POWERFUL LIKE A DRAGON

In a story inspired by the author’s family, a young child finds inner strength while fleeing after the sudden outbreak of war.

Hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Japanese army attacked British-ruled Hong Kong; following two weeks of fighting, the governor of Hong Kong surrendered to Japan. Many members of Cheng’s family decided to leave, led by his grandfather and joined by the laborers his grandfather employed, including one named Ah Meng. Cheng’s story focuses on his own uncle Shu Lok, who was just a boy at the time. “Be powerful like a dragon,” Shu Lok’s father tells him as he and several other children are placed into baskets and carried to safety. Shu Lok will need all his bravery; his parents have chosen to remain behind. Elegant in its simplicity, Cheng’s narrative details the experience through the eyes of a vulnerable youngster—the hunger pangs that rack Shu Lok’s belly, the bitterly freezing winds. But Ah Meng is there every step of the way, singing to soothe the frightened boy and covering the child with his own shirt on snowy nights. Tam’s arresting, fine-lined illustrations evoke traditional Chinese paintings; she slowly introduces rich pops of color into her muted landscapes as Shu Lok remembers his father’s words. When at last he sees the dragons, the symbolic manifestations of courage lift him from despair—and, as this tale comes to a satisfying close, empower him to buoy others.

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