There was a story that Mama read to Jiro: Once, in old Japan, a young woodcutter lived alone in a little cottage. One winter day he found a crane struggling in a snare and set it free. When Jiro looks out the window into Mr. Ozu’s garden, he sees a crane and remembers that story. Much like the crane, the legend comes to life—and, suddenly, Jiro finds himself in a world woven between dream and reality. Which is which? Allen Say creates a tale about many things at once: the power of story, the allure of the imagined, and the gossamer line between truth and fantasy. For who among us hasn’t imagined ourselves in our own favorite fairy tale? 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-size bronze crane, Jiro investigates first the statue and then a small seemingly empty cottage on the property. When a tall, lovely Japanese lady appears, he finds himself playing out the tale. Is she the crane personified? Is he the woodcutter from the story? With the arrival of his father to take him home, he is left to ponder: Was this just a dream? The care and subtlety the artist employs to make the contemporary twist believable, in both text and illustration, is extraordinary. A final magnificent image depicts a crane flying through the night sky beneath a full moon. Carefully chosen words mesh seamlessly with dramatic and effective paintings, bringing both energy and tranquility to carry the story to its thought-provoking ending. Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Say’s book begins with a brief retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Grateful Crane,” in which a woodcutter frees a crane and later marries a mysterious woman. The woman weaves fabric that enriches the couple until her husband sees her at work, at which time she reverts to being a bird. In Say’s quixotic story, a boy and his father visit a rich man, Mr. Ozu. Young Jiro wanders the grounds and finds a statue of a crane. Remembering the tale, he thinks it’s real. His father and Mr. Ozu laugh, and the boy is humiliated. Then a mysterious cottage beckons, a beautiful woman appears, and so begins the boy’s own reenactment of “The Grateful Crane.” Although the mood is evocative in the manner of fairy tales, there’s a question here of audience. Jiro looks to be about six, yet the issues the book raises—about the illusion of story and the nature of reality—would probably be best contemplated by an older child. Still, Say’s artwork, with its clean, quiet scenes, always pleases, and the more perceptive child will take much away from this. Grades K-2. --Ilene Cooper "A gently unsettling tale of the power of the imagination."— The Horn Book, starred review   "Say is at the height of his artistic achievement in this tale of a little boy named Jiro and the powerful impact that a story has on him....This is a beautiful, moving, quietly mysterious read, ripe with possibilities for interpretation and contemplation."— Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Caldecott Medalist Say (Grandfather's Journey), his work always painstaking and poignant, ventures tentatively into the realm of fantasy....Pale colors and expanses of empty space contribute to the feeling of haunted charm. Did Jiro dream? Possibly—or possibly not."— Publishers Weekly, starred review   "Multilayered and compelling."— The Bulletin Praise for other Allen Say books:   Erika-san "Aficionados of Say’s tranquil work will find both the message and the delivery deeply satisfying."— Publishers Weekly , starred review  Kamishibai Man "The quietly dramatic, beautifully evocative, tale contains a cliffhanger of its own, along with exquisite art in the style of Kamishibai picture cards that will attract even the most jaded kid away from the TV screen to enjoy a good, good book."— Booklist , starred review  Tea with Milk "A thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation’s many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own."— School Library Journal , starred review  Tree of Cranes "Tree of Cranes is the achievement of a master in his prime, one of the best picture books of this or any year."— The Horn Book , starred review  The Sign Painter "In perhaps his best work to date . . . Say subtly and ingeniously blends a feeling of nostalgia with a hard-hitting immediacy. . . The images and the boy’s passion as an artist will remain with [readers]."— Publishers Weekly , sta