Tree of Cranes

Beautiful book. Was inspired to create origami for our solstice tree.

I've been a fan of Say's for quite a few years, and Tree of Cranes doesn't fail to please. One a snowy day one week before the new year, a young boy who's been naughty is perplexed about why his mother has been folding origami cranes and has dug up, potted, and decorated the fir tree his parents planted when he was born. He thinks she's acting out of anger at his misbehavior, but she explains to him that it's because in the country of her childhood this day is called "Christmas." The language Say employs is simple yet elegant, and his art is the same. You don't have to be interested in "multiculturalism" (what a dreadful word!), Japan, or even Christmas to appreciate the message that days set aside for family and quiet time are the most precious days kids - indeed all of us - have.

Tree of Cranes is the story of a young boy who disobeys his mother, plays near the coy pond, and falls in. His mother is distracted that day, because it is Christmas and she is remembering having celebrated the holiday when she lived in California. The boy learns about Christmas for the first time, and also learns to listen to his mother, who loves him very much. I first investigated Allen Say's work when I was teaching kindergarten and working on a master's degree in reading. I was drawn to his books because I had just completed a unit theme on Japan, and I chose him as the subject of my author study in a children's lit course. It goes without saying that his Caldecott Award winning illustrations are a highlight in all of his books. As is the case with many of his "children's" books, Tree of Cranes is accessible to young children, but also of interest for adults, especially if one reads more than one of Say's books. The theme of multiculturalism and being torn between two different cultures in Tree of Cranes is also present in Tea with Milk and Grandfather's Journey. Taken together, the autobiographical nature of these books make one want to read an actual biography of the author. Tree of Cranes is a great book for kids of at least kindergarten age through third grade (as I have read it aloud at those grade levels). It will also hold the interest of the adult reader.

I first checked out this book from our public library, among other books with a Christmas theme. My five-year old daughter loved the story and the pictures, that she asked me to renew it twice. I decided to purchase it for her. We still read it although Christmas has passed. This is the story of a little boy who learns about Christmas (when trees are decorated with lights and ornaments) from his mother who grew up in the Unitied States before coming to Japan where they now live. The illustrations are beautiful, you learn about a number of customs. For example, the connection between oragami and wishes, the food that he little boy eats, that his parents planted a tree to symbolise and as a wish that he lives a long life. They make a snowman, in Japan their snowman has two balls, not three like here in the United States. The book has a timeless quality.

This autobiographical story of author Allen Say's discovery of Christmas is gentle and beautiful. As a little boy in Japan, he wasn't supposed to play near the neighbor's carp pond, but he did, and fell in! Mother was a little mad at him, but she was preoccupied with making origami cranes. She put them on a tree that she brought in from the garden, and explained to her puzzled son that this was called a Christmas tree. (She had lived in California as a girl.) The boy asked for and received a Samurai kite as a Christmas gift. He never forgot that day, because it was the first time he learned about Christmas, and he never played in the carp pond again. This lovely story introduces us to a traditional Japanese family and to a child who experiences two cultures. The illustrations are quite unique and are almost shiny. The simple text is easy to read and children aged 6-8 love this book.