* "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.