Powerful Like a Dragon

Ages 4 to 8

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.

About the Author

Christopher Cheng is an award-winning author of historical fiction, non-fiction and picture books for children. 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. chrischeng.com

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. jacquelinetam.com