THE LAST DRAGON (paperback)

MY THOUGHTS ON “THE LAST DRAGON”:

While illustrating for “The Last Dragon” book,  I had the wonderful opportunity to work with editor, Dorothy Briley at Clarion Books. At the time, the Chinese New Year celebration had passed just as I was about to start my illustration process. So I missed the opportunity to take pictures of the event in San Francisco. However, I was able to recreate the festivities with help from the Chung Wah Senior Citizen center in New York’s Chinatown. While taking pictures at the center, I had no shortage of volunteer models. They shared with me how they celebrate the Chinese New Year, many Chinese customs and what the dragon means to the Chinese community. An interesting fact is  that although Susan Miho Nunes wrote this story based on San Francisco’s Chinatown, I illustrated the story to reflect New York City’s Chinatown. – Chris Soentpiet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Miho Nunes is very interested in the mix of cultures that make up American life. Nunes, a native of Hawaii and now a resident of California, has Japanese and Portuguese ancestry. Her son and nephews share this background, as well as different combinations of Jewish, Persian, African American, and American Indian ancestry.

Her interest in blended cultures is reflected in Nunes’s book The Last Dragon. She explains, “My mother used to say that the problem with children is that in time they wipe out yourhistory. Indeed, here in America that history is sometimes lost in the great brew. On one level, then, The Last Dragon is about a child who discovers something unique about himself and his culture. But I hope this ‘message’ doesn’t drown out other points. There is something about this dragon.” – Chris Soentpiet

BOOK REVIEWS:

“When Peter Chang’s parents send him to Chinatown for the summer to stay with his great aunt, he feels alienated and homesick-until he discovers a worn-out dragon, large enough for 10 men to carry, crammed in a shop window. His aunt reluctantly agrees to let him take it home, and he embarks on a summer long quest to restore the wrecked bundle of silk and wood to its former glory. He involves many others in the project: the tailor, Great Aunt’s mahjongg friends, the kite-maker, the herbalist, an artist, and, at last, the Buddhist priest, all of whom are touched by Peter’s determination. Watercolor paintings, reminiscent of Ted Lewin’s work, lovingly depict in glorious and enticing detail a close-knit Cantonese community in an unnamed big-city Chinatown…The well-written text, as substantial as the artwork in specific and authentic details, draws readers into Peter’s new world. A welcome story about contemporary Chinese life.” – School Library Journal

“Nunes text builds to a satisfying conclusion. The expansive watercolor illustrations are warm, colorful, and full of details unique to Chinatown.” – BookList

AWARDS

American Bookseller Pick of the List 1995

New York Public Library Top 100 Titles

Notable Children’s Trade Books in the field of Social Studies 1995

Smithsonian’s Notable Book 1995