture books including his debut Anzu the Great Kaiju, Adam Lehrhaupt's Sloth Went, and Jennifer Sattler's Go to Sheep. Benson is also an animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he has been a part of such films as Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Benson lives in sunny Southern California.