Publisher Description

In this magical retelling of a Japanese folktale, a mysterious girl weaves silk to help repay the kindness of a boy and his father until the father's greed finally exposes her secret.While gathering firewood, Yasuhiro comes upon an injured crane hidden in the snow. He rescues and comforts the bird, then watches as it flies away over the wintry hills. The next night, a mysterious young girl arrives at Yasuhiro's home seeking shelter from the cold. The boy and his father welcome the girl, named Hiroko, to stay with them. When Hiroko notices that Yasuhiro's father is struggling to earn money, she offers to weave silk for him to sell. After the fabric fetches a good price, the boy's father becomes impatient for more silk, and his greed has a life-changing effect on them all. Lyrical storytelling deftly interwoven with original haiku create a magical adaptation of a popular Japanese folktale--an inspirational story of friendship and the power of kindness to transform lives.

Author Biography

Curtis Manley is a full-time writer and a member of the Haiku Society of America. He enjoys watching the behaviors of birds and other animals--whether in his backyard or in the forests, deserts, and canyons of the western United States. In his travels, he always hopes to see a sandhill crane. Manley grew up in western Pennsylvania but now lives in the Seattle area with his wife and daughter. Visit him online at curtismanley.com. Lin Wang has illustrated several books for children, including Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story and The Crane Girl for Lee & Low Books. She is a classically trained portrait painter with an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. Wang lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their children.

Review

* "The polished, full-color illustrations, strongly reminiscent of art by the fairy-tale illustrator Adrienne Segur, complement the lyrical text. Interspersed, color-coded haiku reveal the characters' unspoken thoughts, adding an excellent dimension with potential for drama-group presentations. . . More from this team would be a welcome addition to folk-tale collections." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review "This well-crafted tale offers students an introduction to traditional Japanese culture and folklore and should be a welcome addition in public and school libraries." -- School Library JournalAnne Izard's Storytellers' Choice Award Winner - Westchester Library Association
Freeman Book Award for East and Southeast Asian Children's Literature Winner - National Consortium for Teaching About Asia

Long Description

While gathering firewood, Yasuhiro comes upon an injured crane hidden in the snow. He rescues and comforts the bird, then watches it fly away. The next night, a mysterious young girl arrives at Yasuhiro's home seeking shelter from the cold. The boy and his father welcome the girl, named Hiroko, to stay with them. But when Hiroko notices that Yasuhiro's father is struggling to earn money, she offers to weave silk for him to sell. After the fabric fetches a good price, the boy's father becomes impatient for more silk, and his greed has a life-changing effect on them all. Lyrical storytelling deftly interwoven with original haiku create a magical adaptation of popular Japanese folktales--an inspirational story of friendship and the power of kindness to transform lives.

Review Quote

* "The polished, full-color illustrations, strongly reminiscent of art by the fairy-tale illustrator Adrienne Segur, complement the lyrical text. Interspersed, color-coded haiku reveal the characters' unspoken thoughts, adding an excellent dimension with potential for drama-group presentations... More from this team would be a welcome addition to folk-tale collections." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review "This well-crafted tale offers students an introduction to traditional Japanese culture and folklore and should be a welcome addition in public and school libraries." -- School Library Journal "The author has adapted several Japanese crane folktales to create a story of friendship, greed, and love. A young boy finds and releases a trapped crane, and it returns to him in the form of a girl. To repay the kindness shown to her, she offers to spin silk for the boy's father to sell under the condition that she be left alone while she works. When the father gets impatient and breaks into her workroom one day, they discover her secret and she decides to leave. The boy follows her, and the girl and her family welcome him into their world. The language is straightforward and the illustrations add authenticity to the words, conveying the plot beautifully." -- School Library Connection Top 10 Favorites, New York Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids, Evanston Public Library

Promotional "Headline"

Winner of the 2017 Freeman Award from the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia A New York Public Library Top Ten Children's Book for 2017

Details