Spread Your Wings and Fly: An Origami Fold-And-Tell Story

My kids love this book! We read it together and created "practice" peace cranes with plain white copy paper. Now, we're folding nice paper cranes to give with gifts this holiday season and to hang as ornaments. By following these instructions, even my three year old can fold a peace crane. The secret is in looking for all the other shapes (a mountain, elephant ears, a kite, an ice cream cone, a baby bird's mouth, a canoe, a wolf, etc.) that you find as you make each fold.

The art of Japanese paper folding is called Origami. It is an ancient art, a discipline that has entertained and amazed both children and adults alike. I learned to fold the Origami paper crane when I was a teenager. It is something I have remembered all my life, and I have always enjoyed showing someone how to make one, or taken delight in seeing the happiness in a child's eyes as the piece of paper turned into a graceful bird. Spread Your Wings and Fly is a positive affirmation book that you read as you learn to fold your paper crane. The beginning of the book discusses how the author learned to fold the crane and there is even a little history of the art of origami. She also discusses how to use the book and achieving the end result, a flapping version of the paper crane. But it was getting into the story, into the folding of the crane that really grabbed me. The crane can be a difficult feat if not shown by someone who can patiently teach the art. Ms. Saunders has the pictures of folding the crane broken down into the easiest and most basic way of folding. I followed through, page by page, fold by fold, and while it is a little different than the way I was taught, I had no problem following and achieving a proper and working crane. Then I went back and read the story. Each fold has a purpose in making the final product. Each time you fold, you are presented with a fold that life can offer you. Sometimes the fold can resemble the shape the paper has taken, sometimes there is a ripple in the fold. While a fold can remind you of a mountain, the mountain can be a big dream or it can be a small one. As you flatten the mountain out, you are reminded that dreams can be squashed also. Wonderful visuals to accompany the process of making the crane, to discovering the folds in your own life, and finally flying free with the finished crane, no matter how life folds for you. This is beautifully written, well explained, and to top it all off, there are the excellent illustrations, quality print on glossy paper, all of which only compliments the entire work. Together, Ms. Saunders and Ms. Mihelich have given us a book that will provide parents and children with some quality time and some insightful mini-meditations for both of them. Or, if used by a child alone, it is time this child will spend exploring him/her self. Give this one to your child, or grandchild, and see the delight in their eyes as they create something wonderful to fly to their hearts delight. boudica

Mary Chloe Schoolcraft Saunders' Spread Your Wings and Fly: An Origami Fold-And-Tell Story is a rhyming children's book that teaches young readers how to fold a paper crane. Rapturous color illustrations by Carla McGregor Mihelich add a wondrous touch to this charming read-aloud book; the last two pages feature very detailed, step-by-step, text and pictoral instructions for crafting a crane that can flap its wings.