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Fairytale Feel
The Jingu Magical Garden follows a young girl who lives inside San Antonio’s Japanese Tea Garden, who discovers a strange blue egg that hatches a tiny blue dragon, and embarks on an adventure through time. What is the most challenging aspect of writing an adventure for young readers?
The greatest challenge I faced writing THE JINGU MAGICAL GARDEN was striking the right balance between oftentimes hard-hitting historical facts and a light-hearted fantasy. My hope was that the fantasy element would help make the history lesson less pedantic and more relevant to young readers. I wanted them to be invested in Lillian’s dilemma, to understand her yearning to be like any other all-American girl, and to cheer for her as she faced discrimination and hardship with the dignity and grace her parents instilled in her and her siblings. I also strove to keep the writing style somewhat old-timey and nostalgic with the intent of creating an almost fairytale feel to the narrative—one that would highlight the magical aspect of the Japanese Tea Garden.
Can you share a little about the research that went into getting the details of the time period just right?
Four years in the making, this book of historical fiction required extensive research. I was fortunate in that there is a great deal of recorded information about both the Jingu family and the Japanese Tea Garden to draw from. I did my best to keep the historical timeline accurate, although in a few instances, I took liberties to enhance the flow of the narrative or to give a nod to one of the key characters. For instance, the scene where Lillian Jingu has a conversation with Commissioner Ray Lambert in the Bamboo Room could not possibly have taken place, for Lambert passed away in 1927 at the age of fifty-nine. But Ray was so instrumental in both creating the garden and enlisting Eizo Jingu to run its concession, I felt I owed it to him to include him somewhere in the body of the novel.
Can readers look forward to seeing more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I have completed the second book in my DUNE DRAGONS middle-grade fantasy series, DUNE DRAGONS and the FAIRIES of the LAKE. However, I don’t intend to release it until next fall in order to devote time to marketing THE JINGU MAGICAL GARDEN. I am currently putting the finishing touches on a painstakingly researched historical fiction novel, REDEMPTION, which is intended for adult readers.
Spanning seven decades and set against the magnificent backdrop of Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes, this sweeping narrative chronicles the lives, loves, and hardships of a resilient band of pioneer families facing the challenges of an often harsh and ever-changing landscape with dignity, compassion, and an abiding reverence for the natural world that sustains them.
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Tut Tut, the wise turtle who lives in the pond, explains that it may be more trouble than she bargained for. Undeterred, Lillian takes the egg home and keeps it warm, eagerly waiting for whatever is inside it to hatch. When her little brother, Kimi, finds her with the egg, Lillian lets him in on her secret. Despite her protests to the contrary, Kimi is convinced the egg holds a puppy. Soon, the egg hatches, and a strange lizard-like creature emerges. The Jingu children name him Kokoro, and the baby dragon proves a delightful pet, but they fear that should he be discovered, he’ll be hauled away and caged like an animal in the Brackenridge Zoo. Their dilemma is solved with the discovery of a crack behind the waterfall leading to Jaloloquay, a land forgotten by time. At last, they have found a safe haven for Kokoro! But little do they know this discovery will lead to more adventures than they ever dreamed possible.
The Jingu Magical Garden
In The Jingu Magical Garden, Lillian Jingu, the youngest daughter in a big Japanese American family living inside the Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio in the late 1930s discovers a strange egg by the koi pond, hatches a tiny blue dragon she names Kokoro, and hides him with the help of her brother Kimi, a very dignified turtle, and a tough gray cat. At first, it feels like pure magic and mischief in a hidden garden. Then a crack in time opens, and Lillian and Kokoro are pulled into moments that show how war, rumor, and racism creep into their world and shake the life they love in the tea garden. The story braids fantasy with the real history of the Jingu family and the garden, all the way through World War II and beyond.
I had a soft spot for Lillian right away. She just wants to grow her hair long, wear a white Stetson, blend in at school, and also secretly raise a baby dragon who drinks Coca-Cola and eats sardines out of a tin. That mix of ordinary kid worries and wild magical stuff really worked for me. The family scenes in the Bamboo Room kitchen made me feel like I was sitting at the table, listening to sisters tease each other while their parents try to keep everyone fed and in line. Kokoro is goofy and sweet and a bit chaotic, so every time he bursts out of hiding I could feel my shoulders tense and my brain go “oh no, not now,” in the best way. Some chapters feel cozy and funny, and then the tone shifts, and I felt my stomach drop when hints of war and suspicion started creeping into their everyday life.
The book talks about anti Asian prejudice without turning into a lecture, and that made it more powerful to me. You see how quickly neighbors and officials can turn on a family that has done nothing wrong, and it hurt to watch, because we know this stuff did happen in real life and still echoes today. At the same time, the dragon and the time travel bits keep the story from feeling hopeless, almost like the past itself is reaching out to protect this family and their garden. I liked that the author doesn’t pretend everything gets neatly fixed, but she still gives the Jingus courage, humor, and dignity, and that mix left me sad and hopeful at the same time.
As for the writing, it has a very old radio show vibe in spots, with Buck Rogers and songs on the wireless and little period details tucked everywhere, and I thought that was charming. The garden descriptions are lush and detailed, so I could picture the waterfall, the stone paths, and the hidden corners where a dragon might hide, and those scenes slowed my breathing in a good way. The dialogue can be a bit old-fashioned in places, which fits the time period. Still, the emotional beats land. When the family faces public shaming, name changes, and the loss of their place, the simple language hits like a punch because you already care about these people and this garden so much.
I really enjoyed this children’s book. I would hand it to middle-grade readers who like dragons but can handle some heavier real-world stuff, kids around nine to thirteen who are curious about World War II on the home front, and any young reader who has ever felt caught between cultures or out of place. It would also be great for teachers or parents who want to talk about racism, resilience, and community in a way that feels authentic. If you want a story with cozy family meals, secret magical pets, and real history woven together, this one is a good pick.
Pages: 282 | ASIN : B0GCQV9TB9
