Orange Peel's Pocket - Tapa dura

This is a charming story about a girl nicknamed "Orange Peel", because she always tried to eat orange peels instead of the orange itself when she was little. One day, in kindergarten, her classmates begin to ask many questions about China and what it's like. Everyone, of course, turns to Orange Peel, who is determined to find out the answers to their questions. She visits the tailor who speaks about silk, an antique store owner, Mrs. Liu at the flower shop, Mr. Yu's noodle shop, and an ice cream shop, where she learns ice cream was invented in China. She can't wait to tell the kids at school, but first she discovers a number of gifts that have been slipped into her pocket by the store owners: silk, a poem, a small peony, and a noodle soup recipe. Orange Peel is happy as the treasures she's found link her to the place where she was born.

Rose Lewis is the author of the New York Times bestseller I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, which Kirkus said was destined to become a classic in a starred review. She is also the author of the award-winning Every Year on Your Birthday, which Booklist, in a starred review, described as a loving portrait of a single mother and an adopted child [that] gently accentuates the importance of incorporating the child s culture into her new life. Rose lives in Massachusetts with her daughter and their beloved dog, Teddy. Grace Zong was born in Illinois and moved to Korea when she was seven. Later, she returned to the United States to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she majored in illustration. She splits her time between her home in New York, and her home in Korea. This is her first picture book."