I’m sure this time of year, as holidays approach, many a parent and teacher is familiar with the all too familiar bickering. What if instead, there was kindness and peace?

Roni Schotter is the award-winning author of thirty books for children, including such popular picture books as Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street, Dreamland, and The Boy Who Loved Words. Ms. Schotter received the National Jewish Book Award for Hanukkah!; and Dreamland was an Honor Book for the Irma Simonton Black Award by Bank Street College of Education. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

Khoa Le is an illustrator, graphic designer, painter, and writer. She has illustrated several award-winning children’s books, four of which she also wrote. Her artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Korea. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram.

DRAGON DREAMS is an imaginative picture book about two typical siblings who are squabbling until their parents send them to bed. The main character dreams of a dragon coming to her window who invites her out. She flies out to meet up with other young dragon riders, dance in the night sky, and think about kindness. Many of the children make messages of peace that makes the main character reflect on the argument. She thinks she might even spy her sister in the mix and hurries home to resolve the conflict. This is a sweet take on apologizing without being didactic and the illustrations are phenomenal. There are dragons from many different cultures and many different messages of peace. Just wait until you see them!

Please note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review, but the opinions, as always, are my own.

Welcome Roni and Khoa!

Me: You both have successful creative careers, but just in case someone isn’t familiar with your work, can you talk about your creative journeys? How did you get started and how did that lead you to the work you’re doing now with books for kids?

Roni: Forgive me–it’s quite a long story! My children’s book career started unexpectedly and sadly. My mother died young of cancer and, grieving, I wrote a journal describing the last 10 days of her life. My husband, a playwright and English professor, read it and suggested I adjust a few things and submit it to a literary journal. At first I thought he had “lost his marbles,” but then I altered it so it would be clear to others, and submitted it to a journal appropriately named New Voices. It was published (!) and to be honest, I loved seeing my name in print. 

I had worked as a junior editor in a children’s book publishing company and a publishing friend suggested I turn it into a young adult novel. Again, I thought this pure foolishness, but the idea stayed with me, grew, and gradually morphed into fiction. Two years later, I had written A MATTER OF TIME, a YA novel about a girl named Lisl (after Lisl Weil, the once-famous illustrator, whose work I’d always loved).  My character, Lisl, thinks she is an untalented “nothing” compared to her talented, vibrant mother who is, at the start of the novel, tragically dying of cancer. This is, and was, a coming-of-age story–with a triumph in the sad ending– the fact that, after her mother’s passing–Lisl discovers that she, herself, is a writer.  

I first submitted AMOT to the renowned editor & writer, Charlotte Zolotow, who called me into her office to tell me she wasn’t going to publish my novel and that I needed to go through it and dramatize every sentence, but . . . that she considered me truly a writer. (Yay!) Her further advice? Before changing anything, I should first try my novel elsewhere, as is, with another editor. 

So, I submitted the very same novel to the nearly-equally renowned editor, Ann Beneduce, who then called me to say she definitely wanted to publish it and that she considered it totally “perfect.”  (I’ve taught writing and use this as an example of the subjectivity of judgement for writers).  

Another friend suggested I submit it to a producer they knew slightly in Los Angeles. With yet more doubt, I did so, and incredibly got a call from Martin Tahse saying he wanted to adapt A MATTER OF TIME into an ABC Special. He did so, with—among other excellent actors—Rob Lowe, playing a bit part as the friend of my main character. That year, (a Red Letter year for me, as it was also the year my son was born), A MATTER OF TIME won an Emmy Award!  

After such beginner’s luck, I told myself that if I could write a second novel, I could call myself that (to me), most-sacred of words–a writer.  With such a weighty thought on my shoulders, it was tough stuff to write my second YA novel (NORTHERN FRIED CHICKEN), but I did so, and, it was published!  

Through subsequent years, I’ve written many more books–most of them picture books–ever my first love.  Several are known and widely-used in schools:  NOTHING EVER HAPPENS ON 90TH STREET and THE BOY WHO LOVED WORDS, and also F IS FOR FREEDOM (though this one is a middle-grade novel). DRAGON DREAMS, with Khoa Le’s truly extraordinary illustrations, is my 31st book.  This coming June, my 32nd book, BIBI STEPS OUT! will be published– with illustrations by the wonderful Christy Hale.  

Throughout my now-long career, I’ve become aware of what a child I am at heart and spirit and soul. As I’ve said many times, it’s hard for me to impersonate being a grown-up.  I process the world through my emotions (my sister once bought me a t-shirt that reads “Emotional Creature). This is extremely helpful in writing children’s books (though maybe not so helpful in life!). All of my books start with feeling, and I proceed from there. 

Khoa: I started out as a freelance comic strip artist for children’s magazines when I was fresh out of college. After finishing  my Bachelor of Arts in Ho Chi Minh Fine Art University, Vietnam, I worked as a graphic designer and art editor at a publishing house, all while continuing to illustrate picture books as a freelancer. It took years of practice and honing my skills to reach the point where I can now work full-time as an illustrator.

Me: Roni, I’m astonished to see you combine dragons with peace and kindness. I don’t think I would have ever thought to do that. What gave you the idea for this story?

Roni: DRAGON DREAMS is about dreams and imagination.  Since dragons are imaginary, I have the freedom to imagine their various characteristics. One day, as I watched my two young granddaughters pretend to be dragons and alternate between bouts of combat and hugs. I thought that I’d love to write a dragon story–with dragons that can fly, because, since childhood, I’ve forever dreamed of flying! This was the seed to a story. But what story? As I‘ve said, my books begin with feelings, and so it was that, one day, sickened and saddened by the combat and anger in our current world, my story sprouted.  A story about imagining peace and kindness, starring two sisters who regularly pretend to be dragons. It was my brilliant editor, Rebecca Davis at Astra Books For Young Readers, who suggested I anchor the story in the combat between the two sisters, and thus, my story begins: “It was an angry day, with way too much pinching, poking, and pushing!” And so, my book was born– about imagining dragons from around the world, who advocate peace and kindness. So, all this, and, now, (at least via my fiction), I’m able, at last, to fly!!

Me: Khoa, I am so in awe of your illustrations! I’ve seen your work in previous books like THE GLASS PYRAMID and marveled at their intricacy. Can you talk about the medium you used to create these illustrations? Are you a traditional or digital illustrator (or a blend of both)? How on earth did you achieve the glowing and shimmery effects you did?

Khoa: Thank you very much for your kind compliments. I consider myself a digital illustrator, though I do blend traditional mediums in my creative process. I integrate custom textures and patterns created from both traditional materials and natural sources. While this process is fairly common among digital artists, I believe it’s the way I uniquely combine and adapt my own creations that gives my work its distinctive character.

My background in fine art trained me in a wide range of techniques and styles. However, after graduation, I gradually moved away from traditional painting to focus exclusively on digital art. Years of experimentation and practice with digital tools have allowed me to approach each project from fresh and diverse perspectives.

Me: This story is so full of imagination and a touch of magic and kindness. Why did each of you become involved in this project? 

Roni: Above much else, I value and celebrate imagination. Most children are born with it, but, sadly, as they grow older, it is often, intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, stomped out of them.  Whether implicitly or explicitly, I always try in my books to encourage children to imagine.  As I’ve said, dragons are imaginary so they seem the perfect players for a story that explicitly celebrates imagination.  And because kindness and love are so important to me, I created this story about kind, loving dragons.   

Khoa: My agent told me about the direct inquiry from the publisher regarding “Dragon Dreams” by Roni, along with the script. As I read the story, vivid images of a colorful, magical world came to mind, one filled with imaginative dragons and friendly beasts. I was especially drawn to the ideas of creating different kinds of dragons, not necessarily tied to the traditional stereotypes people usually imagine. It was a new and exciting challenge for me, something I hadn’t done before.

Me: The text and  illustrations work so wonderfully together in this story. How many revisions did each of you have to make to get this story to the final product?

Roni: I always say, “I’m an okay writer, but a great rewriter.”  Picture books, when they work, may seem as if they are simple and dashed off, but the number of revisions I made–even before DRAGON DREAMS was submitted to my publisher–is uncountable. With picture books, it is vital to me that every word be perfect–like a poem–so I do a great deal of revision. Then, after working with my editor, there were further revisions!  And when Khoa came onboard (hooray!), I further altered a few sentences to accommodate her jewel-like, magical, magnificent art and her interpretation of my words.

Khoa: Probably around 3 rounds for sketches and the same for coloring, with some minor amendment requirement.

Me: You each bring something to the story that only you can bring. Roni, the concept of fighting siblings finding peace and sharing kindness with dreams and dragons is phenomenal. Khoa, I love the colors you’ve chosen and the unique choice of putting the parents into the night sky (and never showing their faces). Each of you has incredible work to share, and it’s obvious that there was such joy in the creation of it. If this was the very last book you could create, would you be satisfied with that? Why share this particular book with the world? What would you hope to leave in readers’ minds? 

Roni: I’m afraid I would NOT want this to be my last book, and it won’t be, as a new one is coming in June, 2026–BIBI STEPS OUT! from Candlewick. I am forever writing and hoping my books–old and new– will find their way into little hands and hearts.  With DRAGON DREAMS, I’m hoping that, after reading it, children and their grown ups will be encouraged to use their imaginations to dream of what matters to them. And, of course, that my book will remind everyone of the potential for peace and love, kindness and connection in our current and future world.

Khoa: I’m genuinely delighted with how “Dragon Dreams” turned out, it’s one of my dearest creative children. As I mentioned before, the creative process for this project was both a challenge and something I’d long wanted to try, and finally had the chance to make it happen. I feel I have given this book everything I could, and I don’t expect to take on another project of a similar idea/concept anytime soon.

Me: Do either of you have any advice for new writers and/or illustrators?

Roni: Write!  Take time every day–no matter how little–to work on whatever is in your heart and head. Don’t worry about perfection. You can always revise later on. The blank paper or computer page will stay blank unless you put your thoughts and feelings down. If you write every day, then in-between, when you’re emptying the dishwasher or taking a shower, or walking, your subconscious will be working and when you resume your writing, you’ll find it has moved you forward. Value your feelings and ideas. They are unique and special– because they are yours. 

Khoa: Keep working, keep learning, and love the creative process for what it is, not for the fame or the likes. If that doesn’t fulfill you, perhaps this isn’t your true calling.

That is excellent advice ladies. Thank you both for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book was published in January but feels ever so appropriate for the times we are living in this very moment. Perhaps, somewhere woven between dragons, there is an element of timelessness that is captured, right along with imagination. Trust me when I say you won’t want to miss it!