Love Made Me More

PreS-Gr 2–A piece of orange paper with white and blue spots narrates its experience of becoming an origami crane belonging to “My Boy,” living in a special place of honor on his nightstand: “I am the last thing he sees each night and the first thing he sees each morning.” But the boy is growing up: one day the crane’s place is usurped by a photo of the boy with a girl, and later, the boy writes a marriage proposal on the crane. Presently, the crane soars from a wire in a mobile over a baby’s crib, understanding finally that “I was never just a piece of paper….Love has made me so much more.” As in Henry Cole’s One Little Bag, a precious object is imbued with deep significance from one generation to the next; here, it’s centered as the main character, acknowledging the importance—even sentience—children attribute to their special treasures. The illustrations are lively and full of movement: Boy and Crane sailing around the room, the Girl leaping into the Boy’s arms, a curtain blowing in the breeze. The items that clutter the boy’s night stand as he ages show how his interests change over time, from origami to video games to guitar. The Boy has warm brown skin and short brown hair; the Girl is Black with long curly hair.