Like all Gongshi, Jin is a stone statue imbued with a spirit whose sacred duty is to watch over humans. Jin, though, prefers kicking around the zuqiu ball with other Gongshi to spending time in the human world. While the statues may take any shape, Jin is a lion cub; his lion father is additionally tasked with guarding the Sacred Sphere, which maintains balance in the universe. When the Sphere falls off its pedestal and rolls through the Old City Gate one day, Jin chases it—and finds himself trapped in the human world. There he meets a girl, Lulu (Chinese), who can hear the same mysterious, disembodied voice that’s calling Jin. Joining forces with a mustached worm who claims to be a dragon, they race to unlock the Gate before the Gongshi on the other side perish. What Jin doesn’t realize is that the Sphere was summoned through the Gate by an enigmatic Sculptor who wishes to use the Sphere for his own purposes; the owner of the mysterious voice, too, has his own self-serving intentions. The threads of this action-packed story based on elements of Chinese folklore are woven into a satisfying ending that sees villains vanquished, families reunited, and Jin gaining a new appreciation for his sacred responsibilities.

A New York Times and IndieBound bestseller!
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year!
A Kirkus Best Book of the Year!
A BCCB Best Book of the Year!

This gorgeous DELUXE LIMITED EDITION available while supplies last―featuring stenciled designed sprayed edges, as well as a foil case stamp and designed endpapers. This must-have special edition is only available on a limited first print run while supplies last in the US and Canada only.

From award-winning and bestselling author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin comes a gorgeously full-color illustrated story about a lion cub and a girl who must open a portal for the spirits, based on Chinese folklore.

Jin is a Stone Lion—one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time.
 
What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world.
 
But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him.
 
Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate…or risk losing everything.

Award-winning and bestselling author Grace Lin returns with another gorgeously illustrated adventure story about duty, love, and balance—expertly written in the vein of the Newbery Honor winner and modern classic Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Based on Chinese Folklore, this beautiful novel features ten full-page pieces of stunning full-color art, as well as intricate chapter header illustrations.