Tree of Cranes

Average Rating:
5
6 Reviews
Categories: , , , , , , , , , .
TitleTree of Cranes
Publication TypeBook
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsSay, Allen
Number of Pages32 pgs.
PublisherSandpiper
ISBN978-0547248301
Abstract

Ages 4-8. Heedless of Mama's warnings, a Japanese boy cannot resist playing at an ice-cold pond "filled with carp of bright colors." When he comes home, he is immediately treated for a cold, with a hot bath and rice gruel. His mother's attitude chills him more than the weather, though; he cannot understand why she seems to be ignoring him. Hearing a noise in the garden, the boy spies Mama digging up the pine tree that was planted when he was born. She brings it inside and decorates it with paper cranes and candles. It is a Christmas tree, the first for the boy, and the first in many years for his mother, who tells her son she comes from "a warm place called Ca-li-for-ni-a." The story is a poignant one, illuminated with finely drawn illustrations reflecting the serenity of a Japanese home and the quiet love between mother and son. Say ( The Bicycle Man ; El Chino ), who came to this country from Japan when he was a teenager, again exhibits a laudable sensitivity to Eastern and Western cultures--and to both the differences and the similarities between them.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
URLhttp://www.amazon.com/Tree-Cranes-Allen-Say/dp/054724830X/

Supplemental Contributions

Average Rating:
5
6 Reviews

Reviews for Tree of Cranes

5

Posted By: Amanda Krotzer

Posted On: January 16, 2017

Tree of Cranes by Allen Say is a children's book about a Japanese boy celebrating his first Christmas. This story combines Japanese and American customs to incorporate the over arching themes of family/togetherness, giving, good will, and hope for peace. The beautiful watercolor illustrations show Japanese customs/traditional food: origami, tea cake, rice gruel, sour plums, yellow radishes, and samurai kites and the American customs of Christmas: twinkling lights, silver and gold ornaments, a pine Christmas tree, and wrapped gifts.
This book is recommended for elementary school students since the main character is young boy. It shows how people around the world marry traditions from different cultures.

5

Posted By: Kay

Posted On: November 14, 2011

Tree of Cranes by Allen Say
Reviewed by Kay Brady, 2nd Grade Teacher

This is a sweet, quiet story of a Japanese boy who learns about Christmas for the first time from his American-born mother. The boy comes home from playing in the cold, to find his mother folding paper cranes and acting a bit mysterious. Since he feels feverish, his mother makes him take a hot bath and get ready for bed in the middle of the afternoon. He worries that she is very angry with him when he spies her digging up “his” tree from the yard. But she is only bringing it inside. She decorates it with the paper cranes and some candles and tells the boy about how Christmas was celebrated in the faraway place where she was born.
I have read this story to my second grade class every year at Christmas time. The pictures show such wonderful details of Japanese life that it always leads to much discussion of Japanese homes, foods, and traditions. Afterwards, we decorate a small tree in our classroom with paper cranes. Before leaving for the holidays, my students each choose a crane from the tree to take home with them. The tree is beautiful every year and my students treasure their cranes. I would encourage everyone to use this book in their classrooms.