The the Dragon’s Eyes

Li-Ann is excited when her best friend Emma invites her to a sleepover ... until her mom reminds her that the Lunar New Year Eve family reunion dinner falls on the same evening, and it is an important tradition that she absolutely cannot miss. When Li-Ann finds her grandmother’s old kong ming lantern, she offers to restore it, if her mom would let her go to the party. Mom’s ＂we’ll see＂ response is enough to spur Li-Ann into action. But just as she paints the finishing touches on the lantern, something unexpected happens, and she is whisked off into the night sky on an adventure that helps her understand her mom’s firm stand.

This entrancing story, written and illustrated by Megan Chew, addresses the struggles of second-generation immigrant children while celebrating the importance of staying connected to family and one’s cultural roots.

Megan’s art career began in her early school days in Singapore, where she was often caught doodling in her textbook during class. She went on to design costumes, paint backdrops, and sketch endlessly. After learning that one of her ancestors had been a lantern painter, Megan was intrigued and wrote and illustrated The Dragon’s Eyes. Currently, she is a student at Pratt Institute of Design in New York City, where she continues to draw for her own enjoyment - and now for the enjoyment of others.