The Dragon’s Hiccup: The War Through The Eyes of a Child
"When I hear the booms far away, I tell myself it isn't war. It's a giant dragon who has the hiccups. He must be enormous, hidden behind the mountains, or in a cave, or maybe in the sky." - The Dragon’s Hiccup
The Lebanese have carried the weight of a devastating war for the past three years, and even when they try to ignore it for a fleeting moment, reminders are waiting: buzzing sounds in the sky, short conversations with neighbors, or even an unexpected question from a child. The last one is the hardest to ignore. Children are by nature inquisitive. They ask questions that adults are afraid to answer, and when they don't get a response that satisfies them, they are left alone to search for answers. But how do you explain an act of violence to an innocent child?
Nicolas, 6, wanted to understand the cause behind the loud booms in Beirut, and his imagination transported him to a world where dragons have hiccups so loud they can be heard across an entire city.
Instead of dismissing her son's imagination as most adults would, Kristel Tyan, an educator and storyteller, cultivated it to ease the weight of the war. Her son's interpretation and creativity inspired her to write Le Hoquet du Dragon (The Dragon's Hiccup), an illustrated book about the reality of war through the eyes of a child.
"During the war, I held on to every question my son asked me, and I started writing a text," she says. "I didn't want to publish it at first, but my friends and family thought it was a story worth sharing, and so I decided to make it a collective experience rather than a personal one."
Tyan explains the central ideas of the book: "This book carries two messages. The first is our attachment to Beirut, which I talk about a lot with my children. Second, it’s about the importance of listening as adults to our children, and not always the other way around."
When Words Become Music
As if this book couldn't get more creative, Tyan insisted on blending storytelling with live music and art to immerse the audience in the story. At La Cave du Cheikh, a charming spot nestled in Bikfaya, Tyan read the book to a live audience. Accompanying her was educator and musician Karim Dahdah, who sang excerpts from the book, while artist David Der-Yeghiayan painted on a canvas, inspired by the audience’s interpretation of war.
Tyan believes this approach could help children reignite the joy of reading, a habit that has become rare: "With the pressure we're living under in Lebanon and around the world, we've forgotten the bond we have with books. Through this event, we want to send a message: don't forget to take refuge in the imagination of a book, because it could save you."
Dahdah's voice and soft tunes on the guitar blended with the atmosphere, creating a soothing experience despite the themes of war. "I love mixing music with education," he says. "At the end of a lesson, I encourage my students to write a song together about the lesson or a certain theme, so we can learn it together in song."
For Dahdah, interaction matters most for young readers. "Children need an experience, not just a book. If we can connect the act of reading to something more memorable and experimental, it suddenly becomes much more interesting. It gives the audience a say in it as well."
Painting the Story
Various illustrations from the book were also showcased in a slideshow. They were all drawn by David Der-Yeghiayan, a tattoo artist who specializes in surrealism.
Symbolism is a central aspect of this book, represented mainly through toys and animals. In one illustration, the dragon — an allegory of war — roams in the sky. To hide from it, children build a refuge from rocks and blankets. In another, a snail wishes upon a star to become a slug, freeing itself from the burden of carrying its "home," or worries. The designs, similar to those of Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, are simple yet symbolic, the right balance for both adults and children to enjoy. During the event, Der-Yeghiayan was inspired by the music and the guests' testimonies to paint a figure holding a canvas with a heart and a cedar in the middle.
"My art expresses ideas through symbolism,” says Der-Yeghiayan. “Everything in our life means something, and that expression comes about through different visuals and images. For the book, I had to adapt the way I usually express my ideas and make it less elaborate and more minimal, especially since I only used black and white."
However, creating these illustrations meant unlearning something first. "Seeing the events through the innocent eyes of a child meant I needed to go back to when I was a child and how I experienced the war in Lebanon."
Publishing the Book
The evening was staged at La Cave du Cheikh, which Joelle Ayache-Gemayel runs with her husband, Gabriel, and which is closely tied to Le Vicomte, the publishing house behind the book.
The format, she argues, is a response to a habit that has been lost. "Today it's clear that children don't read anymore, almost not at all. Organizing an event with theater, song, and music certainly makes you want to read the book."
By the end of the night, guests were transported to simpler times where imagination and creativity could slay the strongest dragons.
At one point in the book, Nicolas asks his mother: "Mom, will you take me one day to see bubble houses? (…) Those houses look like soap bubbles. (…) I'd love to live in a bubble. Why does a bubble always have to burst?" Children's thoughts and imagination are like bubbles floating in their minds. Dismissing them means slowly popping those bubbles. Answer your children's questions so that they can resist the hiccups of the world. After all, we were once children with minds full of bubbles — of dreams.
"Along the way, we forget to dream, to imagine," Tyan concludes. "And the most beautiful lesson my child gave me is to never stop dreaming. That remains the solution."