As a young Japanese boy recovers from a bad chill, his mother busily folds origami paper into delicate silver cranes in preparation for the boy's very first Christmas. A Japanese boy learns of Christmas when his mother decorates a pine tree with paper cranes.

*"A gift from artist to child that indicates a ripe maturity in both its illustrative and textual elements. Serving as a bridge between American and Japanese cultures...understated and pristine, Tree of Cranes is the achievement of a master in his prime, one of the best picture books of this or any other year." (Horn Book, starred review )"The story is a poignant one, illuminated with finely drawn illustrations reflecting the serenity of a Japanese home and the quiet love between mother and son." (Publishers Weekly )