Every year, Kinga and his classmates wait for the black-necked cranes to return to the kingdom of Bhutan. The birds fly south over the highest mountains in the word to winter in the valley where Kinga lives, deep in the Himalayas. The cranes have been visiting the valley since ancient times, but every year, fewer cranes return. Kinga is concerned. "What can he do?," he wonders. He and his classmates approach the monks for permission to create and perform a dance to honor the cranes and to remind the Bhutanese people of their duty to care for them. The monks caution them to first watch the cranes to see how they move and learn from them. The children watch and practice. And practice some more until the big day when they perform before the king of Bhutan. Diana Cohn is an educator and writer with an active commitment to social justice work. She has published six picture books for children. Crane Boy was inspired by two visits to Bhutan and by her interest in how cultural traditions evolve and adapt over time. Youme is an author, illustrator, and community-based artist who has worked internationally in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Her first book Selavi: That is Life won the 2005 Jane Addams Peace Award. Pitch Black: Don't Be Skerd, a graphic novel she co-authored with Anthony Horton, was named one of YALSA's Top Ten Great Graphic Novels in 2009.

 

This book was recognised by the South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. It was recognised by the Green Earth Book Award.

There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published 2015 by Cinco Puntos Press, U. S. .

Diana Cohn is an educator with an active commitment to social justice work. She was a classroom teacher and trained teachers for many years and now works for a national foundation that supports communities working for economic and environmental justice. Diana has published two widely acclaimed books with Cinco Puntos, !Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! and The Bee Tree. She currently lives in northern California and is a member of the National Writers Union. Youme Landowne grew up loving stories. She has lived and worked as a community artist in New York, New Haven, Miami, Woods Hole, San Francisco, Kenya, Japan, Lao P. D. R. , Vietnam, St. John, U. S. V. I. , Haiti and Cuba. Youme's books include Selavi (That Is Life) -A Haitian Story of Hope, Mali Under the Night Sky-A Lao Story of Home, and Pitch Black with Anthony Horton. She is drawn to stories of survival and champions for social justice. Youme lives in an ever changing location with her partner and their two children. Diana Cohn is a former school teacher who lives in New York. This is her first book for children.