130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery 🚀 Auckland Bookstore • Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

Powerful Like a Dragon

By Christopher Cheng
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.46 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 56 ratings, 7 reviews)
Brief Description
In this life-affirming picture book, acclaimed author Christopher Cheng weaves the true story of his family's search for safety in the midst of war, demonstrating the strength of children in the face of the impossible. Young Shu Lok didn't know there was a war until it... Read More
Format: Hardback
$3999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

In this life-affirming picture book, acclaimed author Christopher Cheng weaves the true story of his family’s search for safety in the midst of war, demonstrating the strength of children in the face of the impossible.

In this life-affirming picture book, acclaimed author Christopher Cheng weaves the true story of his family's search for safety in the midst of war, demonstrating the strength of children in the face of the impossible.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In this life-affirming picture book, acclaimed author Christopher Cheng weaves the true story of his family's search for safety in the midst of war, demonstrating the strength of children in the face of the impossible.

Young Shu Lok didn't know there was a war until it appeared on his doorstep. Overnight, everything changes. His parents send him away, tucking him into a basket alongside his cousins to be carried to safety.

They travel in search of a place the war does not reach, over cloud-wreathed clifftops, and through cold, hungry nights where a rocky bed and cold bean curd cake are all that await him.

But Shu Lok comes to find that war does not define him. He remembers his parents' words: be powerful like a dragon. Even if food and comfort are scarce, strength, resilience, and kindness can always be found. Even in the harshest times, dragons can learn to fly.

Based on author Christopher Cheng's true family story and with breathtaking, sweeping illustrations by Jacqueline Tam, Powerful Like a Dragon is an honest and heartfelt invitation into one child's experience during the Imperial Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781250829399

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 15 April 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: St Martin's Press

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Jacqueline Tam

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 190.0mm

Height: 225.0mm

Weight: 420g

Pages: 40

Collections

Children's Books Children's Picture Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Christopher Cheng

About the Author

Christopher Cheng is an award-winning author of historical fiction, non-fiction and picture books for children. His critically acclaimed picture book 'Bear and Rat' (published in the USA as 'Will We Always Hold Hands?') is a loving tribute to his wife that Kirkus called "simultaneously quietly soothing yet deeply empowering-a friendship tale for the ages". Christopher is also a co-chair of the International Advisory Council for SCBWI and an ambassador for Australia's National Centre for Australian Children's Literature (NCACL). He holds a Master of Arts in Children's Literature and established the SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards. Christopher dwells in a Tardis-like inner-city Sydney terrace and is often heard to say that he has the best job in the world! chrischeng.com Jacqueline Tam is a Hong Kong-American illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. Her illustrations have appeared in newspapers, magazines and in children's books, and have been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration and 3x3 Magazine. jacquelinetam.com

Also by Christopher Cheng

View all
  • Bear and Rat
    A powerful and uplifting story about loving friendship, even through the hardest of times. Bear and Rat are the best of friends who do everything together, but Rat wonders if Bear will always be there to hold her hand, no matter what happens ...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Hardback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Dragon Folding
    From the author of the stunning Bear and Rat comes a powerful, heartfelt gem about the strength of community and the magic that can come from the innocence of a child. In a fractured old house with a wiggly sign lived a bent old man, alone. But it wasn't always this way... When Mr Singer's wife went away, the colour...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Hardback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Old Fellow
    A touching and tender picture book about the joy that can be found in companionship and community. An old man and an old dog look after each other on their daily trip to the local park. Along the way, they meet friends new and old who brighten their day in different ways. A beautiful, heartwarming book that celebrates community and...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Hardback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • One Tree
    A touching and uplifting story about love, change, and the importance of the natural environment in all our lives. One Tree tells the story of one tall tree on the mountain that once marked Grandfather's farm. Now, there is a busy city, and Grandfather lives with us in our apartment. Once he told stories, but now he stays silent. Until...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Hardback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Quoll
    An exciting addition to the narrative non-fiction series Nature Storybooks, about an Eastern Quoll. The blue-black sky is painted with glistening stars. Quoll has woken. It's playtime here in the moonlit night. Join a female Eastern quoll and her playful pups as they venture through the forest and fields on their nightly hunt for food.
    By Christopher Cheng
    Hardback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • New Year Surprise!
    Age range 6 to 9 Little Brother is told by his brother and his friends that he's too small to help out at the Spring Festival. He's too little to fly a kite, and he's not strong enough to hold a dragon pole. But Father says he has a special job to do. What can it be? He knows it's...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Paperback
    $1299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Imagineer
    *CBCA 2022 Notable Book: Picture book of the year*Age range 3 to 6Penny has a massive imagination. She loves to draw up plans, gather her tools and turn sketches and scribbles into new creations.One day, she visits her grandpa's house and is amazed at his gadgets and gizmos. He has a telephone hanging on his wall, an organ with bellows...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Pollination
    A child’s day in the garden with their Gran and Pa leads to a wonderful exploration of pollination. Join them in discovering how pollination happens in our gardens and backyards, and the importance it has for our environment. Meet the animals involved in pollination and the plants that depend on pollination to produce our fruit, vegetables and even our clothes!...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Hardback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Wombat
    Learn all about the “bulldozer of the bush” in a fascinating introduction to the wombat -- an exciting addition to the award-winning Nature Storybook Series.Far underground, where dirt and tree roots mesh, are tunnels that lead to a burrow, and in this burrow Wombat’s day begins.Wombats may look soft and cuddly, but they are determined and tough, with sharp teeth...
    By Christopher Cheng
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Quoll
    An exciting addition to the narrative non-fiction series Nature Storybooks, about an Eastern Quoll.The blue-black sky is painted with glistening stars. Quoll has woken. It's playtime here in the moonlit night.Join a female Eastern quoll and her playful pups as they venture through the forest and fields on their nightly hunt for food.
    By Christopher Cheng
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Classic Australian Poems
    Australian poets have a wonderful way with words, and their poems bring to life the iconic Aussie characters and unforgettable landscape that are part of our Australian heritage. Many of these characters—Mulga Bill, Clancy of the Overflow, The Ant Explorer, M'Dougal, The Shearer's Wife, and Mr Smith—are larger than life. The poets who created them—AB Patterson, CJ Dennis, Thomas E....
    By Christopher Cheng
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Children's Books

View all
  • New Release
    Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (21)
    When the going gets tough, what’s a wimpy kid to do? In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg’s got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he’s facing an uphill...
    By Jeff Kinney
    Paperback
    $1699
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Gruffalo Granny
    The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...
    By Julia Donaldson
    Hardback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Sixth Faction
    Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives. She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind. But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her...
    By Veronica Roth
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Detective Beans Colouring Club
    New Release
    Detective Beans Colouring Club
    Help Detective Beans solve the case of the missing colours! Join the Colouring Club now! Join the Detective Beans Colouring Club! Inside you'll find 40 removable colouring pages featuring scenes from all over Cat Town. Filled with all the characters you know and love from the Detective Beans graphic novels like Biscuits, Beans' mum, Mr Brickle, Bear, Detective Baby Bird...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1799
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Wahine
    New Release
    Wahine
    From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....
    By Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas
    From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! But this time... it's not about Lottie! From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! And it's CHRISTMAS! In The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks we spent the holiday season with...
    By Katie Kirby
    Paperback
    $1799
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Matihe! Achoo! Matihe! Achoo!
    On Sale
    21% off
    New Release
    Matihe! Achoo!
    What happens when a grumpy tupua has to sneeze? Matihe! Achoo! is a bilingual story about the tupua Mataoho and his connection to the volcanoes of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. It comes with an action song to engage young readers! He pūrākau e pā ana ki a Mataoho me ngā puia o Takamaki Makaurau. He tupua pukukino a Mataoho e noho...
    By Qiane Matata-Sipu
    Paperback
    $1500
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Sweet As Looky Book
    The Sweet As Looky Book
    Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...
    By Donovan Bixley
    Hardback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Backorder
    Ships Unknown - Contact Us
  • Pocket Observology
    New Release
    Pocket Observology
    Pocket Observology is a practical field guide designed for those who love to explore and understand the natural world around them. Slip this guide out of your pocket to identify, measure, compare, or find clues to the things you encounter every day in nature. This pocket guide is a useful tool and a fun reminder of how to engage with...
    By Giselle Clarkson
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Day of the Dinosaur Disaster
    Angry anacondas, blizzarding blobs, carnivorous cactuses ... what kind of twisted curse will Glam-Evil think up this time?!Only it's not just Glam-Evil's curse the gang needs to worry about; they've got a few other problems, too. Swooping Pteranodons, a hungry T-Rex, a missing mother, and ... is that ... an ASTEROID?!Join MILES AND JONES as they face their biggest challenge...
    By Sam Smith
    Paperback
    $1400
    Elsewhere:
    $1499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    15% off
    New Release
    The Neverfear
    A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...
    By Katherine Rundell
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Mari the Unwonderful Witch
    A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who...
    By Asako Yuzuki
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Children's Books lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all