The Crane Wife is a well known Japanese folktale. It begins as a story of love and caring, when a poor woodcutter saves the life of an injured Japanese crane. Good fortune follows, but he allows greed and pride to overcome compassion and thankfulness.
Thus, he is separated from what he holds dear.
The Crane Wife, by Ena Keo © illustrations by Cheryl Kirk Noll
I'm thankful that I was asked to illustrate this story early in career. The book includes a few images that are still among my favorites.
