1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Leung, Julie. (2023). The truth about dragons. Ill. by Hanna Cha. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 9781250820587
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This story by Julie Leung is told from a mother's narrative. She is telling her son a bedtime story about
himself going on a quest to learn the truth about dragons. He starts his journey in a forest where he meets an old woman and she tells him a truth about dragons. After hearing the woman's story, she sends the boy on his way to a different forest where he encounters another old lady who tells him a different version of the truth about dragons. The end concludes that he doesn't need to pick one or the other, but rather both can be true for him.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Leung's writing has a soft tone like that of a fairy tale. The vivid descriptions such as "Follow the brook as it winds through the gnarled groves," matches the softness of the story and the pictures. Some of the vocabulary might be more difficult for younger readers, but coupled with the illustrations, the definitions are able to be inferred and provide an opportunity for them to add new words to their personal lexicon. Leung expertly weaves the American and Asian cultural heritage into one seamless story that allows the main character to accept both sides of their ancestry.
Hanna Cha's illustrations provide great detail to support the story and allows the reader the opportunity to make endless discoveries in her pictures. She uses warmer colors to depict the American heritage such as reds, yellows, and oranges while using cooler colors such as greens, blues, and purples, to represent the Asian heritage. At the beginning of the journey, the boy is in a wooded forest, dressed in western style clothing of pants, a white shirt, and cape, and ends up at a cottage. In the second half, he walks through a bamboo forest, dressed in Asian style clothing, and meets the second old woman in an Asian style home. Even the dragons are drawn differently, emphasizing the dichotomy between the two cultures.
The author never addresses outright that these are two different cultures or even formally expresses which two she's talking about, however, the pictures clearly give the reader this information. This book discusses how to accept mixed heritages through words and illustrations, making it relatable to many readers and a learning opportunity for others.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2024 Caldecott Honor Book
Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association - Picture Book Award Winner
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Leiung crafts a melodious tale of Eastern and Western cultural mythologies stirred together and overflowing in a warm celebration of love."
5. CONNECTIONS
*Specifically about the combination of Eastern and Western heritage, but could be relatable for any children with mixed heritages.
*Other books about mixed heritage:
Diggs, Taye. MIXED ME! ISBN: 9781250047199
Trimmer, Christian. WHAT ARE YOU? ISBN: 9781250786029
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