The Boy in the Garden

There was a story that Mama read to Jiro:

Once, in old Japan, a young woodcutter lived

alone in a little cottage. One winter day he

found a crane struggling in a snare and set it

free.

When Jiro looks out the window into Mr. Ozu’s

garden, he sees a crane and remembers

that story.

Much like the crane, the legend comes to

life—and, suddenly, Jiro finds himself in a

world woven between dream and reality.

Which is which?

Allen Say creates a tale about many things

at once: the power of story, the allure of

the imagined, and the gossamer line between

truth and fantasy. For who among us hasn’t

imagined ourselves in our own favorite

fairy tale?