ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Nov 2025
“has all the paradoxical richness and simplicity of a fairy tale….Young readers will cheer for the doughty girl, who braves the razored depths to haul the baby dragon to safety in this satisfying, sumptuously illustrated fable.” Wall Street Journal
“Chen… combines feathered, watercolor-like landscapes and tightly drawn renderings of human and dragon characters across a gray and green landscape—which resolve into clear blue skies as both girl and monster save each other.” Publishers Weekly
A sweeping tale of adventure and compassion in which a young girl bravely faces dragons to save her mother. This is a magnificently illustrated folk tale inspired by Chinese mythology.
For months, Mae and her parents have been traveling across the country in search of a magic flower said to be the only cure for her mother’s illness. But the flower grows in a secret place, guarded by dragons. Mae vows to herself that she will find the flower and save her mother. One night she wakes to a vision of light that beckons her to follow… but does she have the courage to face the dragons?
The main dragon guarding the magic flower is quite formidable and frightening when it makes its appearance. But Mae is soon involved in a mission to save a baby dragon and this one is adorably cuddly (albeit dripping with blood from its injuries).
Chen Jiang Hong moved from China to Paris after after graduating in Fine Art. This book is translated from the French by Alyson Waters.
This a a beautifully produced (by NYRB Kids) square-format collectible picture book.
You can see some more of Chen Jiang Hong’s art on
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