Eye of the Dragon - by Dr. Yee and Zora Wan (New Book Release)

Updated: Feb 4

One evening about six years ago I sat talking with my 99-year-old grandmother in-law on a balcony in St. Thomas. She revealed the existence of these Chinese folktales retold by Grandpa Bob (Dr. Robert Yee), her late husband. She eventually sent his manuscript to me and said, “if you would like, do something about them.”

As I developed the illustrations, I have relived my vivid memories of learning the folktales as a child, where dragons came to visit, and monkeys understand their master’s words. Reading these stories also brought back the kind and measured tone Grandpa Bob would use when he was telling his own personal stories.

Grandpa Bob grew up in Chinatown, Portland and was on track to become a mechanic when instead he left his hometown to serve in the military. As a veteran he was able to attend the University of Washington on the GI Bill. His career progressed and he became a political science professor and department head which was rare for an American Chinese at that time.

After leaving Chinatown he became fully immersed in the English world where his experience growing up faded away. It remained this way until the 1980s when he led the first group of American students to attend Mandarin learning classes in China. Grandpa Bob relived the essence of the Chinese world in his heart by retelling these folktales. Thus providing a way for the reader to enter this world full of melancholy and meanings.

Two months ago, my nearly 105-year-old grandmother in-law had a fall and entered a rehabilitation center. Thinking about this manuscript and the story behind it, I decided not to wait any longer and promptly fulfilled my grandmother's wish to publish it. Thanks to Kevin, my husband's artful editing and Alex, the designer for his elegant design and his patience working through the meticulous details with me. This book is now available on Amazon.

To purchase the book on Amazon, please click the image above

The Chinese folktales In the Eye of the Dragon have been passed from generation to generation for hundreds of years. In one, pushed by townsfolk to complete his realistic painting, the artist painted in the eye of the dragon causing it to spring to life and fly away. In another, a cow receives the most beautiful music from a famous lute player. The meanings of these stories and more are captured in everyday sayings that are known to all Mandarin speakers - and revealed within this book.

Here are a few illustrations from the book to give you a taste of stories:

Playing Flute to a Cow