1001 Cranes

by Naomi Hirahara

WHEN 12-YEAR-OLD ANGELA Kato arrives in L.A., the last thing she wants to do is spend the entire summer with her grandparents. But in the Kato family, one is never permitted to complain. Grandma Michi and Aunt Janet put Angela to work in their flower shop, folding origami and creating 1001 crane displays for newlyweds. At first, Angela learns the trade begrudgingly. But when her folding skills improve and her relationships with family and friends grow, Angela is able to cope with her troubles, especially her parents’ impending divorce.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Japan, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Asian Literature

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Naomi Hirahara is the USA Today-bestselling and award-winning author of multiple mystery series, noir short stories, nonfiction history books and one middle-grade novel. Her Edgar Award-winning Mas Arai series features a Los Angeles gardener and Hiroshima survivor. Her first historical mystery, CLARK AND DIVISION, which follows a Japanese American family from Manzanar to Chicago in 1944, won a Mary Higgins Clark Award in 2022. Her two other series star a young mixed race female LAPD bicycle cop, Ellie Rush, and a Filipina-Japanese American woman in Kaua'i, Lellani Santiago. She also has written a middle-grade book, 1001 CRANES. In 2025, the history book she co-wrote with Geraldine Knatz, TERMINAL ISLAND: LOST COMMUNITIES ON AMERICA'S EDGE, won a California Book Award gold medal. She, her husband and their rat terrier live happily in her birthplace of Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Kathy Honsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela Kato is a Japanese-American 12-year-old girl not looking forward to spending her summer with her grandparents who live near Los Angeles. Her parents are going through a divorce and they decide to send Angela someplace where she will be occupied and not affected as they finalize their separation. Just knowing she will miss hanging out with her friends and skateboarding in her hometown of Mill Valley makes her dread the long summer ahead. When she arrives in Gardena, she learns that she will be helping out her grandparents, Gramps, Grandma Michi and her aunt Janet at their flower shop. As she is first reluctant, she learns the craft of folding origami and helps her relatives make decorative displays of 1001 cranes for upcoming celebrations. She perfects her craft of folding paper cranes and also becomes more accepting of forming new friendships with kids who live around the neighborhood. We see Angela's character change throughout the story and become familiar with her Japanese family's customs with keeping children in line so as to respect their elders and follow through with their designated roles. Additionally, she learns of her customer's personal battles and is able to reflect on how her life will change after her parents divorce. Readers ages 12 and up will find the story to be engaging and relevant to them on various levels from pre-teenager mentality, crushing on the opposite sex, and feeling a sense of belonging. The author focuses on personal struggles teenagers today may face along with feeling accepted within their cultural groups. The story was an interesting read and allowed me to see how no matter what age or size you are, everyone has personal battles they must face and learn to overcome.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sad story of a Japanese-American born girl, Angela Kato, but 100 % American. Everything is going wrong for Angela. First, she's moving to LA with her grandparents for the summer. And if that's not bad enough, Angela's parents are divorcing! Angela's oriental culture, of Japanese traditions are putting the pressure on her, to fold 1001 origami cranes for weddings in her grandparents' flower shop. Angela, not being proud of being Japanese, doesn't want to waste her precious summer with her grandparents and folding paper cranes all summer long.

This story reminds me of an even sadder story I read in year 2 called "Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes". I found this book really sad, but not as sad as "Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes" It was really good though, and kept me turning the pages. The only thing that really disappoints me was the ending. It just felt unfinished, and quite disappointing. They just ended it without solving any of the problems written in the story. So basically it's like all of that mumbo-jumbo was written just for nothing! Anyways, it was really good, but I still feel that it was unfinished

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a while for me to engage in this one - it's a gentle novel, even though it stars skateboards, adultery, divorce, and family conflict. Our heroine has been coerced into spending the summer with her grandparents. During the summer, she learns how to fold origami cranes. Some of the conflict and feelings seem a bit mature for a 12-year-old, but then I have to remember how old I felt then. Kinda wish the skateboarding and the urban setting was pumped up a bit, with a less girly cover. But I wasn't quite sure in what direction the book was going and the second half went quickly. Also includes interesting depictions of religion - a Buddhist temple is a major player, as is a Christian church. I enjoyed some of the more alternative friendships.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela's summer is not looking promising. Her parents are at war with each other and she is temporarily banished to her grandparents' house to assist with the family flower shop while her family tries to pick up the pieces. Under her grandmother's critical gaze, she finds herself tasked with helping fold delicate paper cranes for elaborate wedding displays. Unfortunately for Angela, even building the most elaborate crane display can an easier than navigating family politics.

An interesting story about reconnecting with family, culture, and tradition. Angela herself is a little bit of a blank slate as a character, but the strong points for me were the family relationships particularly the intergenerational dynamic and the grandparents' stories, which were handled really well, and revealed pretty organically as she spends more time immersed in the business. The origami was just as interesting. As someone who is borderline inept at folding a crane, I appreciated the pointers and found myself wanting to test it out again. I would have liked to see more development with the parents and Angela's feelings about the rift. This particular plot thread felt underdeveloped a bit. The parent conflict simmers just below the surface but we don't ever dig into it all that much, and then a major revelation with the parents is dropped like a grenade really late in the plot and we don't really get to see Angela process it.

All in all though, an enjoyable read and an interesting portrait of a family and their evolving relationship with their culture, tradition, and each other.

[Larry Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems that 12-year-old Angela Kato is being shipped down to Los Angeles for the summer to live with her grandparents, Grandma Michi and Gramps. She suspects her being sent away has something to do with an estrangement she senses between her parents. She's very worried they're in the process of splitting up. But, of course, no one will say anything.

Angela is third generation Japanese, which basically means pretty much fully American with little understanding of her Japanese heritage other than a few words or phrases. Her grandparents, of course, are still well steeped in their Japanese culture, and Angela has to figure things out for herself, because it's not part of the culture to provide clear lessons. Just not done.

Angela's grandparents have a wedding business. Gramps does floral arrangements, and Grandma Michi and her daughter, Aunt Janet, make arrangements of origami cranes. There must be exactly 1001 cranes in the arrangement for each wedding. Naturally, once Angela arrives, she is set to folding paper cranes.

The problem with folding origami cranes is that it takes quite a lot of time (but a super good meditative activity). Also, Grandma Michi grades the cranes: 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D'. She goes through Angela's work at the end of each day and places the cranes into appropriate piles. This is very discouraging at first, but eventually Angela becomes pretty competent and has fewer and fewer of her cranes delegated to the 'C' and 'D' piles.

Well, lots of other things go on. Angela meets up with some local teenagers and a sick neighbor. She gets slightly more insight into the ways of her parents and grandparents. And all the crane folding turns out to be therapeutic. It's a bit of a coming of age experience for her.

But, of course, for me, it's all about the cranes. After a visit to Hiroshima some 15 years ago, I took up folding origami cranes. I've folded thousands of the damn things. My son and daughter-in-law, who met in Japan while they were over there in the JET program, wanted cranes for their wedding. Naturally, I was delegated to doing much of the folding. We had showers of white cranes along the aisles. We had little colored cranes nesting in the table centerpieces. We had mid-sized cranes holding the place cards indicating people's seating. Cranes galore. I'm grateful that my daughter-in-law didn't go through my cranes and delegate them into piles, 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D'. Nope, bless her heart, she was just grateful for the oodles of cranes—yes, some a bit disfigured—that helped make her wedding one of the most special events ever.

Anyway, this is a great book. Probably worth 4+*s at a minimum. Y'all should definitely read it.

[Sydney Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 actually. Angie is forced to move to LA for the summer to live with her grandparents. She can sense that something is wrong in her parents' marriage and they want her to get away from the damage. While in LA with her grandparents and Aunt Janet, Angie helps build 1001 crane displays for important events. While her folding skills develop so does her maturity.

I enjoyed this story. I found Angie to be a true-to-life twelve-year-old. Which is to say at times annoying, but otherwise heartwarming. Her sense of right and wrong is very split at the beginning, but as she encounters mature situations she develops a better understanding of decision-making and adult life. There was nothing too spectacular about this story, but I did enjoy reading it.

[Glen U · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK YA book, written for probably the 12-13 year old age range. Predictable but unique in it does explain some of the culture of the Japanese-Americans in The United States. Heartwarming and sentimental, a feel good book with a decent ending.

[Jean Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the entire story, I just felt so bad for the main character. Talk about getting stiffed at every possible corner. This was not a typical Japanese-American story. When my church book club pronounced this read, I was skeptical but I was surprised how much I liked it though it's nowhere near a must-read or anything of the sort.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misearable girl-child has lovely summer, once she figures it out.

[Evalien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, pleasant read. A coming of age story.

[Jmp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet teenager learning to fold paper cranes & finding out about her grandparents

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there were more books like this when I was younger.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Underrated diverse middle grade.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author uses current CA places and makes relevant issues extremely relatable. Fantastic coming of age story.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it !!

[Maddi Smith]

lol guys if you see this it’s because I found it on my old kindle account and wanted to document it so I can get rid of it

[Winnie Zhao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: 1001 Cranes Delacorte Books, 2008, 240 pp., $15.99
Author: Naomi Hirahara ISBN: 978-0-385-73556-8

Not everything goes exactly the way you want it to, but if you give this new experience a chance, you might end up enjoying it. The main character, Angela, who is a twelve year old girl, got sent to her grandparents’ house for the summer. She does not want to go, but have no choice but to stay with her grandparents and help them out at the flower shop. Eventually, she learned to accept the fact that she has to stay there and made the best of it.

Angela got sent to her grandparents’ house because her parents are getting divorced and they are not really being honest about it and telling her the truth of what is happening. Angela believes that she is not very close to her grandmother and that they don’t have anything in common. While Angela was with her grandparents and her aunt, she learned how to make cranes and was taught to fold them by her aunt and grandmother. She became involved with the 1001 crane project her grandmother and aunt came up with. She was doing all this while handling the fact that her parents are getting a divorce.

I enjoyed the way the book ended because through out the whole book, it talks about the family problems in different families and it seems like the crane making brought everyone together. It was great when Angela was told the truth and not hidden in the dark with the attempt that her parents were trying to protect her by not telling her anything. This book shows the true meaning behind what a family is.

I would recommend this book to kids who like to read about family problems and how it gets solve at the end through communication with one another. No matter what happens, family will always be family.

[Witch · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I stare at two Japanese masks hanging beside the door. One, a hideous demon face with horns and a menacing grin, is made out of wood. ... Next to the demon is the white face of a woman, her skin the color of the ashy end of a cigarette" (16). Angie describes these masks at her grandparents' house. I have memories of two similar masks above the kitchen at my own grandparents' house.

This book brought back a lot of different things I missed and forgotten. Anko mochi. Noh masks. Coal miner's dance. Kamaboko wooden boards--I remember those.

I lived, until a year ago, more than half my life in Japan than in the USA. So I was raised proud of my heritage and culture. Angie is pure American. Born and raised. So I couldn't relate to her that well, because things I enjoyed about my culture--she just thought was weird. There were many times where I hit my book to my head and thought, "She's so dumbbbb! How can you be full Japanese and not know what _______ is!?" Funny thing is, Angie addressed this same issue in the book.

Also, she's 12, eight years my junior. Naive. Now that I think about it, this is too young to be YA for me--why was it in the YA section of the library?

I don't know, this book was very stereotypical and some of the plot was obvious. Some of the characters were immature for their age.

[Melissa Kelley-Windisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

1001 Cranes was a delight to read. I enjoyed the references to Japanese culture that were woven throughout the book – from the An that they make on New Years to the 1000 cranes that are thought to bring health to those who are sick. I found it interesting that in the book they talk about how an extra crane (1001) is thought to bring good luck for a wedding or anniversary, but this belief is from the US, not Japan. This made me think of St. Patrick’s Day and how a celebration or tradition of another country is can be treated so differently in the United States than where it originated. Throughout the book, I could feel Angela’s pain regarding her parents impending divorce, which is something many of today’s youth can empathize with. Because of her parent’s divorce, Angela was forced to go spend the summer with her grandparents and aunt, helping out with their 1001 cranes displays. While this was something she really did not want to do, it is interesting to watch as Angela becomes proficient in folding the origami cranes and builds relationships with her family in the process. I really loved the way Grandma Mishi’s crane folding tips were included throughout the book as well as the instructions for folding cranes that were included at the end of the book. I feel this would be a good book for students in middle school.

[Wei Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Japanese American girl named Angela Kato who spends the summer in L.A. with her grandparents. During the summer, she learns how to fold origami cranes and create 1001 crane displays. At first, she has trouble concentrating on her work, but she gradually starts to enjoy the process when her origami folding skills start to improve. She also meets this Latino boy when she goes to practise her skateboarding at the nearby park, and they eventually become friends when he helps her get out of trouble more than once. But will all of these events help her recover from her parents divorce, or will they just distract her from bonding with her family members?

I picked up this book because the author is Japanese and I've read this other book called Strawberry Yellow from the same author and it was quite an enjoyable read.

I finished this book because the writing was simple, yet moving, and the conflicts really captured my curiosity, which made me finish the story in a hurry.

I would recommend this book to grade 6 or 7 girls that like books that are more emotional and with a lot of character development.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

for 6th grade parent-child book club...Marisa's pick.

This was a refreshing little book. More realistic than the usual parent-child book club picks have been lately. I think part of the "refreshing" feeling comes from the present-tense narration. The reader is right there, in the slightly wise-cracking 12-year-old's head.

I think Marisa is going to ask about a favorite quote from the book when we meet, so I would have to say mine is from p. 147: "I don't know if I need to be older to really appreciate Rachel." It feels like this sums up the way Angie grows during the summer. By the end of the book she has come to new appreciations about everyone.

So for hosting book club I guess I will serve either chicken teriyaki or chicken fajitas. For dessert I think I'll make that pudding with cookie crumbles (mud with dirt) dish served out of a new plant pot or ramekins , with (fake) flowers and gummy worms (p. 50) coming out of it. We'll fold cranes for an activity. Directions at the back of the book, and on youtube...!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. I think it is a wonderful commentary or expression of the relationships between women of different generations. How different ways of expressing emotions get interpreted and misunderstood by those involved.

At times I thought the voice of Angela was beyond that of a twelve year old but the more I thought about her experiences and the way our current social culture is I thought it was appropriate. Tween girls have so much going on, trying to grow into teens and yet still be younger and then being treated as both adult like and like a child, it would be confusing and difficult for anyone. Then to add the trauma of losing the unit known as your two parents as they divorce in front of you but fail to acknowledge that you are aware and not telling you what is going on though you are a witness, the voice of Angela is really spot on.

This book is so rich with lessons I think it bears multiple readings and should be added to school libraries and reading lists if it isn't already there.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

APALA YOUTH LITERATURE HONOR BOOK (2009)

Format: Novel
Age level: Middle school / early high school
Protagonist: Angela Kato, a 12-year-old Asian-Amerian girl

Brief Summary: Angela is sent to visit her grandparents in Los Angeles for the summer while her parents work through a possible divorce. While there, Angela helps at her grandparents' flower shop and aids in creating 1001 crane displays. Through her time in Los Angeles, Angela begins to develop relationsips with others, work through her relationships with her parents, and develop relationships with her grandparents. She also experiences and learns more about pieces of her Japanese heritage. All in all, the summer becomes a transforming experience for her in many ways.

This is a wonderful book for girls, especially for girls whose parents are divorced or are going through a divorce. Angela's thoughts, emotions, and reactions throughout the story are very realistic.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Angie is being sent away for the summer. She's to stay with her grandparents and help them make the 1001 crane displays for weddings. Angie knows something is wrong with her family, but her parents aren't talking. She knows her father has another apartment because she answered t he phone when his new landlady called. She fears the worst. Are her parents getting a divorce? In the midst of all this personal trouble, Angie struggles to learn origami, in particular the folding of cranes. She meets a boy, helps a neighbor, and realizes that there are kids who have worse troubles.

What I thought: I liked this books. I found it to be a poignant portrayal of what would be going through a child's mind if her parents were having marital problems. The interesting cultural details (mainly the 1001 crane displays) added to the book's appeal.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good especially for sixth and seventh graders. The main character is a Japanese-American girl, twelve years old. She is very much indoctrinated into the Amercan culture, as opposed to her Japanese grandparents. Angie is sent to live with her maternal grandparents in LA during the summer while her parents work out problems in their marriage. The grandparents own a florist, and one of their specialties is creating displays of 1,001 cranes that symbolize good luck at weddings and anniversary parties. Angie has to learn to fold perfect cranes, which tries her patience greatly. The origami "gimmick" is folded into the story quite well - excuse the pun! Angie meets a skateboarder named Tony and learns a lesson about choosing wisely. The book is perfectly innocent but still full of teen issues. A good one to recommend to your students.

[Lisa Ard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Angela Kato is 12 years old when she's sent to L.A. to spend the summer with her grandparents. She recognizes a problem between her parents, but true to this Japanese-American family, some things are not discussed. Angela goes unwillingly and is troubled by her parents' secrecy. During the summer she learns to fold origami cranes to assist her grandparents with 1001 crane wedding displays.

Many different relationships are portrayed - her parents' crumbling marriage, a troubled engaged couple, Angela's own foray into romance and her grandparents' strong stable relationship. What Angela learns is some work and some don't - a soft ending for a book that had more potential. I would have liked to see a stronger metaphorical tie with the origami. I also felt the author was often 'telling' rather than 'showing'.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Talk Selection:
Angela is a young teen who is being sent to Los Angeles to stay with her grandparents while her parents deal with their divorce. Since she knows about the difficulty in her parents' marriage, Angela does not want to go and she doesn't seem to have a strong emotional connection with her grandparents, except perhaps her grandfather. Her grandparents have a flower shop, but they also fold cranes for weddings and anniversaries, in keeping with their culture's traditions. Angela meets a boy named Tony who occupies her mind much of the time. As the story unfolds, Angela must deal with some difficult situations with her parents, help a neighbor in need, and learn some of the more difficult lessons about growing up. I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as I expected to, but it was a quick read and would be good for middle school girls to read.

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when twelve-year-old Angela truly believes she needs to be at home to monitor her parents’ fragmenting marriage, her mother chooses to send her to her grandparents’ home in a San Francisco suburb. There she will spend her summer folding origami cranes for her grandparents’ business. She feels like a stranger in their home, not really understanding either of her grandparents or her Aunt Janet or their shared Japanese heritage. During the summer, Angela learns a great deal about love and the way it is shown, from her own “first love” to her grandparents’ strong, but invisible bond.

Young people will respond to Angela’s relationship to the other characters and an unfamiliar culture regardless of their own cultures.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

12 year old Angela is sent to visit her grandparents in Los Angeles for the summer while her parents work through a divorce. While there, Angela helps at her grandparents shop and helps in making 1001 crane displays. Through her time in LA Angela begins to develop relationsips with others, work through her relationships with her parents, and relationships with her grandparents. She also experiences and learns more about her heritage. summer becomes a transforming experience for her in many ways.
i picked up this book as many people have gaven me recomandations for this book
i finished this book because i wanted to know how everythng turned out like her relationshoip with others
i think tracy would enjoy reading this book

[Jennifer Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It's an excellent coming-of-age book that captures the beautiful art of origami. I liked how the craft ties in with the storyline. Hirahara has the skill to move this story along at a flowing, even pace. She is also able to insert culture and key words throughout the book and enlighten the reader. She easily paints Gardena and flower arranging in a distinct and knowledgeable manner. In some ways, this is more of an adult book because Angie doesn't get all the cut-and-dried answers in this story, but it is a realistic look at how we grow up and mirrors authentic life experiences.