Crane Boy

Booklist Online

This tale of wildlife conservation is narrated by a boy named Kinga, who eagerly awaits the annual return of the black-necked cranes to his Himalayan village. The expert at the village’s crane center explains to Kinga’s class that the crane population is diminishing. The boy hits upon an idea to save the cranes after seeing an archery team perform a cranelike dance to celebrate a victory. Kinga approaches the village’s monks to see if he and his fellow students can develop a crane festival, with a special crane dance, that will awaken interest in saving the birds. The illustrations throughout showcase both Bhutanese life (filled with boisterously decorated prayer flags, flamboyant buildings, and lush forests) and the exquisite beauty and strength of the cranes, seen flying in formation and close-up. The last portion of the book contains photos and information on Bhutan and the Crane Festival, the only Bhutanese festival devoted to ecological education. Readers may also enjoy wildlife activist Alan Rabinowitz’s A Boy and a Jaguar (2014).

- Booklist Online, December 10, 2015 Visit Website