Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Sadako's Cranes
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Minedition, 2015 ISBN: 978-9888341009
One sunny August day in 1945 a little girl called Sadako and her pet cat were playing by the bank of the river. They lay on the grass, eat rice balls, and tried to catch crickets. Then a big black cloud drifted over everything and with the cloud came “fire and heat.” The cloud destroyed everything around them, and when it passed “Nothing was left but gray ash.”
The years went by and people began to think less about that terrible day and the black cloud. Life went on. Then Sadoko became sick and she had to go to hospital. They learned that the black cloud was responsible for her illness. Sadoko’s brother told her about a legend that said “If you fold 1,000 paper cranes, you’ll get to make a wish.”
Sadoko wanted to get well so she started folding paper cranes. Making the cranes made her happy but doing so also tired her out. Sadoko’s cat kept her company, and tried to keep her spirits up by telling her “stories about things I knew she loved.”
This tale is based on the true story of a real little girl. Sadako Sasaki was living in Hiroshima, Japan, when an atomic bomb was dropped on that city on August 6, 1945. As a result of the radiation, Sadako, like so many other people who lived in Hiroshima, developed leukemia. She heard about the legend of the paper cranes and began to make as many of the origami creations as she could.
By telling the story from the point of view of a cat, the author and illustrator of this beautiful, moving tale adds a layer of intimacy to what is already a powerful story. At the back of the book she tells us a little about the real Sadako and her legacy.
