#806 of 1001 · October 15, 2022

Odds Bodkin and Gennady Spirin weave a haunting tale of love and sorrow in The Crane Wife. One stormy night, a sailmaker named Osamu discovers an injured crane outside his door. He nurses it back to health until it is strong enough to fly away. Soon afterward, a mysterious woman arrives at his home. She introduces herself as Yukiko, but beyond her name she reveals nothing of herself. The two grow to love each other and live together as husband and wife. To earn money, Yukiko weaves a magic sail, but insists on working behind a screen, extracting Osamu’s promise never to look at her as she works. When the money from the first sail runs out, Yukiko reluctantly weaves a second, warning that the process is physically draining. When a rich trader offers a lifetime of gold, Osamu rashly demands a third sail. Moreover, he impatiently breaks his vow and looks behind the screen, only to see that Yukiko is none other than the wounded crane, weaving its feathers on the loom. Bodkin’s elegant adaptation of this Japanese folktale pairs beautifully with Spirin’s illustrations, inspired by traditional Japanese art. #crane #wife #husband #weave #weaving #sail #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks