By page 15 of “City of Dragons,” a new graphic novel written by Jaimal Yogis and illustrated by Vivian Truong, I was crying. This is a book for kids that looks realistically at loss, and centers on the idea — old-fashioned now, in our winner-takes-all age — that true strength is anchored in compassion. As the story follows Grace, a teenage girl who moves with her mom and stepdad to Hong Kong after the death of her father, a gorgeously illustrated coming-of-age tale unfolds, focusing on Chinese mythology, dragons and the struggle to feel normal in high school.

Yogis, a writer and surfer who lives in San Francisco’s Sunset District, talked to The Chronicle about climate change, what it was like to work on a graphic novel for the first time and, of course, why we remain obsessed with dragons.

Q: “City of Dragons” depicts a world out of balance — severe, unexpected weather; betrayal by the people we are supposed to trust. It feels like a parallel for climate change. Is this intentional?

A: Yes. I’ve always been deeply concerned about climate change, and being a surfer who lives on Ocean Beach, you’re really tuned into subtle differences in weather. That’s what surfers do; we follow the weather. Part of the inspiration for doing a book on dragons is because in Chinese mythology, dragons are often elemental, and there’s this real emphasis on harmony with nature.

Q: The idea that true courage also requires compassion is central to the book. Why is this so important?

A: Strength when it’s just self-obsessed is often rooted in fear. It’s not true strength; it’s a protection mechanism. Compassion is rooted in the truth that we are connected as people living on one planet, dependent on each other. To be compassionate is really wise selfishness, because helping others is the way to help yourself. COVID has made that so apparent — how (connected) society is between countries and states and cities and schools.

Q: Loss is a powerful theme throughout the book. You wrote the book before the pandemic, but do you think it will resonate differently now?

A: Loss was something I was feeling while I wrote it — my father was in late-stage cancer, and all this was happening while I was writing. So I think a lot of that emotion got infused in the narrative. Loss is omnipresent whether you’re in COVID or not, but I do hope that this book is cathartic or helpful to kids who have experienced it in any number of ways. Loss for kids is a common theme in children’s literature. It forces more independence, and when you have to face mortality in both your loved ones and yourself, it can stretch you in different ways.

Q: You’ve written children’s books before, but this is your first graphic novel. What was that experience like?

A: I didn’t intend for it to be a graphic novel. I had a prose draft that I felt was kind of working, but … I ran into an old friend who is a Hollywood producer, and he said, “This sounds great. Why don’t you do it as a screenplay?” So I tried it and just fell in love with the format of the dialogue. Then I thought, “Maybe I should try it as a graphic novel?”

I had stumbled on (Vivian Truong’s) art and loved it, and she loved the story, so all of a sudden it all clicked. That process of collaboration felt terrifying, and it was also a beautiful process of letting go. Writers are control freaks, so to step back and work together to make the story better was meaningful. Vivian is British Chinese. She’s traveled to Hong Kong and the United States a number of times and has a global perspective that’s wonderful for the story.

Q: How did your experiences influence the character of Grace?

A: I am a military brat, too, like Grace. I was born in New York, then (my dad was) stationed in Tacoma, Wash., then Portugal, then Sacramento, then I ran off to Hawaii before becoming an exchange student in Paris. The idea of showing up in a new place, where you don’t know the kids in school and people are speaking a different language, that experience (influenced) the story. In California and more so in Hawaii, there’s an East-West connection. Grace feels somewhat like a fish out of water in Hong Kong, but also at home with the diversity because she’s from California. Also, Grace is a surfer connected to the water, like me.

Q: “City of Dragons” features a Chinese American dad and a Chinese American girl as strong and inspiring characters. Why is the idea of representation in books so important?

A: I’m a huge believer in the power of stories to break through fear and bigotry because, while we don’t always get to have real-life experiences of people who are different from us, we can enter them through stories. When it comes to fear of the other, you really have to contact the emotional brain, and stories can do that.

I wanted to make “City of Dragons” accessible to any kid, while also making it authentic to Grace’s mixed ethnic background, because it’s essential everyone feel they have stories that are made for them. All the more so during this time of unconscionable attacks against the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) community. It’s unfathomable to me in the Bay Area, a place where there is so much pride in our diverse population, that these attacks are happening.

Q: Almost every culture in the world has a story that revolves around dragons. Why?

A: I’ve thought so much about this because it’s really surprising how ubiquitous dragons are, from South America to the Native Americans to East Asia, and obviously Europe. In all these places you find giant reptiles, giant serpents that often fly, and are often elemental, so it triggers that possibility: What used to exist that we don’t know about?

In Chinese mythology dragons can expand to the size of the universe; in a Japanese myth a dragon rules the entire ocean — they symbolize the unfathomable power of nature and the universe. Scholars have theorized dragons are a combination of our greatest threats — big cats and pythons. But the fact is we don’t know. It’s a bit of a mystery, and I think that’s pretty cool.

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm
By Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong
(Scholastic; 240 pages; $17)