Lissy's Friends - Grace Lin

Viking, 2007
32 pages
for: kids
Rating: 3.5
Front endpaper: Large red crane and title page information
Back endpaper: Clear directions on how to fold a paper crane

Lissy moves to a new school and no one talks to her. Tired of having no friends, she begins folding paper and soon has a menagerie of various new folded paper friends - beginning with a crane, then giraffe, bear, dog, frog, rabbit, snake, elephant..... until one day they all fly away in a big gust of wind. One of her classmates catches one of them. They become friends, and Lissy teaches her to fold animals as well. In that way, Lissy became one of the gang.

The illustrations are great - right down to the fabric and origami paper patterns. Bright and bold, and the kind you want to cut right out of the book and put on the wall to brighten up a room.

Feel like folding paper cranes? Start out with reading this book. Afterwards, if kids are old/mature enough, read to them about Sadako.