Dragonsong: A Fable for the New Millennium Book

As Chiang-An, a small Chinese dragon, travels the world in search of a special enduring gift for his village, he meets four other dragons, each of whom gives him a song, an ...

Children's Literature

Once every thousand years, the mighty Imperial dragons choose one of their kind to be Keeper of the Mountain. Chiang-An, a small Chinese dragon, asks them what he must do to earn the title. He is told he must find a worthy gift that will last a thousand years. Although small Chiang-An is also the youngest dragon--only 224 years old--he travels the world in search of a gift for the poor villagers who live below his cave. In his quest, Chiang-An meets powerful dragons, each of whom gives him a song, an unusual gift, and words of wisdom. He then transforms all he has discovered into something that will bring prosperity to his beloved village. Young tells the story in beautiful language, but the plot is complicated and confusing. There is simply too much cultural information, from too many different sources, for young readers to keep straight. Cheng's computer-rendered artwork, however, is magnificent--lyrical, poetic and powerful, giving viewers a wonderful sampling of Oriental aesthetics in opalescent tones. 2000, Shen's Books, Ages 6 to 10, $15.95. Reviewer: Dianne Ochiltree