Crane Boy

by Diana Cohn

Every year, Kinga and his classmates wait for the black-necked cranes to return to the kingdom of Bhutan. The birds fly south over the highest mountains in the word to winter in the valley where Kinga lives, deep in the Himalayas. The cranes have been visiting the valley since ancient times, but every year, fewer cranes return. Kinga is concerned. "What can he do?," he wonders. He and his classmates approach the monks for permission to create and perform a dance to honor the cranes and to remind the Bhutanese people of their duty to care for them. The monks caution them to first watch the cranes to see how they move and learn from them. The children watch and practice. And practice some more until the big day when they perform before the king of Bhutan.

Diana Cohn is an educator and writer with an active commitment to social justice work. She has published six picture books for children. Crane Boy was inspired by two visits to Bhutan and by her interest in how cultural traditions evolve and adapt over time.

Youme is an author, illustrator, and community-based artist who has worked internationally in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Her first book That is Life won the 2005 Jane Addams Peace Award. Pitch Don't Be Skerd, a graphic novel she co-authored with Anthony Horton, was named one of YALSA's Top Ten Great Graphic Novels in 2009.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Conservation, Environment, Birds, Childrens

42 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2015

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book set in the little known but inspiring country of Bhutan. Bhutan is celebrated for being carbon negative, yet sadly it's ecology is being critically impacted by outside forces. In this story, a young boy, Kinga, who has a deep love for the black-necked cranes that visit his valley, becomes concerned when he sees there are fewer cranes returning each year. This is an exquisitely illustrated picture book that reveals much about Bhutan, its culture, and their love and commitment to the environment.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinga and his schoolfriends all want to see the cranes return back to the Himalayas, but they are concerned about the low numbers that do come back. Concerned, they learn the significance of the birds from the monks and propose a new dance for the upcoming festival based on them. And it is through this, they are successful in bringing awareness to the people of the cranes. While this story can be interpretated as a boy's love of cranes, it is also a story that underlies the importance of conservation and cultural value that nature has to many countries. Overall, that is the benefit of reading Crane Boy. We should care for nature, as the natural world provides much of the benefits that we depend upon both for our living and cultural value.

[Ellie Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crane Boy tells the story of a young Bhutanese boy named Kinga, who is enthralled by the cranes that migrate through Bhutan every year. Through the story he learns about the cranes and their significance to his culture and wants to honor them with a crane dance. He learns a great respect for his culture and honors the cranes at the end of the story with a festival for the cranes.

This story is a great way to learn more about the culture of Bhutan. I did not know any of this information before reading and I thought it was very interesting. This book could be used in a study of other cultures or religions. I might break this book up into sections to read though because there was a lot of information and it is pretty long.

[JK WSU · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars (Liked it). Published in 2015, this realistic picture book follows the story of Kinga, a Bhutanese boy who awaits the return of the black-necked cranes to his valley during the birds' annual migration. Kinga is concerned about the dwindling number of birds that return to each year, so he helps organize a festival to honor their migration and bring attention to the conservation of their habitat in Bhutan. This book can be used to build background knowledge in K-3 classrooms about migrating animals and conservation efforts, as well as to teach about the people and geography of Bhutan. I liked the plot, message, and the illustrations in this book.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our World.

I liked the art and the language; it was a good read. Also, I think a lot was nonfiction, so I learned a bit about Bhutan and their beloved cranes. But the need to put in a narrative meant that I'm left unsure of some facts -- the Crane Festival was indeed a fairly recent innovation, but did the idea really come from children? That would be cool if true, but I'm pretty sure the kids were inserted to make the picture book easier to read. But maybe not?

[Maya]

A story that blends a respect for traditional Bhutanese culture, the arts (dance), sport (archery) ecological protection through care for sacred cranes; and celebrates a child's creativity-- yes, please.

Companion reads:
- "Stork's Landing" by Tami Lehman-Wilzig (Israel)
- "Bird Watch" by Christie Matheson

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A children's picture, story book about children learning how to dance like cranes.

[Adrian Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part was that it incorporated some Asian culture. I can use this book as a read aloud during a unit in culture.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Phobjika Valley of Bhutan, the black-necked cranes have brought good fortune to the people of the valley for many generations, but lately they have becoming fewer in number. For this reason, the young school child Kinga seeks a way to help bring more cranes as well as to honor them. Looking at the example of the monks’ dance that brings many people to his country’s national archery contest, Kinga decides that he can create a dance to celebrate the cranes and to hold a crane festival. Following the monks’ suggestion, the children in Kinga’s class watch the cranes as they create such a dance, mimicking their movements, to honor them. The story is a fiction, but, as Cohn points out in the back matter, the people of Phojika Valley do have a Crane Festival that, unlike many of their other traditions, is actually a modern creation. Though not created by a child, it does involve both monks and school children dancing. The people of Bhutan also have other artistic works dedicated to the cranes whom they believe bring them luck in their crops and in their national sport of archery, according to Cohn. The pictures are brightly colored, with many yellows, greens, baby blues, and oranges. And, like many historical fictions, this contemporary fiction will intrigue young minds to want to read the fact features in the back describing this small Asian country’s, and the Phobjika Valley’s in particular, true history and current culture. The book also features a full color, beautiful photograph of five cranes in the back, following the factual information.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinga simply adores the black-necked cranes that return to his village in Bhutan every fall. When he and his classmates realize that the number of cranes is decreasing, he wonders how he can help these beautiful birds. In order to raise awareness about the cranes and the need to protect their habitats, he and several classmates create a dance inspired by the cranes and invite guests from several villages. Filled with photographs and colorful, culturally authentic illustrations, this picture book shows how one child can make a difference in the world around him. It also helps readers appreciate these amazing cranes whose numbers are dwindling and perhaps remind them to look more carefully at the natural wonders in their own world. Who knows what species might need help next? The simple act of creating and performing a dance emulating these birds might remind audience members just how beautiful and worth saving are these creatures.

[Dione Basseri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Youme definitely has a consistently developed art style. I just don't like it. Oddly, the cranes all look fine to me, but everything else in the book seems too messy. But that's just an art thing, and will vary from person to person.

The story itself didn't really keep my attention, though. While the conservation message is important, the book itself goes a bit long. There's all this build-up for the crane dance, which is just too much buildup, in my opinion. A few pages less and this would have flowed much better.

I do approve of the two pages of explanation for the festival, the cranes, and for the nation of Bhutan itself. That was very well-done, and shows children the basics of a good report. It's a shame it's just paired to an uninteresting story.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinga and his classmates wait for the black-necked cranes to return to the kingdom of Bhutan. The birds fly south over the highest mountains in the word to winter in the valley where Kinga lives, deep in the Himalayas. The cranes have been visiting the valley since ancient times, but every year, fewer cranes return. Kinga and his classmates ask the monks for permission to create and perform a dance to honor the cranes and to remind the Bhutanese people of their duty to care for them. A gracefully told, beautifully illustrated story.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book story about the creation of the Crane Festival (1998) in Bhutan. Beautiful illustrations help tell how school children became concerned about the decrease in the number of cranes wintering in Bhutan and lobbied the monastery to create a new festival for the Cranes. Really nice back matter.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

bookaday #10. Straightforward story about a boy's love for cranes that return each year to his village in Bhutan and the children's conservation efforts. Strength of the book lies in the back matter, with info on the country, customs, and cranes!

[Hannah]

Lovely.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of conservation from Bhutan.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinga's dance brings recognition to his beloved cranes.