Christina Matula is the author of the new children's picture book The Beat of the Dragon Boat. Her other books include Mixed-Up Mooncakes. She lives in Helsinki, Finland.
Q: What inspired you to write The Beat of the Dragon Boat?
A: I was inspired to write The Beat of the Dragon Boat while living in Hong Kong and immersing myself in Chinese culture. Growing up in Canada, my Taiwanese mother would make zongzi, the traditional bamboo-leaf-wrapped rice dumplings, but it wasn’t until I moved to Hong Kong that I realized these dumplings had a deep connection to the Dragon Boat Festival.
The festival takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, which falls at the cusp of summer. It’s such a vibrant and exciting event that brings the whole city to life. I loved taking my family to Stanley Beach to cheer on the dragon boats racing in the South China Sea.
What I find most amazing is how the races have grown in popularity and are now celebrated internationally, with communities around the world hosting their own dragon boat festivals.
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: Most of the stories I had heard about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival centered on Qu Yuan, the ancient Chinese poet. His story tells of how he threw himself into the river and how villagers raced out in boats to save him—tragically, they failed. While it’s a fascinating legend, I didn’t think it lent itself well to a joyful picture book.
Then I came across historical note about villagers long ago who beat drums and raced boats to encourage the Dragon King to bring rain for their crops. It’s such a universal theme and found in many societies—asking spirits for help with the harvest.
Unlike the fiery, destructive dragons of European folklore, Chinese dragons are benevolent creatures that help people by bringing wind and rain. I decided to create a story that weaves together these two origin tales.
Q: What do you think Nicole Wong’s illustrations add to the story?
A: Nicole’s illustrations are absolutely stunning—I had goosebumps the first time I saw them. Her dragons leap off the page, drawing readers into both the mythical world of ancient dragons and the modern-day dragon boat races at the harbour.
Without needing to say it explicitly in the text, her artwork beautifully conveys the deep love shared between the grandparents and their grandson, as well as their pride in their Chinese heritage.
Q: You’ve written for different age groups--do you have a preference?
A: I’ve written picture books and middle-grade novels, and I truly love writing for children of all ages. There’s such a sense of wonder and excitement that children bring to books, which makes writing for them incredibly rewarding.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I now live in Finland (my husband is Finnish), and I’m diving into the fascinating aspects of Finnish culture that I love. I’m hoping to share some of these stories with young readers in the near future.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I love hearing from educators and readers! You can find more information about me and my books at www.christinamatula.com. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share The Beat of the Dragon Boat with your readers.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment