Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! I’m so excited to share this beautiful book from Yeehoo Press editor and fabulous author Helen Wu.

LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL

Written by Helen Wu

Illustrated by Mae Besom

Published by Yeehoo Press (March 21, 2023)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: First day of school, being different, we all have special strengths

Synopsis: From Amazon sales page:
Wrapped in Eastern and Western dragon lore, this fantasy tale celebrates perseverance, cultural inclusion, and self-discovery.
It’s the first day of Dragon School, where all the young dragons must learn how to harness their fire breath. Today’s lesson? Using it to cook food! All the dragons are excited to test their powers . . . except Long.
Long is from the East and can only breathe out water. No matter how hard he huffs and puffs, he isn’t sure he can match his fire breathing classmates. But will he be discovered? Or will Long find his own unique path to cooking-and to fitting in?
From TOFU TAKES TIME author Helen H. Wu and New York Times bestselling illustrator Mae Besom (WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN IDEA?) comes a gorgeously illustrated and stirring tale around self-acceptance. 

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love the beautifully written text that is relatable and empowering for all children – we all have strengths and special qualities.
2. I love the gorgeous illustrations that invite and engage the child reader.
3. I love books that help children feel seen…and that help children learn about other cultures.

And because I know we all love hearing the story behind the story…the challenges and/or inspirations for the books we love, I asked author Helen Wu if she would share a bit about her path to publication.
ME: WELCOME, Helen!

HELEN: Thank you for featuring LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL, Vivian. I’m so happy to be here!

A challenging moment on the path to publication: 

I wear two hats as both an author and an illustrator. However, I haven’t had the chance yet to illustrate my own creations yet. I know it’ll come with time and dedication. Honing your skills and finding a publisher and editor who truly appreciate both your writing and illustrations takes time and effort. I’m feeling beyond lucky because I collaborated with Mae Besom on this gorgeous book LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL, and I got to create these super cute dragon stickers for Long, this amazing Chinese dragon character! This experience has allowed me to recognize the diverse ways in which my illustrations can add value. I’m totally pumped to build this whole dragon world. Inspiration:

This book draws its inspiration from my personal journey as a minority immigrant student. I arrived in the United States in my twenties to pursue graduate studies, and as a first-generation immigrant, I have experienced the persistent feeling of impostor syndrome throughout various aspects of my life, including my path as an author. Now, as a publisher for Yeehoo, a company known for publishing numerous award-winning and bestselling books in both the US and China, I sometimes find myself questioning whether a woman with an accent, whose English is her second language, and who didn’t discover English picture books until her twenties, can effectively drive the success of this publishing venture. But let me share some exciting news: while I don’t expect these thoughts to completely vanish, I have gained the ability to manage them. In fact, I have learned to channel them into motivation, pushing me to think creatively and chart my own distinctive path in the publishing world.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Dragon Crafts

WOW…what beautiful looking craft activities! For detailed instructions, please visit https://artsycraftsymom.com/dragon-crafts-for-kids/

Please remember that beautiful books like LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL need our help…buy them, review them, share on social media, and ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection. Don’t forget that author Helen Wu is offering an AMAZING GIVEAWAY: 2 dragon enamel pins, 6 dragon stickers, art print and autographed bookplate. All you need to do for a chance to be the lucky winner is leave a comment and share as much as you can!