Powerful Like a Dragon - by Christopher Cheng (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

In this life-affirming picture book, acclaimed author Christopher Cheng weaves the true story of his family's search for safety in the midst of war, demonstrating the strength of children in the face of the impossible.

Young Shu Lok didn't know there was a war until it appeared on his doorstep.

Overnight, everything changes. His parents send him away, tucking him into a basket alongside his cousins to be carried to safety.

They travel in search of a place the war does not reach, over cloud-wreathed clifftops, and through cold, hungry nights where a rocky bed and cold bean curd cake are all that await him.

But Shu Lok comes to find that war does not define him. He remembers his parents' words: be powerful like a dragon. Even if food and comfort are scarce, strength, resilience, and kindness can always be found. Even in the harshest times, dragons can learn to fly.

Based on author Christopher Cheng's true family story and with breathtaking, sweeping illustrations by Jacqueline Tam, Powerful Like a Dragon is an honest and heartfelt invitation into one child's experience during the Imperial Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941.

Review Quotes

"A beautifully rendered journey that offers insight into an often-overlooked chapter of history." -Kirkus

"Finely detailed linework in the ink-and-digital art strikes a delicate balance between realism and a much-needed sense of beauty." -BCCB

"Tam's digital illustrations complement the text well... The strategic use of lines for coloring and shading adds texture, depth, and movement to the illustrations." -Horn Book

"War and persecution are still driving people from their homelands, many of them fleeing with little or nothing. Christopher's words, which are accompanied by such glorious illustrations by Jacqueline Tam, are evocative and poignant. This is not only a story that should be shared at face value, as the history of one family, but as an entrée to increasing our readers' empathy and understanding of the plight of refugees." --Sue Warren, Just So Stories

"Powerful Like a Dragon reminds us all that some things are unchangeable but even in the midst of misfortune and misery, salvation can be found, resilience forged and peace attained. It is all a matter of perception and perseverance, like an all-powerful dragon." --Kids' Book Review

About the Author

Christopher Cheng is an award-winning author of picture books, historical fiction, and non-fiction. His critically acclaimed picture book Will We Always Hold Hands? is a loving tribute to his wife that Kirkus called "simultaneously quietly soothing yet deeply empowering". Based in Sydney, Christopher is also a co-chair of the International Advisory Council for SCBWI and an ambassador for Australia's National Centre for Australian Children's Literature.

Jacqueline Tam is a Hong Kong-American illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. Her illustrations have appeared in newspapers, magazines and in children's books, and have been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration and 3x3 Magazine.