The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon blends folklore, contemporary fantasy, and painting into a lovely work of art.

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin. Little, Brown, 2025. 352 pages.

• Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12
• Recommended For: ages 8-12

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon: The Story

Jin is a stone lion, one of many stone creatures who live beyond the Old City Gate. His parents guard the Gate; passersby see a stone lion holding a sphere (Jin’s father holding the Sacred Sphere) and a stone lioness holding a cub (Jin and his mother). They’re unaware of the other lives these stone statues live on their own side of the Gate. Each adult stone creature has a specific guardian task (like Jin’s father’s task to hold the sphere and guard the Gate), and they go through the Gate to help humans. Jin finds his father’s task especially boring. He’d much rather play zuqiu (a game not dissimilar to soccer). When the stone bell reverberates during an important game and Jin’s parents (along with all the other stone creatures) leave to investigate, Jin has had it. In frustration, he kicks a ball which knocks the Sacred Sphere out of the Gate!

Jin doesn’t realize the disastrous effects of his kick at first, and he leaves the Old City to go investigate. But tragedy has struck, and he is no longer able to return. To make matters worse, a strange potter picks up the Sacred Sphere, and Jin can’t even fix his mistake. Desperate to find help, he ends up partnering with a strange girl and later with a worm who insists he’s actually a dragon.

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon: Worth Reading!

Jin eventually meets another dragon, and he must decide whom to trust. As he learns more about his own history, the history of the Old City, and the girl’s history, Jin matures quite a bit. No longer after his own good only, Jin learns not to judge someone (or something) by first glance and outward appearances, and he learns to sacrifice for those he loves.

Like Grace Lin’s Mountain Trilogy, The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon mixes folklore stories in with the plot, enhancing the story tremendously. I’ve only seen a black-and-white version, but I know what Grace’s art looks like in her other works; I imagine this will be a beautiful book when the full color artwork is sprinkled in among the stories. The book is an intricate mix of contemporary story, traditional-feeling folklore, and lovely art.

Considerations:

• Worldview/Spirituality: The religion in this book is tied to cultural expressions and understandings in China with mentions of a goddess and the like.

Bottom Line: The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon is a worthwhile read. Look for it at your local libraries (or, if you’re already a fan of her works, consider purchasing it).

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and When the Sea Turned to Silver (we also love Starry River of the Sky, but we haven’t reviewed it yet!)
• A Review: Mulan: Before the Sword is another great read by Grace Lin, a good choice for kids who’ve grown up with the books just mentioned and are looking for something a little more sophisticated.
• A Review: Wang Mingdao by Simonetta Carr introduces Wang Mingdao, a father of the Chinese evangelical church, to young readers.

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