Billy, the son of immigrants from Canton, China, grew up in the Southwest and was often told by his father that "in America, you can be anything you want to be." He aspired to be a great athlete, but found during college that he was just too short for basketball.

On a trip to Spain, he became enchanted by the grace and athletic daring of the Spanish matadors. Although many said that only Spaniards could become true matadors, Billy remembered his father's words and decided, whatever the odds, to learn the art of bullfighting. It was not long before he could swing his cape with the best of the Spaniards and respond to the cheers of the crowd in a soldout bullring.

Here is the inspiring, true story of Bong Way "Billy" Wong, the very first Chinese bullfighter. Allan Say's radiant watercolors and candid text make El Chino a unique and most affecting tale of the pursuit of dreams.

From the dust jacket