Yoko's Paper Cranes (Hardcover)

by Rosemary Wells (Author) "When Yoko was very small, she and her grandmother, Obaasan, fed the cranes in the pond at the end of the garden..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Wells returns to the plucky heroine she introduced in Yoko with this wistful story about the green-eyed kitten and her far-away grandparents. Yoko writes weekly to Japan to her beloved grandmother, Obaasan, whose garden is visited each year by migrating cranes. Yoko's grandfather, Ojiisan, inspired by the winged visitors, showed his granddaughter how to fold cranes out of paper. When Obaasan's birthday approaches and Yoko doesn't have the money to buy her a present, she sends her some origami cranes, folded just as Ojiisan had taught her. Wells differentiates between the two homelands in palette and artistic style. She dresses the endearing grandparents in autumnal-hued kimonos cut out of silk-screened paper against backgrounds of woodblock-style ocean waves and wind-blown pines. Yoko, meanwhile, sports flowered patterns and spring-inspired colors; Wells outlines the heroine's vignettes in plaid frames. The boxed collages form the main images but, in traditional Japanese style, their borders are porous: leaves fall and cranes fly out into the white margins; Yoko's posted letters and origami diagrams prance across the bottom of the pages. "Soon I will come back to Japan, just like the cranes," Yoko's birthday greeting says, and while the book doesn't portray her return, youngsters will know that, no matter how far away their grandparents may be, their love will find them. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reS-Gr 2-This much-anticipated follow-up to Yoko (Hyperion, 1998) focuses on the beloved kitten's connection to the grandparents that she and her parents left behind in Japan when they relocated to the United States. The story begins by recounting the treasured hours she spent in the garden with Obaasan, her grandmother, feeding the cranes. Little Yoko learns that the cranes stay only a few months in the garden. The disappointment that she feels at the birds' seasonal departure is mitigated somewhat by the origami cranes and other creatures that Ojiisan, her grandfather, teaches her to make. This backward glance continues by revisiting Yoko and her parents' eventual departure from Japan. Once in America, the child corresponds weekly via letters and then on Obaasan's birthday, sends a special present of three lovingly folded origami cranes and the promise that soon she will return to visit them-just like the cranes. This touching intergenerational story is told with a beautiful economy of language that echoes the simplicity valued in both Japanese art and culture. The stunning artwork is a marvelous pastiche created by the use of origami and washi papers, gold leaf, rubber stamps, and paint. Recognizable motifs from traditional Japanese art are found throughout the visual narrative. A perfect gem.

Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 1st edition (October 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786807377
• ISBN-13: 978-0786807376
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #480,167 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cultural and artistic look at Japan, November 23, 2001

By A Customer

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!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Book, March 16, 2002

By	"davisjmjs" (Dillsboro, NC United States) - See all my reviews

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offers A Look Into Japanese Culture For Kids!, November 4, 2001

By	"whizzer4" (Hillsboro, OR United States) - See all my reviews

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!