Yoko's Paper Cranes

My daughter has had this book since she was 5; she's 8 now and still loves it. She is just as excited to give it away for a gift as she is to read it to her Japanese Grandma!

"Yoko's Paper Cranes" is another nice entry featuring Rosemary Well's anthropomorphic kitty character Yoko. In this story, readers learn about Yoko's history as an immigrant from Japan. Yoko has a strong relationship with her grandparents and while she was in Japan, she and her grandfather enjoyed feeding the cranes out at the pond. Yoko learns about how the cranes fly away every year. When she is living in America, it comes time for her Grandpa's birthday, but she has no money to buy a present. She remembers the cranes and since it's winter in Japan, she creates origami cranes to send. "Yoko's Paper Cranes" features soft, pastelish illustrations. According to the back cover page information, the artwork was created using "origami and washi papers, gold leaf, rubber stamps and paint." It's a pleasing combination that makes for illustrations that may appear somewhat simple at first glance, but are rich with life and warmth. This story is a great story for parents or librarians to read for kids, or for anyone to read on their own. It's also a nice look into Japanese and Japanese-American culture that is not anyway insulting or insensitive.

This book is charming and exquisitely illustrated. Elements of origami and Japanese printmaking enrich it visually, while the story is beautifully simple and affecting. It is one of my three-year old daughter's favorites, and my personal favorite among her many books. The story and pictures can be used as a starting point to explore the ideas of separation, travel, gift-giving, the seasons in nature, bird migration, and they even show the reader how to make paper cranes! It is superb.

I am an American citizen who has been living in Japan for the past 18 months and I was delighted when a friend sent this book to my daughter for her 4th birthday. I have been a fan of Rosemary Wells for years and this book did not disappoint me. Wells has created a delightful visual experience for the young reader through the use of traditional Japanese washi papers combined with her own bright and whimsical watercolors. Wells has also managed to show the special relationship that exists between a child and their grandparents and how traditions are passed down through generations. (In this case, Yoko's grandfather teaches her to fold paper cranes.) My own daughter is thousands of miles away from her grandparents in the United States, and I think that this book has shown her that love can cross all those miles.As a parent and preschool teacher, I would recommend this book as a teaching tool about Japanese culture -- Wells has even included folding instructions for the paper crane. What a wonderful literacy link activity!

This is a sweet story for kids -- especially if they are separated from their grandparents by distance. The paper cranes become symbols of family and cultural connections. Also, the richly colored illustrations and their elegant borders are amazing. This is a great book for kids, adults, and origami lovers!