My Pet Dragon
Looking for the perfect way to spark curiosity about Chinese characters at the start of the school year? Introduce your students to The Pet Dragon by Christoph Niemann — a beautifully illustrated picture book that weaves basic Chinese characters into an adventurous story.
When Lin's beloved pet dragon disappears, she embarks on a magical journey to find her friend. Along the way, readers are introduced to essential Chinese characters, cleverly embedded in the artwork and storyline. It’s the perfect mix of literacy and language exploration!
Use this book to:
Introduce character-based storytelling
Help students make visual connections to Chinese characters
Spark conversations about friendship and bravery
Ready-to-Use Resources:
Download the Chinese Character Worksheet to accompany the reading
Download the “My Chinese Book” Project — a fun, creative follow-up activity where students illustrate their own story using characters they've learned
This book is a classroom favorite and a great way to launch a love of Chinese from day one!
Have you used this book with your students to introduce basic Chinese characters?