"Joey loved things that folded": road maps, accordions, foldaway beds. So when a classmate's mom comes to school and demonstrates how to fold a paper crane, Joey is entranced. He practices on everything he can get his hands on, frustrating his family. When he goes next door to a Mexican restaurant, Mr. Lopez provides a listening ear, and restaurant napkins turn out to be the perfect thing to practice on!

Back matter: Fold your own origami ladybug (instructions in 6 steps, with illustrations)

"It takes practice and patience to be an origami master....But whenever I practice, everybody else loses their patience."

See also: Yoko's Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells ( )

I liked the book More-igami by Dori Kleber and illustrated by G. Brian Karas for two reasons. The first reason being the illustrations. The illustrations fit the mood of the story and supported the characters feelings. For example, Joey was having a difficult time making origami, in which the illustrations portrayed how upset and disappointed he was of himself. The second reason being the language. It was descriptive and understandable. At the end of the book, there was a step-by-step instructional guide on how to make an origami ladybug. I thought this was a nice touch to add since the book was centered on making origami. The overall message of More-igami is that practice makes perfect, but takes patience. Something may not always be easy, but if one puts forth hard work and dedication things will get better. ( )

This book follows Joey's trials and tribulations as he attempts to learn how to make an origami crane. I would read this book aloud to my class because it emphasizes the ideas of "practice makes perfect" and perserverance. I also like how culturally diverse this book is and the origami activity at the end is a fun way to incorporate art and literacy. ( )

The art of Origami is typically thought to be Oriental. However, anyone who loves folding paper to make pretty objects can fall in love with the art form of Origami. That is certainly the case with young Joey. "Joey loved things that folded...." He love his accordian, had a folding bed to sleep in, and loved to fold road maps.

Then (yep, enter the Oriental influence) young Sarah Takimoto's mother visited the school and a new type of folding was introduced into the life of young Joey.

Joey practiced and found it was much harder to do than he thought. Then he found a new way to practice that actually helped a friend.

The story is sweet and will encourage a child that is trying to learn to do something new. The illustrations show Joey and his family and friends drawn with boldness and colors that will grab the attention of the young child.

I found this book to be entertaining and packed with the lesson of how one should keep trying to master a task until they accomplish it and how to stay cheerful while doing so.

I received a complimentary copy from Candlewick Press to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated. ( )

instructions for origami lady bug at the end of the book ( )