Bookverdict.com

Gr 2–5—Say takes the ancient legend about a crane magically transformed into a woman through an act of kindness and adds another layer of mystery to the story. A brief retelling of "the Grateful Crane," as told to Jiro by his mother, sets the scene. The rest of the book traces the child and his father's visit to Mr. Ozu, who has a "famous garden and many treasures in his house." Intrigued by the life-s...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

While his father visits with Mr. Ozu, young Jiro explores the man's elegant garden, lured there by a lifelike bronze statue of a crane. Entering a cottage, he dresses in the kimono he finds there and is fed by a woman who resembles "The Grateful Crane" from the folktale (reprinted here) that his mother has told him: a crane, rescued by a woodcutter, becomes a woman and marries him; she leaves when he peeks at her in bird form, weaving cloth from her feathers. Jiro tries to assume the woodcutter'...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In this gently unsettling tale, young Jiro is lured into fantasy by a lifelike bronze statue of a crane. Entering a cottage, he's fed ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More