Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Author:Eleanor Coerr, Ronald Himler (Illustrator) Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, a child in Hiroshima races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person will become healthy.
This is a great book. My children were really interested in reading more about the bombing of Japan when were through. We are doing a WWII unit study so this fit right in with our book list. They have a section in the back that gives instructions for making origami cranes.
Based on a true story about a girl that was born in Hiroshima, Japan. She developes Leukemia from the radiation and recalls a Japanese legend. So she sets out to fold 1000 paper cranes. Good book we enjoyed reading about the Japanese customs.
I loved this book when I read it for the first time as a child & I loved it reading it again as an adult. It really puts a human face on the after effects of war.