Cohn, D. (2015). Crane Boy. El Paso, Texas: Cinco Puntos Press.

Crane Boy tells the story of Kinga, a young boy in Bhutan who loves the black-headed cranes who come to his village every year. He is distracted at home and in school while he awaits their return. He is such an avid fan of the birds that he proposes a new festival be celebrated in their honor. He elicits the help of the local monks to create a traditional style dance to celebrate the grace of the cranes. For days and days he trains with the monks, perfecting his moves. Invitations for the Crane Festival are sent out to every village in Bhutan. Finally, on the day of the festival, Kinga is nervous; he’s afraid his dancing will be terrible in front of his family, the monks, and all the visitors. However, his love for the Cranes gives him the focus to perform his dance to perfection, he even becomes air-born. Kinga is praised by the King of Bhutan himself. Kinga and his friends watch as the cranes depart again, but he looks forward to the next time they return, when his village will host the Crane Festival again. The book ends with several pages detailing many animals, customs, and activities that the authors were introduced to during their time spent in Bhutan, researching this real-life festival. This book is suitable for children ages 3-7 years. ( )