Overview

Sadako Sasaki, a young girl of twelve, develops leukemia caused by exposure to the atom bomb dropped on her city of Hiroshima, Japan at the end of WWII. While in the hospital, Sadako learns to fold origami cranes and believes that folding the cranes might lead to the granting of a wish. A loving and compassionate child, Sadako's life inspires her classmates to create a memorial in her honor, to remember all the children impacted by the war. Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako's older brother, and Sue DiCicco, founder of The Peace Crane Project, tell Sadako's true story in English for the first time.

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9781938193033

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My grandfather, Harry S. Truman, never spoke to me about the atomic bombings of Japan. Like most Americans, I learned about them in school. Textbooks didn't give me much more than casualty figures. Nothing about what really happened to the people on the ground. Sadako Sasaki's story was the first human story of the bombings I'd ever read. It led me to Masahiro and two visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the second, with my son, Wesley, to record survivor testimony for the Truman Presidential Library. In all that time, Masahiro rarely told his own version of his family's story, preferring to focus on his sister's courage and selflessness. Now, we have the full story of the courage and selflessness of the entire Sasaki family, their friends and the people of Hiroshima. Clifton Truman Daniel, Grandson of President Harry S. Truman Born in Hiroshima in 1943, Sadako Sasaki was two years old when she experienced the atomic bombing. She lived life as fully as she could, but it was cut short at the young age of twelve. The powerful message she proclaimed throughout her entire life still resonates with us all: Peace in our world can be achieved not through holding grudges but through striving to live our lives with compassion for others. Hope will be born from overcoming our differences, from profound understanding of one another, and from respect for our fellow human beings. Kazumi Matsui, Mayor, Hiroshima, Japan Through reading the story of Sadako Sasaki you will know that the abolition of nuclear weapons and the rejection of war are the only path to survival for mankind. As you read the unbearable tragedy brought by the atomic bombing, you will learn the real meaning of 'to live' from Sadako, who patiently fought against an incurable disease that was so hard to endure. I hope you make many friends through the symbolic 'paper crane' left to us by Sadako. Please build a peaceful future together. Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Former Mayor, Hiroshima, Japan When children make a crane it gives them a personal connection to a tragedy that they might otherwise not grasp because it's horrific dimensions surpass normal imagination. Focusing on one person's story opens the possibility of becoming engaged in the abolition of nuclear weapons. If a mere one hundred explode every person's life on this frail planet will suffer beyond normal imagination and we must never let that happen. Jonathan Granoff, President, Global Security Institute The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki reminds us of our essential goodness and belongs in libraries, classrooms, and homes everywhere. Sadako inspires us to connect with others, recognize their needs, and act accordingly regardless of our personal circumstances. Omoiyari-no-kokoro, the act of showing empathy and concern, is demonstrated over and over again, as both Sadako and the authors offer us an opportunity to understand the joy of living beyond ourselves. Dr. Dorothy J. Maver, President, National Peace Academy This book tells the story of a young girl, Sadako Sasaki, an innocent victim of war. While in the hospital, twelve-year-old Sadako folded more than one thousand paper cranes in the hope of recovering from her atomic bomb-induced disease. The book was written to inform young readers of Sadako's struggle and to inspire them to take action for peace. I believe it succeeds on both counts. Dr. David Krieger, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Author Information

Sue DiCicco began her career as a Disney Animator, one of the first women to achieve that position. In addition to her work as an animator, Sue is a sculptor, and prolific author/illustrator of books for children, including Origami Peace Cranes, Friendships Take Flight, a story designed to encourage connection and friendship through origami cranes. An early pioneer of the Internet, Sue designed and created the world's first online schoolhouse, serving up to 300,000 school children per event in the 1990s. Propelled by a desire to creatively connect students from every corner of the world in a vision of peace, Sue founded The Peace Crane Project in 2012. In addition to hosting the Peace Crane Project, Sue now speaks at venues globally, inviting listeners to explore and embrace the power and the potential of the Internet to connect students in creating a more understanding, educated, integrated, and peaceful future. Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako's older brother, was born in Hiroshima in 1941. Masahiro, along with Sadako, were exposed to the atomic bombing in 1945. As a teenager, he joined the Acting Construction Committee to build The Children's Monument of the Atomic Bomb, completed in 1958. Since 2000, Masahiro has dedicated himself to sharing Sadako's true story, and the plight of all atomic war survivors with the world. Masahiro received the Hiroshima Citizen's Award in 2007 and was awarded the Spirit of America Award from the National Council for the Social Studies, the first non-American to receive it. He established The Sadako Legacy, a nonprofit organization, in 2009. To inspire others, he has donated Sadako's cranes to venues all around the world. Today, Masahiro gives lectures globally and promotes activities to connect people for peace.

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