The Truth About Dragons (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
The wonderful children’s book invites you on an epic quest where bold, beautiful illustrations guide the main character to learn about dragons. First he walks through oak forests and avoids the likes of hobgoblins and will-o’-the-wisps of Western lore to learn about the fire breathing dragons that protect piles of treasure. Next he navigates great bamboo stalks and encounters nine-tailed foxes and the moon goddess of Eastern lore to learn about the serpent-like dragons with pearls in their chins that rule the skies and rivers. Both dragons are equally important and equally enchanting and our young traveler learns that his dual ancestry means he comes from both worlds. A gorgeous tale about the beauty of being biracial with more than one culture to call your own, The Truth About Dragons will have you breathless and eagerly exploring every nook and cranny of the illustrations while simultaneously holding your hand to your heart in pure joy at the end, tears in your eyes as our young protagonist is put to sleep with his two grandmothers looking over him.
- Kimi Loughlin, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore (Acton, MA)
— From NECBA Windows & Mirrors 2023 Short ListAn unforgettable lyrical picture book that celebrates biracial identity from the award-winning author of Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist.
Lean in close,
my darling bao bei,
and I will whisper
a most precious secret
about a powerful magic
that lives inside you.
Brought to life with lavish and ornate illustrations, The Truth About Dragons follows a young child on a journey guided by his mother's bedtime storytelling. He quests into two very different forests, as his two grandmothers help him discover two different, but equally enchanting, truths about dragons.
Eastern and Western mythologies coexist and enrich each other in this warm celebration of mixed cultural identity.
*A SLJ Best Book of 2023*
Hanna Cha is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She spent her childhood in both Korea and America, and currently lives in Boston where she loves crinkling her nose in the early morning breeze and snuggling her tiger-like cat, Hobac. She is the author and illustrator of Tiny Feet Between the Mountains.