Allen Say

A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

"A young boy recounts his friendship with a little sparrow."--

A young artist finds that her creativity comes from within when the rug that she had always relied upon for inspiration is destroyed.

After Jiro encounters a life-like garden statue of a tall bird, he falls asleep and dreams of the story his mother once told him about a grateful crane.

The New Girl at school plays the violin so beautifully that Almond gets lost in the music, but she also feels sad because she does not know if she herself has any talent at all--until the school play, when with the encouragement of her mother, her teacher, and the New Girl, she finds she has a talent for acting.

A young boy, aware of his grandmother's forgetfulness, helps her recall a time when she was a kindergarten teacher teaching her students about hummingbirds and their nests.