Bedtime Stories
2020 Scholastics Art & Writing Awards
National Gold Medal
Illustration by Julia Cheng
Vignettes
- 月 yuè, moon.
- craters
- 天 tiān, sky
- typhoon
- 倒影 dào yǐng, reflection
- Shapeshifter
- 日 rì, sun
- supernova
- 生 shèng, life
- bedtime stories
5| 倒影 dào yǐng, reflection
The most powerful dragons were born from the bodies of fallen gods. When one of Heaven’s princes was killed in battle, a great silver dragon erupted from the golden flesh of his belly and circled the heavens. His name was Yu, and he was a wonderful shape-shifter—able to change himself into all sorts of beasts, be it a fearsome tiger or a graceful crane. For several centuries, he saved his people from plagues, floods, and monsters—and for this, he was hailed as the greatest and most adored of all heroes.