What do you think?
PERFECT CRANE.
A lonely Japanese magician gains friends through the paper crane that he brings to life but then must set free.
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2016
Heartwarming fable from ancient Japan with fabulous black and white illustrations. Magical realism. Friendship. Love and loss.
July 5, 2022
A beautiful read! I think it is one that I reread several times. The art in it was also amazing!
A very small but touching read that I highly recommend.
A very small but touching read that I highly recommend.
March 4, 2024
Read this book with my students before we made paper cranes.
September 28, 2025
Stumbling right at the begining - why would he think that other people wouldn't be interested in magic?!
A nice Pygmalion story, but awkwardly told. Saved by the themes and the art.
A nice Pygmalion story, but awkwardly told. Saved by the themes and the art.
January 24, 2015
Surprisingly such a short read and a very easy one so I would recommend it to younger readers although they may not understand the whole message at first.
The illustrations are simple yet strong while still being grayscale. The best of all the pictures are those of the crane which is formed with so much strong detail yet gentle enough to exude a soft reverent grace for the bird. When compared to the Japanese dress and faces of the human characters it is probably the most realistic of the subjects.
And it the emotional depth of this story that touched me. It is amazing how greedy and selfish the magician was. For one who was the greatest magician in the world he lacked true wisdom but he is like every person, especially parents or sometimes lovers. The crane who was just made from paper had the wisdom of ages while being an eye-opener.
Such a beautiful book and one I proudly add to my collection.....
The illustrations are simple yet strong while still being grayscale. The best of all the pictures are those of the crane which is formed with so much strong detail yet gentle enough to exude a soft reverent grace for the bird. When compared to the Japanese dress and faces of the human characters it is probably the most realistic of the subjects.
And it the emotional depth of this story that touched me. It is amazing how greedy and selfish the magician was. For one who was the greatest magician in the world he lacked true wisdom but he is like every person, especially parents or sometimes lovers. The crane who was just made from paper had the wisdom of ages while being an eye-opener.
Such a beautiful book and one I proudly add to my collection.....
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews