The Boy Who Painted Dragons by Demi (2007)

This time Demi takes us into the mythical world of the Chinese dragons with lots of dragons on each page, many gilded and very impressive. A boy starts painting dragons because he is afraid of them, but he learns to face his fears and grows strong and wise and good.

I knew Chinese had all these dragon images everywhere, but did not really know their symbolism. They have power of the forces of nature, especially those related to water, such as rain, hurricanes, and floods. Obviously, when you think about it, they are also a symbol of power and strength.

I liked the wisdom the dragons gave the boy. The first pearls of wisdom were: Seek your truth, Find your truth, and Dare to be true. The dragons of water, fire, earth, and wind gave him the Wisdom of Goodness, Purity, Acceptance, and Clarity. These all resonate with me, as I fell they were the things I used to seek in my youth, but someplace along the way life happened and all got muddied.