Best Books About Emotions for Kids in Chinese and English
Children – and parents – often struggle with sharing their thoughts and feelings. Thankfully, great books about emotions in Chinese and English can be a huge help for kids and adults alike.
During my childhood, emotions were often suppressed rather than encouraged. Since my immigrant parents grew up in a culture where vulnerability was not safe, I learned to hold my feelings in, too.
Now as a pediatrician and mom, I know that being able to label and talk about our emotions is healthy and normal. It’s never too late to learn with our children!
Here are the best English and Chinese picture books about emotions and feelings for children and families.
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Bilingual Chinese-English Book of Emotions 情感 with Reading Pen
This book is an excellent starting point for learning about emotions in English and Mandarin Chinese.
With the help of a handy reading pen, learn how to express feelings from calm to angry and powerful to vulnerable. Pinyin is also provided for all Chinese characters.
Mina’s Ups and Downs
This relatable book Mina Learns Chinese series explores the ups and downs of regular life, and all of the exciting feelings that come along.
The book is available in simplified Chinese (SC) and traditional Chinese (TC). All editions are in Pinyin and English.
Little Bun: A Bilingual Storybook About Feelings
Learn emotions with a little bao bun! In this simple bilingual story about emotions, the names of 12 emotions are explained in English and Chinese. This book teaches kids and parents how to share their feelings and support each other.
We read this cute feelings book on Kindle. It’s also available in hardcover and paperback.
Elephant and Piggie Emotions Books in Chinese
The Elephant and Piggie books playfully discuss feelings between friends.
Even the size of the words reflects the volume of their voice – a visible way for children to see how emotions impact our communication.
These entertaining books are available in Simplified Chinese (SC) and English.
Read my review of the Elephant and Piggie books in Chinese and English here.
The Way I Feel Books 我的感觉 in Chinese and English
In the popular “The Way I Feel” series, an adorable bear learns to cope with fear, anger, jealousy, worry, and sadness. Through the cute bear, children can learn about self-care and how to feel better.
All books in this series are bilingual with English and Simplified Chinese words. Luka Reading Robot narrates the book in Mandarin!
Todd Parr Emotion and Courage Books 淘第有个大世界 in Chinese and English
In Todd Parr’s Emotion and Courage series, each of the 8 books has simplified Chinese and English text.
These picture books are so fun and easy to read! Plus, they promote positivity and inclusivity.
Bonus: Luka Reading Robot narrates all of these books in Mandarin!
Everyone / 想哭的时候 / 想哭的時候
We love this artistic book by Christopher Silas Neal! Emotions are paired with various metaphors, such as happiness with a floating balloon and sadness with deflation.
Pictures of outer space are shown when the child thinks nobody is listening.
The image of the boy’s tears transforming into birds is especially powerful. To me, this represents the liberating feeling of a good cry.
Luka Reading Robot narrates the simplified Chinese edition of this book.
What are your favorite Chinese and English books about emotions for kids?
We’d love to know which books about emotions in Chinese and English resonated most with your kids. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
