ONE PICTURE BOOK, ONE COMMUNITY
Fall 2011 Official Selections:
The Pet Dragon: A Story About Adventure, Friendship and Chinese Characters by Christoph Niemann and Orange Peel’s Pocket by Rose Lewis, form the centerpiece of One Picture Book, One Community for 2011. A young girl learns how to write 
Chinese words as she travels throughout a magical China in search of her dragon, while Orange Peel’s neighborhood adventures yield treasures, and knowledge about the land of her birth. Both books encourage understanding of Chinese culture and language, the theme of many Center programs this fall.
The Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters by Christoph Niemann
Join One Picture Book, One Community, a program that encourages children and their families to read together. The Center is donating 3500 copies of The Pet Dragon to first graders and their teachers, reading specialists, and media specialists at schools throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
About the book:
Meet Lin and her pet dragon! When the dragon mysteriously disappears, Lin sets off on a journey to find her best friend . . . and readers set off on a journey of learning and discovery. By ingeniously integrating written Chinese characters into the illustrations as the story progresses, Christoph Niemann has created a book that is engrossing, unique, and memorable. The Pet Dragon is a playful introduction to the fascinating world of Chinese language and culture . . . and a terrific story to share with children everywhere. You are invited to join Lin for an adventure you will not soon forget!
Orange Peel’s Pocket by Rose Lewis
Join One Picture Book, One Community, a program that encourages children and their families to read together. The Center is donating 3500 copies of Orange Peel’s Pocket to second graders and their teachers, reading specialists, and media specialists at schools throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
About the book:
One day in class, Orange Peel—who got her nickname by eating orange peels when she was little—and her classmates learn about China. Everyone starts to ask Orange Peel questions about the country because they know that’s where she was born. But she doesn’t have all the answers. So Orange Peel joins her mother on her neighborhood errands to find out. Many of the shops they visit are owned by people who were also born in China. Each has a story to tell Orange Peel. She visits Mr. Fan the tailor, who speaks about silk; Ma Sang, who owns an antiques store and also writes poetry; Mrs. Liu at the flower shop; Mr. Yu, whose restaurant makes “best there ever was” noodle soup; and Jasmine at the ice cream shop. Orange Peel can’t wait to tell the kids at school about China’s influence on all of these things, but first she discovers a number of gifts that have been slipped into her pocket by the store owners: silk, a poem, a peony, a noodle soup recipe, and a lucky red knot. Orange Peel is overjoyed, as the treasures she’s found link her to the place where she was born.
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