We’re happy to be sharing a fun and unique book with you from Tuttle Publishing! Origami Peace Cranes: Friendships Take Flight by Sue DiCicco (she also wrote Adventures in Asian Art, An Afternoon at the Museum) is multi-faceted. It’s a beautiful story book, it’s a craft, and it’s a way to make friends from around the world, too! How can it be all of this? Let’s find out.
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Origami cranes aren’t just a stereotypical image of Japan, they are a part of the culture of everyday life. When Mom and I travelled down in Kyushu on our way to Aso-san volcano we had stayed in a hotel the night before and when we opened the door to our room, we were met with comfortable yukata waiting for us on the beds, along with little folded paper cranes.
And you’ll find them in strings of 1,000 at the Hiroshima Peace Park, particularly by the statue of Sadako. Origami cranes were also the first origami project I made while in Japan, before moving on to other things.
The Origami Peace Cranes Book
In Origami Peace Cranes: Friendships Take Flight, you’ll find a touching story about Emma, the new girl in town who is worried about starting a new school and wants to make a good first impression. She wants to fit in, but is afraid that she is not good enough in so many ways.
She doesn’t have the coolest lunchbox, the most interesting lunch, she doesn’t speak other languages, and even her dress and her hair aren’t making her happy. She thinks no one will want to be friends with her (all the while the rest of the students are want to be her friend, but think she doesn’t want to be theirs).
Then the class learned how to make origami peace cranes and they each wrote a message on them and gave one to another classmate. When Emma returned to her desk, it was filled with the cranes of all her classmates; they all wanted to be her friend!
She learned she didn’t have to be anyone else, she was great just the way she was!
me is exactly who I should be
And she could learn about others and find similar interests and learn new things, too.
She remembered this when new neighbours moved in….she left them friendship cranes on the doorstep to welcome them to the neighbourhood (what a wonderful thing for children to do)
By the end of the book, Emma was friends with everyone in town and she loved who she was.
Book Extras
One of the things I love about Tuttle Publishing is that many of their books include extra elements. In this book you’ll find instructions on how to fold your own peace cranes, and you even have a little packet of origami paper to get you started!
The Peace Crane Project
The author, Sue DiCicco, has started a Peace Crane Project that you can sign up for. You’ll receive informative emails about each week. Find out how to send a paper peace crane that could be used in a display of 1,000 that is going to travel through the USA.
Also is the opportunity to exchange peace cranes (and other peaceful origami) with people around the world, either through the post or via email.
Although the ‘big’ United Nations International Day of Peace is in September, this group exchange goes year-round, just as peace should do, too.
We’ve signed up and will be sending our cranes off shortly, will you be joining us?
Origami Peace Cranes would be a great book for any child:
- In a new situation (new school, new club member, etc.)
- Who knows someone new
- Who wants to be included
- Who feels insecure
If you’d like to know more or would like to follow Tuttle Publishing, you can connect with them through their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest (and you can see our other Tuttle reviews here).
