50 Best Chinese and Taiwanese American Children’s Books
Growing up as the only Asian kid in my school, I wish I had even one picture book about Chinese and Taiwanese Americans! Stories remind us that we aren’t alone in balancing cultures and celebrating family. Regardless of background, books about Chinese and Taiwanese Americans help everyone discover joy, empathy, friendship, and perseverance.
Please share this list with your local schools and libraries to encourage diversity and inclusion. Since we’re raising bilingual children, our list includes English and Chinese books we’ve read as a family.
Recommended: 100 Picture Books That Celebrate Asians in English and Chinese
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Chinese and Taiwanese American books about families
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners describes our eyes in the most healing way I’ve ever heard. When I first read the story with my children, I cried tears of relief. It’s a book I wished I had as a child, a wonderful gift for Asian daughters. For more details, read my full review, which contains trigger warnings.
A Gift for Nai Nai
Lyn Lyn and her grandma, 奶奶 Nai Nai, have a special connection over crocheting, their favorite hobby. As Nai Nai’s birthday approaches, Lyn Lyn wants to make a crochet hat, but she’s worried that her skills are lacking compared to grandma’s. Soon, she’ll realize that the perfect gift is not about perfection. Chinese characters, like 愛 (ài/love) and 家 (jiā/family) in the endearing illustrations add extra cultural authenticity.
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Crouching Tiger
Vinson is a Chinese American boy whose grandpa is visiting from China. Vinson is excited about Grandpa’s martial arts but becomes bored when he realizes it’s slow and meditative, not fast and furious like kungfu. Soon, Vinson understands how special Grandpa’s skills are at the Lunar New Year parade. By the end of the book, he grows to appreciate his Chinese American heritage.
I Dream of Popo
This gorgeous book celebrates the special relationship between a child and her grandmother, 婆婆 (Pópo). Rhythmic words reveal the heartache of a little girl who immigrates from Taiwan to the United States. She says goodbye to 婆婆 and dives into a new school, language, and culture. When the girl reunites with 婆婆 in Taiwan, she notices many changes. 婆婆 has gray hair, and their languages are different. But despite the distance physically and culturally, they are still beautifully connected. Some traditional Chinese characters are included in this book.
Watercress
The Watercress book about a Chinese American family is poignant, beautiful, and a bit serious. The story means more to me than my children, who don’t quite understand the challenges of first-generation immigrants. This particular story made me reflect on the vast differences in privilege with each successive generation in our family.
English edition:
Simplified Chinese edition:
Books about Chinese and Taiwanese American friendships and adventure
A Big Bed for Little Snow 小雪的大被子
Little Snow (小雪) is a boy who jumps and plays in his big fluffy bed after bedtime. He imagines his bed to be a cloud and the feathers like snowflakes. Grace Lin’s book was originally published in English and translated beautifully into Chinese.
English edition:
Simplified Chinese edition:
Redwoods
Both of my children are obsessed with Jason Chin’s books! Redwoods features an adventurous Asian American who reads a book about trees and climbs real ones. At the end of the story, he leaves the book for another child to discover.
English edition:
Simplified Chinese edition:
Adventures in Mandarin Immersion: Travel, Learn, and See Shanghai
According to the author’s story, Dean is Chinese American, while Ethan is African American. The boys become best friends in a Los Angeles Mandarin Immersion school. They discover how much they have in common and travel to Shanghai together. This bilingual book has simplified Chinese, Hanyu Pinyin, and English translations.
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Children’s books about Chinese and Taiwanese food
Ugly Vegetables
A little girl worries that her mom’s vegetable garden is “ugly,” unlike her neighbor’s flower gardens. However, her mom reassures her, “These are better than flowers.” Later, the girl learns to appreciate the vegetables when they grow and are ready to be eaten. Neighbors come over to enjoy delicious soup made from their vegetables. The book concludes with a vegetable soup recipe!
English edition:
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Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao
This cute book is about Amy, a girl struggling to make the perfect Chinese bao. Her kitchen creations are strange and silly, but she learns to have fun and keep trying. Her family teaches her the steps, and a recipe is included at the back of the book!
Try this: Effective Ways to Praise Kids Instead of “Good Job” (Chinese and English)
I Love Boba!
This adorable book celebrates the Taiwanese boba with cute rhymes to celebrate its history and flavors. The back of the book also features a safety tip: boba pearls are a choking hazard, especially for toddlers.
English edition:
Simplified Chinese, English, and Pinyin:
Traditional Chinese, English, and Pinyin
Apple Pie Fourth of July
A little girl works in a Chinese restaurant on the 4th of July and wonders who would want to come on an American holiday. Her father shares that fireworks were invented in China as customers order Chinese food. After a long work day, the girl enjoys apple pie while watching fireworks. This book can spark discussion about the year-round work of Chinese American immigrants and balancing cultures.
Devour this: 25 Delicious English and Chinese Picture Books About Food
Picture books about Chinese and Taiwanese American History
Coolies
In the 1860s, brothers Shek and Little Wong left China to work on the California railroad. Despite low pay, brutal conditions, and dangerous avalanches, they build an impressive railroad while settling in their new country. The author’s note mentions, “Thousands of Chinese lost their lives. Many were undiscovered and forgotten, and their graves remain unknown and scattered along the trackside, a silent tribute to their accomplishment.”
Red Kite, Blue Kite
This poignant Chinese history book is one of my children’s favorites. During the Cultural Revolution in China, a little boy and his father are separated suddenly but try to stay connected through their favorite hobby, kite flying. Baba promises his son that he will fly his kite while looking for his so that they can “see” each other. Baba cannot fly his kite for a while but is eventually lucky to come home to his son.
Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America
In 1926, Lee leaves his grandparents’s house in a small Chinese village to become a “paper son” in America. Before his parents died, they bought papers from a Chinese American citizen to pretend to be their son’s family. But first, Lee needs to pass an immigration test at Angel Island in San Francisco. Any mistake could risk his chance at a better life.
Picture book biographies about Chinese and Taiwanese Americans
Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
This Chinese-American picture book biography celebrates Dr. Wu Chien Shiung, a remarkable scientist who made great contributions to nuclear and particle physics. During his childhood in China, her parents encouraged her passion for science. When she immigrated to the United States for her PhD, she continued to overcome sexism and racism, proving that she was brave and brilliant.
English edition:
Traditional Chinese edition:
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee
We love this inspiring picture book about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American female pilot in the United States military during World War II. In addition to Hazel Ying Lee’s family worrying about the dangerous job, she also faced discrimination for being Asian. But Hazel Ying Lee was brave and loved being in the sky. After she died in a plane crash, her family struggled to find a proper burial due to their race.
Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines
This sophisticated picture book honors the legacy of Maya Lin, a Chinese American artist and architect. Maya Lin grew up in a home of artists, experimenting with building and creating from a young age. She was only a college student when her design was chosen in a contest for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. She persevered despite discrimination before, during, and after this project.
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Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist
Disney artist Tyrus Wong (originally named Wong Geng Yeo) immigrated from China to America. As a janitor, he dreamed of turning the mop into a paintbrush, eventually getting a chance to create for the Bambi movie. As much as I appreciate the biography, I am disappointed with the illustrations. With so few books about Asian American men, we need realistic images. However, the back of the book features a few photographs of Tyrus Wong and his family.
Picture books about Chinese / Taiwanese Festivals and Holidays
The vast majority of books about Chinese / Taiwanese festivals revolve around festivals, and I’ve reviewed them previously in other posts. Many are available in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English. Click on the images below to learn more!
What are your favorite picture books with Chinese and Taiwanese American protagonists?
If you have read these books, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! We’d love to hear about your experience! What other books do you recommend?
More ways to celebrate Chinese and Taiwanese culture
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Thanks for sharing these! I found many at our local library. I think our son would love Jason Chin’s books!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy that you were able to find many of these at the library!! Hope your son loves them as much as my kids! 🙂