Dragon Moon facts for kids
Book cover
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| Author | Carole Wilkinson |
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| Translator | None |
| Cover artist | Rob Davies |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Dragonkeeper trilogy |
| Genre | Children's Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Black Dog Books |
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Publication date
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April 2007 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 352 pp (first edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-330-44111-6 |
| OCLC | 73954463 |
| Preceded by | Garden of the Purple Dragon |
| Followed by | Blood Brothers |
Dragon Moon is an exciting fantasy novel for young readers by Carole Wilkinson. It was first published in 2007. This book is the third part of The Dragonkeeper series. The stories before it are Dragonkeeper and Garden of the Purple Dragon. After Dragon Moon, the series continues with Blood Brothers, Shadow Sisters, and Bronze Bird Tower. The whole series takes place in ancient China during the Han Dynasty period. It has won many awards for its amazing storytelling. Dragon Moon continues the adventures of Ping, a special girl known as the Dragonkeeper. She is trying to keep a promise to her first dragon: to look after his son, Kai. Her main goal is to take Kai to a secret place called the Dragon Haven. There, he can live safely with other dragons.
What Happens in Dragon Moon?
The story begins with a big problem for Ping. Liu Che, who used to be Ping's friend and is now the Emperor of China, thinks Ping has kidnapped his dragon, Kai. He sends his soldiers to attack the Duke of Yan's palace, where Ping has been living for a year.
Ping knows she must protect Kai. She wakes him up from his winter sleep. She discovers that Kai has grown much bigger and wiser. To keep him safe, Ping and Kai leave the palace. They begin a journey to find the Dragon Haven.
On their way, they find Emperor Liu Che. He is hurt, with a piece of Kai's dragon stone in his hand. The Emperor feels bad for what he did. He decides to stop trying to become immortal. The next morning, Ping turns down his offer of love. She continues her important journey.
As they get closer to the Great Wall of China, imperial soldiers capture them. The soldiers do not believe Ping is a real Dragonkeeper. Luckily, some barbarians rescue Ping and Kai. They even give them a horse to help them travel.
Ping then meets a young man named Jun. Together, they find an old man called "Lao Long Zi" in Tinkling Village. He was one of Danzi's (Ping's first dragon) old Dragonkeepers. He helps them get most of the way to a place called Long Gao Yuan. Sadly, he passes away there.
When Ping and Kai arrive at Long Gao Yuan, they find only a pile of dragon bones. Dragon hunters had killed many dragons there. Ping and Kai are very sad and discouraged. Kai refuses to leave the spot.
One day, a yellow dragon suddenly flies down and carries Kai away. Ping struggles to reach the mountain, feeling half-dead. Then, the same dragon picks her up too, but not gently. It even spits on her face! This is to make sure she cannot remember the way to the real Dragon Haven.
At the true Dragon Haven, Ping learns a sad story. Many years ago, the black dragon Hei Lei's Dragonkeeper left him for a woman. Later, that woman, when she was old, told dragon hunters where the Haven was for three pieces of gold. The hunters attacked while many dragons were sleeping. Only Hei Lei was awake and fought them off. But many dragons were killed, and only a few escaped.
Ping feels worried as Kai starts acting more like the wild dragons. She sees him slowly growing apart from her. During a special moon gathering, Kai and Hei Lei get into a fight. Kai wins the fight. It is then revealed that Kai is a "dragon of five colors" (green, yellow, black, white, and red). A "dragon of five colors" automatically becomes the leader of all dragons. No one can challenge him.
Ping eventually earns the trust and friendship of all the dragons. But she realizes she doesn't truly belong with them. She decides to leave, even though Kai wants her to stay until spring. She is taken away from the Haven and dropped in an empty grassland. Hei Lei, the black dragon, rescues her. Ping manages to convince Hei Lei to go back to the Dragon Haven. The book ends with Ping starting a new life with Jun, just as she had seen in one of her visions of the future.
Who are the Main Characters?
- Ping – Ping is the main hero of The Dragonkeeper series. She used to be a slave girl working in the Huangling Mountains. A dragon named Long Danzi changed her life. He took her away and taught her to be a Dragonkeeper. She is now the Dragonkeeper for Kai, whom she has raised since he was a baby dragon.
- Kai – Kai is Ping's dragon. He is green now, but used to be purple. He is a young dragon who loves to eat and play games. Even though he can be a bit naughty, he cares deeply for Ping and respects her. Kai is the son of Long Danzi, Ping's first dragon. He is also the special Dragon of Five Colours and the leader of all the dragons.
- Jun – Jun is Ping's friend and travel companion. He was once a boy from a poor village who tried to take Ping's place as Dragonkeeper. But he later turned against the Emperor. Now, he is a young man who travels across China selling silk. In the end, he and Ping live together.
- Gu Hong – Gu Hong is an old red dragon living in the Dragon Haven. She has never had a Dragonkeeper. She talks to Ping by writing Chinese characters in the dirt. She seems to be the oldest dragon in the Haven. Her name means "Ancient Red." Ping eventually learns to understand her, but they still use Chinese characters to talk.
- Jiang – Jiang is Gu Hong's daughter. Unlike her mother, Jiang had a Dragonkeeper when she was young. This means she can talk to Ping just like Kai can. Her name means "Ginger."
- Hei Lei – Hei Lei is a huge black dragon. He was thought to be the leader of the dragons. He strongly dislikes all humans, including Ping. Hei Lei once had a Dragonkeeper who left him for a woman he loved. This made Hei Lei feel betrayed. Hei Lei once fought Danzi, who was the leader before him. Later, Kai challenges Hei Lei for insulting Danzi. Feeling embarrassed, Hei Lei leaves the Dragon Haven. His name means "Black Thunder." At the end of the book, Ping convinces Hei Lei to return to the Dragon Haven.
- Tun – Tun is a male yellow dragon. He lost his sister during the dragon massacre. Like Hei Lei, he first shows some dislike towards humans, including Ping. But in the end, he accepts her in the Dragon Haven. His name means "Morning Sunlight."
- Sha – Sha is a shy female yellow dragon. She acts as a healer in the Dragon Haven. She is Tun's mate and has laid three dragon eggs, but they were already dead when laid. Her name means "Sandy."
- The three white dragons – These are three white dragon sisters: Bai Xue, Shuang, and Lian. They are the scouts of the Dragon Haven. They can change their shape into white eagles. Their mother was one of the many dragons killed during the dragon massacre. Their names mean "White Snow," "Frost," and "Lotus."
- Lao Long Zi – He is Long Danzi's former Dragonkeeper. He helps Ping during her journey. He had to leave Danzi and his role as Dragonkeeper because he started losing his hearing. Dragons have poor hearing, so it was hard for him to communicate. Since then, many people from Tinkling Village avoided him. He guides Ping to Long Gao Yuan before he passes away.
Dragon Dawn: A Prequel Story
Carole Wilkinson also wrote a short story called Dragon Dawn. This book is a prequel, meaning it tells a story that happened before Dragon Moon. It focuses on Danzi's past. It does not mention Ping or any of the characters from the main series, except for a few minor ones.
