Yogis and Truong's graphic novel series opener mixes Chinese mythology with the contemporary world while touching on the struggles of identity and loss. Three years after Grace loses her father to cancer, she moves with her mom and stepdad to Hong Kong, where she is the new kid at a fancy private school. When a mysterious woman gives Grace a dragon egg while on a field trip and it hatches, Grace must hunt her down with the help of her new friends while fending off evil corporations trying to control the dragon's powerful force. Yogis' story is a fun, action-packed romp through Hong Kong for Grace and her friends as they uncover the dangers of mixing human and dragon blood, paralleling the struggles Grace faces to understand her "mixed blood" as half white and half Chinese. Truong's bright, colorful artwork features lots of action and fractured panel layouts that keep the story moving at a fast pace. A good fit for kids entranced by Rick Riordan's brand of fantasy adventures.

A dragon egg sends a tween girl and her friends from one end of Hong Kong to the other, searching for answers.Three years after her father's unexpected death, Grace's mother has remarried, and the two have moved to Hong Kong to live with Grace's new stepfather, who works for a technology company in the city. Grace is prepared to enter an international school and meet new friends, but she isn't so prepared for the egg a mysterious woman gifts her-one that quickly hatches into what is undeniably a dragon. With the help of her new friends from school, Grace needs to figure out how to take care of the dragon and keep him secret because both hired guns and dark forces are looking for him. With magical beings from both sides closing in, it becomes clear that there's more to Grace herself than meets the eye, and the truth lies in the old stories her father and grandfather used to tell her. Featuring a multiethnic cast-Grace's mother and stepfather are White; her father is Chinese; and her international school friends are from diverse backgrounds-the narrative dwells on the positive aspects of being mixed race. Cinematic movement between panels, quick wit, and an irresistible dragon make for a quick adventure, with setup for more to come.A colorful, modern adventure-with dragons as a bonus. (Graphic fantasy. 9-13)

Gr 4-7 Years after the disappearance of Grace's doting father, her mother has married a redheaded stranger involved in cutting-edge health research, and Grace begins a new life at a Hong Kong international school. While finding her footing, she becomes an unlikely caregiver to an adorable blue water dragon, whom she must protect against those who seek to use the creature's powers for sinister purposes. It's an effective setup to explore how Chinese dragon legends might play out on a modern stage. Veering from teens bumbling through school hallways to high seas hijinks to a literal mad scientist, this is an entertaining tale with explicit roots in myth. The illustrations are colorful and playful, moving the story through its paces at a quick clip. Grace is Asian American, her mother and stepfather are white, and her crack team of international school dragon defenders include a Hong Kong local, an inventive Indian kid, and an Australian Aboriginal charactera dynamic group of friends who seem poised for more opportunities for hilarity and heroism in future books. VERDICT An engaging read with some superhero-style peril and violence, this is a story of bravery and self-discovery.Emilia Packard, Tokyo