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Origami Master
Shima the Origami Master lives on a mountain in Japan. He isn’t lonely, for his beautiful origami animals keep him company. One morning Shima finds a marvelous new paper elephant on his desk. Where could it have come from? The next morning, a splendid dragon is in its place. It looks real enough to fly away. That night, Shima stays awake to find out who could make such wonderful creatures. But when he discovers who the mysterious artist is, he learns a surprising lesson about friendship. Included are instructions on how to make the origami flapping bird design. Aki Sogabe’s paper-cut art in the Japanese tradition richly complements Nathaniel Lachenmeyer’s lovely story.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 2, 2008
I harbored great resentment towards origami as a child. Essentially I was the kind of kid who'd harbor resentment against any trade, skill, or hobby in which I lacked basic essential skills. And for a kid who couldn't so much as fold a paper airplane without detailed instructions, origami seemed like some kind of cruel joke. Here's a piece a paper... foldity, foldity, foldity, foldity, voila! Instant paper monkey! Yet while I did not like the art itself, I would not have minded reading about origami had there been any picture books written about it. Maybe there were. Maybe my library shelves growing up were full of such stories, but if so they somehow eluded me. One book that hasn't eluded me in the present day, however, is Nathaniel Lachenmeyer's The Origami Master. Surprisingly funny and visually arresting this book is nothing so much as a small present from a small publisher. Like an origami creation itself, Lachenmeyer and artist Aki Sogabe have produced something small, meticulous, and ultimately charming.
Shima the Origami Master keeps to himself on the side of a tall Japanese mountain . His days are spent peacefully enough, folding origami papers into little creatures of his own making. One day a warbler sitting in a tree happens to see what Shima is doing and that night it folds the papers in much the same manner. This might be cute except for the fact that the warbler is a much better origami artist than the man. Its elephants are "simpler and more beautiful". And when Shima switches to dragons, the next night he finds a far superior version on his table that "looked like it was about to come to life and fly back to its lair." Increasingly frustrated Shima spies on his table the next night only to see the warbler improving on his origami spider design. Determined to get its secrets for himself, Shima traps the bird in a cage and leaves it lots of paper. However the warbler refuses to do anything but pine for its tree. And when the man falls asleep, he awakes to find the warbler gone and an origami key sitting by the cage. Fearful that he has frightened the bird away, Shima goes outside to find it making a nest in his tree and in gratitude he creates an origami nest, "for the friend he had made and almost lost." Instructions for making your own origami bird follow at the end of the book.
I love being surprised by a picture book. If an author can write a story in a mere 32 pages that goes in an unexpected direction then I am floored. And when the man woke to find that the bird escaped its cage by making an origami key, that's when I tipped my hat. Artist Aki Sogabe was also clearly amused by the idea since the key in question is not a dark gray or blue but a bright and vibrant pink. A slightly brighter shade than the cherry blossoms where the warbler makes its home. Right off the bat I was also rather charmed by the cover and title of this book. Without reading the story, anyone in their right mind would take one glance at the illustration and words and think that the "Master" in question would have to be the old man folding a dragon on the table. You don't even notice the small warbler nesting nearby, though it is clear that the bird is the better artist.
It was important to me that the warbler not be some kind of cartoony anthropomorphized creature haunting the man's tree. Fortunately Aki Sogabe must have felt the same way since the pictures here are nothing if not realistic. The publication page says that the illustrations were created with "cut paper and watercolor", which I wouldn't have necessarily have guessed. Sogabe weaves the cut paper elements seamlessly within the pictures. Sometimes an illustrator will utilize mixed media, and the foreign elements will veritably leap off the page (for good or for ill) and draw attention to themselves. When Sogabe chooses to use cut paper, however, you don't even consciously notice. Is the pillow that the man kneels on made of cut paper? What about the little origami pages? Sogabe has made the conscious choice to create a smooth seamless transition between her watercolors and the outside elements, and it works like a charm.
Of course, I was a little surprised to hear that watercolor was Sogabe's preferred painting choice since this book looks like nothing so much as a series of colored woodcuts. The thick lines of the man's thatched home or the bold strokes that make up the warblers body; these all seem to indicate a woodcut or printmaking technique. At the same time, Sogabe's vistas and landscapes where she sets her scenes are remarkably beautiful paintings. She gets the maximum amount of use out of distant hills and overlapping trees. Second and third readings of the book also reveal how elegantly she uses shadows. There is the shadow cast by the table when the man falls asleep and the bird is given its first opportunity to escape. There is the shadow of the man when he hides to find out who has been besting him at his own game. Each shadow highlights an important moment in the story but it's not something you'd necessarily think to look for.
I am happy to say that The Origami Master joins my other favorite origami themed picture book Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin. Together the two would make for a fabulous storytime or readaloud program (particularly if you wanted to finish the program by making some origami critters of your own with the kids). Deftly told in a lovely format, this book is a great example of a simple story paired with pitch perfect illustrations. A wonderful read and a wonderful find. A must for any collection.
Ages 4-8
Shima the Origami Master keeps to himself on the side of a tall Japanese mountain . His days are spent peacefully enough, folding origami papers into little creatures of his own making. One day a warbler sitting in a tree happens to see what Shima is doing and that night it folds the papers in much the same manner. This might be cute except for the fact that the warbler is a much better origami artist than the man. Its elephants are "simpler and more beautiful". And when Shima switches to dragons, the next night he finds a far superior version on his table that "looked like it was about to come to life and fly back to its lair." Increasingly frustrated Shima spies on his table the next night only to see the warbler improving on his origami spider design. Determined to get its secrets for himself, Shima traps the bird in a cage and leaves it lots of paper. However the warbler refuses to do anything but pine for its tree. And when the man falls asleep, he awakes to find the warbler gone and an origami key sitting by the cage. Fearful that he has frightened the bird away, Shima goes outside to find it making a nest in his tree and in gratitude he creates an origami nest, "for the friend he had made and almost lost." Instructions for making your own origami bird follow at the end of the book.
I love being surprised by a picture book. If an author can write a story in a mere 32 pages that goes in an unexpected direction then I am floored. And when the man woke to find that the bird escaped its cage by making an origami key, that's when I tipped my hat. Artist Aki Sogabe was also clearly amused by the idea since the key in question is not a dark gray or blue but a bright and vibrant pink. A slightly brighter shade than the cherry blossoms where the warbler makes its home. Right off the bat I was also rather charmed by the cover and title of this book. Without reading the story, anyone in their right mind would take one glance at the illustration and words and think that the "Master" in question would have to be the old man folding a dragon on the table. You don't even notice the small warbler nesting nearby, though it is clear that the bird is the better artist.
It was important to me that the warbler not be some kind of cartoony anthropomorphized creature haunting the man's tree. Fortunately Aki Sogabe must have felt the same way since the pictures here are nothing if not realistic. The publication page says that the illustrations were created with "cut paper and watercolor", which I wouldn't have necessarily have guessed. Sogabe weaves the cut paper elements seamlessly within the pictures. Sometimes an illustrator will utilize mixed media, and the foreign elements will veritably leap off the page (for good or for ill) and draw attention to themselves. When Sogabe chooses to use cut paper, however, you don't even consciously notice. Is the pillow that the man kneels on made of cut paper? What about the little origami pages? Sogabe has made the conscious choice to create a smooth seamless transition between her watercolors and the outside elements, and it works like a charm.
Of course, I was a little surprised to hear that watercolor was Sogabe's preferred painting choice since this book looks like nothing so much as a series of colored woodcuts. The thick lines of the man's thatched home or the bold strokes that make up the warblers body; these all seem to indicate a woodcut or printmaking technique. At the same time, Sogabe's vistas and landscapes where she sets her scenes are remarkably beautiful paintings. She gets the maximum amount of use out of distant hills and overlapping trees. Second and third readings of the book also reveal how elegantly she uses shadows. There is the shadow cast by the table when the man falls asleep and the bird is given its first opportunity to escape. There is the shadow of the man when he hides to find out who has been besting him at his own game. Each shadow highlights an important moment in the story but it's not something you'd necessarily think to look for.
I am happy to say that The Origami Master joins my other favorite origami themed picture book Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin. Together the two would make for a fabulous storytime or readaloud program (particularly if you wanted to finish the program by making some origami critters of your own with the kids). Deftly told in a lovely format, this book is a great example of a simple story paired with pitch perfect illustrations. A wonderful read and a wonderful find. A must for any collection.
Ages 4-8
October 17, 2008
This is another of the books that adults write "for kids" that mainly appeal to grown ups.
Beautiful art, thoughtful story? Yes.
Kid appeal? Zip.
Watch. It will win the Caldecott Medal. Sigh.....
Beautiful art, thoughtful story? Yes.
Kid appeal? Zip.
Watch. It will win the Caldecott Medal. Sigh.....
March 15, 2011
Good story with an easy to make bird at the end
June 26, 2019
Cute little story of a man, an origami master who discovers new origami figures on his table overnight. He wonders where they come from and sets out to discover the answers. It has lovely illustrations and directions for creating aan origami bird at the end.
August 23, 2018
My son enjoyed the story. It's short and cute.
May 18, 2021
My child found the story a bit slow, but she loved the origami instruction at the back of the book.
July 17, 2024
I love how this book can open the discussion on what kindness means.
October 4, 2024
Fearless Leaders 24-25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
November 28, 2015
Shima lives alone in the woods, making origami animals. A bird nesting near his house drops in at night and folds the animals even better than Shima who decides to trap the bird. Inside the cage, SHima feeds the bird paper, hoping to see the tricks of the master folder. But the only thing the bird wants is to get back to her nest where her real family is. There is a surprise origami at the end which makes the story especially satisfying since the art of folding leads to her escape. At the end of the book is a pattern by the master folder Montroll on how to make a bird in 11 steps. The illustrations made of cut paper by Aki Sogabe are exquisite.
April 22, 2016
What a charming tale, so beautifully illustrated. I liked this most of what I found from the library today.
I particularly liked imagining the calling of the mysterious folder just outside Shima's home. It seems exactly like what would have appealed to me at the age I was originally a student at the school from whose library I read this.
I have never tried to fold that kind of bird which was detailed at the end. Maybe I'll come back with a square and reopen to that last page to give it a try...
I particularly liked imagining the calling of the mysterious folder just outside Shima's home. It seems exactly like what would have appealed to me at the age I was originally a student at the school from whose library I read this.
I have never tried to fold that kind of bird which was detailed at the end. Maybe I'll come back with a square and reopen to that last page to give it a try...
February 27, 2012
This sweet, beautiful story is about Shima, the Origami Master, who finds beautiful origami each morning on his table and wonders who it is who is playing a trick on him. He learns that it is the warbler who lives in his tree; Shima catches the bird to learn its secrets. This is a wonderful introduction to origami for grades k-2. A read-aloud can be enhanced by creating your own origami figures.
December 30, 2008
Tale of an origami master and a bird who folds even more delicately than he- motivating him to capture the bird, which responds with sadness and lost interest in folding. The master makes appropriate ammends.
"Japanesey" illustration style- traditional setting. Directions for folding a bird at the end. A good candidate for making kamishibai cards for story time.
"Japanesey" illustration style- traditional setting. Directions for folding a bird at the end. A good candidate for making kamishibai cards for story time.
December 15, 2008
A very nicely-told tale, unsurprising, but none the worse for that. Evocative (if not breathtaking) illustrations put me in mind again of Meiji-era Japan and all the swirling history of that period, even in the quiet microcosm of this artisan's humbling lesson.
January 19, 2009
This is a magnificent story with a lovely twist with a smart bird and a his special folding abilities. The illustrations are lovely and a nice discussion about independence and freedom could be started.
May 8, 2009
Like the subtle message about respecting nature/the natural order of things, along with getting what you want by force and how that works out. Pretty cut paper illustrations. A nice bonus is the origami tutorial at the end of the book, which is totally workable for my 5.5 year old.
January 18, 2015
Beautiful book about Shima who practices origami everyday who finds a fellow origami maker in the unlikeliest of forms. Which one is the master? A parable for sure. Really liked this read for my daughter and myself.
January 23, 2017
I'll give it three because my boys liked it and were super interested it the craft instructions included at the end. However, I felt like the resolution was too quick and the man's contrition felt disingenuous to me. I wasn't a huge fan.
September 27, 2008
Although I still haven't recalled title, this book reminds me of a similar one that I have read before. It is an excellent story with amazing illustrations!
October 24, 2008
Who is the real origami master? Beautiful pictures!
February 2, 2009
It's just a book about realization. He realized that this bird needs to be free.
October 9, 2009
Beautiful woodblock illustrations depict this touching and powerful story about a Japanese man's remarkable discovery about who is creating perfect origami.
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February 19, 2010My husband read this to my son, so I'm not sure how it was...
January 8, 2011
Good message. Beautiful artwork. But it left me scratching my head at the end.
March 1, 2011
The artwork is stunning and the story is above-average. This would make a good choice for a library storytime book, and it even includes directions to make an origami bird. Insta-craft!
March 1, 2015
Open the cage, warbler. Origami master, what can we do with a piece of paper?
July 19, 2016
Includes instructions to make an origami bird.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews