PARIS — Two flowers live in a field when a third, new flower shows up. They don’t like her because she looks different. She has one leaf instead of two.

“The Newest Flower” is a children’s book written by 12-year-old Juliese Padgett, and it mirrors much of her life.

Juliese was adopted from China a month before her 3rd birthday and has always been looked at as “different” by her peers.

She wrote the first version of the book in 2012 at the age of 6. It started as a writing assignment for school.

She said she got the idea after a kid in her class said she looked different.

When her mother, Jennifer Padgett, first read it, her reaction was “this could be published.”

“I thought she was joking,” Juliese said.

The book sat on a shelf for nearly a year before anything was done with it. After contacting an illustrator through a Facebook post, the real work began.

Netherlands-based illustrator Remko Killaars saw the post asking for someone “with a heart for adoption” to do the art for a children’s book. He had never illustrated a book, but was up for the challenge.

Coincidentally, Killaars, who illustrated the book for free, had adopted his youngest son from the same orphanage as the Padgett’s youngest adopted daughter, Joel.

Juliese and her mother worked on a mock-up of the art so Killaars had an idea what they were looking for.

She said it was interesting how the characters evolved. “He got into my head and made (my characters) come alive.”

Together they worked on editing the book almost every day and they presented it at schools during the process. “That helped us develop the book,” Jennifer said.

“When it started moving, it took a while,” she added. “There are a lot of steps to publishing a book.”

“Too many,” Juliese said.

All proceeds from the book will go directly to Holt International, an adoption agency that helps by sponsoring children in developing nations to keep their families together.

“We can’t put a price tag on helping other kids,” Jennifer Padgett said. “A lot of people helped us to get her adopted, so it’s good to give back. That’s been the focus the whole time. We don’t keep any of the profit.”

She said teachers have been very receptive. “They love the story and that a child author is sharing her heart with the world.”

Juliese is now home-schooled, which has provided her with more time to work on the book.

“I went to public school for three years and after that I got tired out. I’m not exactly a social butterfly,” she said. Her mother said Juliese prefers to focus on learning and education. “She thrives on that.”

She said her daughter uses “very figurative language. It’s very cool how she did it.”

Calli, the main character, is a type of flower that grows in Asia. The other characters are a rose and a daisy.

In addition to the main characters, the book has an array of animal life including the monarch butterfly, Canada geese, squirrels and a stag beetle.

There is also a ladybug, which Jennifer Padgett said is symbolic of adoption, especially in China.

Juliese said her message is that “anyone can write if they want to; everyone has a story to share.”

She said one day in sixth grade, “I had a lightbulb moment that this is a personal narrative; it’s about me.”

“As the book’s evolved, so has she,” her mother said.

She said Juliese is modest and humble. “It’s not a fame thing; it’s just something to do.”

Juliese spoke at the State House on Nov. 8 about ‘The Newest Flower.” 

She said she is already thinking of writing another book, but maybe not for a while.

Jennifer Padgett and her 12-year-old daughter, Juliese, author of “The Newest Flower,” pose in their South Paris home. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)

“The Newest Flower” is a book about encouraging all children to respect the differences in each other. The book went on sale officially in August. It’s available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. All proceeds go to adoption agency Holt International. 

Author Juliese Padgett will hold a book-signing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 2 at the South Paris Library. 

Copy the Story Link