Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Encyclopedia
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a non-fiction children's book
written by American
author Eleanor Coerr
and published in 1977
.
This true story is of a girl, Sadako Sasaki
, who lived in Hiroshima
at the time of the atomic bombing
by the United States. She developed leukemia
from the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home creating origami
(folded paper) cranes
in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese saying that one who created a thousand origami cranes
would then be granted a wish. Her wish was simply to live. However, she managed to fold only 644(356 to go)cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died shortly after. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako. They also built a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden origami
crane in Hiroshima Peace Park.
Now every year on Obon
Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the departed spirits of one's ancestors, thousands of people leave paper cranes near the statue. On the statue is a plaque: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth."
The book has been translated to many languages and published in many places, to be used for peace education
programs in primary schools.
Children's non-fiction literature
Children's non-fiction literature is the meeting of the genres children's literature and non-fiction. Its primary function is to describe, inform, explain, persuade, and instruct about aspects of the real world, but much non-fiction also entertains.-See also:*Aventis Prize*Sibert Medal*List of...
written by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Eleanor Coerr
Eleanor Coerr
Eleanor Coerr was a Canadian-born American writer of children's books, including Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes....
and published in 1977
1977 in literature
The year 1977 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Douglas Adams begins writing for BBC radio.*V. S. Naipaul declines the offer of a CBE....
.
This true story is of a girl, Sadako Sasaki
Sadako Sasaki
was a Japanese girl who was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, near her home by Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. Sadako is remembered through the story of attempting to fold a thousand origami cranes before her death, a wish which was memorialized in popular...
, who lived in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
at the time of the atomic bombing
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
by the United States. She developed leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
from the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home creating origami
Origami
is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD at the latest and was popularized outside Japan in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form...
(folded paper) cranes
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese saying that one who created a thousand origami cranes
Thousand origami cranes
is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes held together by strings.An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury...
would then be granted a wish. Her wish was simply to live. However, she managed to fold only 644(356 to go)cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died shortly after. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako. They also built a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden origami
Origami
is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD at the latest and was popularized outside Japan in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form...
crane in Hiroshima Peace Park.
Now every year on Obon
Obón
Obón is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 75 inhabitants....
Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the departed spirits of one's ancestors, thousands of people leave paper cranes near the statue. On the statue is a plaque: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth."
The book has been translated to many languages and published in many places, to be used for peace education
Peace education
Peace education may be defined as the process of acquiring the values, the knowledge and developing the attitudes, skills, and behaviors to live in harmony with oneself, with others, and with the natural environment....
programs in primary schools.