* A popular Japanese folk tale in which a crane pays back an obligation by becoming human is retold with an unusual ending and with haiku-sprinkled prose. In this version, Yasuhiro--a young man who lives with Ryota, his embittered, widowed father--carefully frees an enormous crane from a trap pinning its foot to the snow-covered, "sharp buckwheat stubble of the landlord's field." As the crane flies away, Yasuhiro heads for home with firewood he has been gathering. Two nights later a beautiful maiden appears at the door, asking for a place to live in exchange for labor. Ryota accepts her offer, warning her that she must work hard and not be lazy or steal. When Ryota's own attempts to find manual labor dwindle, the maiden, who calls herself Hiroko, offers to weave silk for him to sell, with the caveat that neither he nor Yasuhiro open the door of the weaving room while she is inside. 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.
Although it's a bit hard to believe that strapping Yasuhiro does little to bring home the tofu, the story otherwise rings satisfyingly true. 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.