Children of two generations live with the reality of nuclear weapons: Sadako, a Japanese girl who was living in Hiroshima at the time the atomic bomb was dropped; and Buddy, a twelve-year-old Canadian boy who is obsessed with the present-day nuclear threat.

In One Thousand Cranes, a play for young people, author Colin Thomas interweaves two poignant stories. For Sadako, a thousand cranes are a symbol of good luck and longevity that does not prevent her death from radiation-induced leukemia. For Buddy, maturation means going from war-games paranoia to a genuine interest in world peace.