The Boy in the Garden — Allen Say

There was a story that Mama read to Jiro:

Once, in old Japan, a young woodcutter lived alone in a little cottage. One winter day he found a crane struggling in a snare and set it free.

When Jiro looks out the window into Mr. Ozu's garden, he sees a crane and remembers that story.

Much like the crane, the legend comes to life -- and, suddenly, Jiro finds himself in a world woven between dream and reality. Which is which?

Allen Say creates a tale about many things at once: the power of story, the allure of the imagined, and the gossamer line between truth and fantasy. For who among us hasn't imagined ourselves in our own favorite fairy tale?