Allen Say writes and illustrates BEAUTIFUL autobiographical books. This book is gentle and gorgeous, about his first Christmas in Japan. There is much left unsaid (What was his mother wishing for so badly that she needed to make 2,000 cranes?), but I think it shows the honest interactions between a mother and a child. My mom didn't overexplain things to me when I was young either.

There isn't a Christmas message here, and Allen doesn't get any info about Santa or Jesus. He learns that people exchange gifts and decorate trees.

Things I am curious about: Why did his mother move from California to Japan? And why is this the first year that his family is celebrating Christmas?

UPDATE: I got the answers to my questions by reading Grandfather's Journey.