I'll give it three because my boys liked it and were super interested it the craft instructions included at the end. However, I felt like the resolution was too quick and the man's contrition felt disingenuous to me. I wasn't a huge fan. ( )

I had mixed feelings about the book, The Origami Master. I really liked that the story was about Japanese culture. I have not read any children’s books about Japan yet. Children can use the text and illustrations to infer differences in cultural clothing, shoes, houses, and environments. The book also teaches about origami, and provides a step-by-step guide to make your own. I did not like the plot, and the characters were lacking depth. There was no real plot to the story. The conflict was dull, and the writing did not engage me. I feel like students would become bored reading this. Overall, I felt like the authors purpose was to teach children about origami, but could not find a good story to write about it. The big idea of this story is to teach children about Japanese culture and creating origami. ( )

This was a great picture book for students in grade levels 1st-3rd based on the illustrations and easy and fluent language of the text. The illustrations depicted and introduce readers to the Japanese tradition of origami. The reader can see the different objects that the Warbler creates. For example, an origami key to escape the bird cage the Shima locked him inside. I think the central message of the book to not take advantage of people. The Warbler enjoyed making origami but the Shima wanted to capture the bird and have him create origami for him, but the Warbler refused to work while being locked in a cage. I think it shows that you need to acknowledge the skills and talents of your friends but not take advantage of them.

This was a very cute and easy to read picture book for students from first to third grade. This is a great story that incorporates Japanese traditions and art with a fun story about an old man that finds a bird that can create origami figures just as well as he can. I liked this book for younger readers because the language and content was easy to follow, and was accompanied by beautiful Japanese style illustrations. The colors were bright and cheerful, and the story was not only entertaining but also had a great moral. The man in the book was desperate to know how the bird was able to make such beautiful origami creations, so he captured the bird, and took it away from it's nest. This at first discouraged the bird, until it cleverly outwitted the man by creating an origami key to escape it's cage. This depicted the moral of the story: sometimes mystery is what makes something beautiful, not how it works. This beauty can be spoiled by unraveling the mystery, and we don't want to take the mystery for granted. ( )

Personal Response:
I love doing origami so this book caught my eye. The story is simple yet clearly illustrates the value of friendship.

Curricular Connections:
I would use this for an art lesson on origami. ( )