10 Best Chinese Books for Babies According to a Pediatrician
What are the best books for young children? Which Chinese books should you get for raising bilingual babies or toddlers? As a pediatrician and mom, I’ve enjoyed reading with many children, including my son and daughter. No matter what language your family speaks, books that show real photos and realistic pictures are always the winner.
In a cartoon-dominated world, you might be surprised to hear that I’m not jumping to Disney princesses and superheroes. But it’s true! The best Chinese books for babies and toddlers have pictures of regular people and animals. (Fun cartoons can come later!)
Whether shopping for a baby shower gift or building your toddler’s bookshelf, you’ll love these adorable Chinese board books!
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Why do babies and toddlers need real photos in books?
Babies are trying to figure out the world. They are wondering:
- “Are my parents happy or sad?”
- “Who is that stranger?”
- “What is making that barking sound?”
What research shows
Extensive research has shown that babies love to look at faces. They study facial expressions and body language while listening to what we say. In addition, they are curious about pets and other animals.
Long before modern research, Dr. Maria Montessori, a physician and educator, observed that children need concrete experiences before they can think abstractly. Until your child understands the difference between real and pretend, it’s best to delay books about fantasy.
What experience shows
Books with real photos and realistic illustrations can captivate everyone from infants, toddlers, kids, teens, and parents! A detailed image can be a conversation starter and offer much information, even if the text is simple.
Although my children are now 7 and 10, these books have stood the test of time. I’ve given several of these books to friends, but my children want to keep some of these baby books because they are just too adorable.
Qualities of an excellent Chinese book for babies and toddlers
These are features I look for as a pediatrician mom:
- Thick pages that are easy for little hands to turn
- Board books that can hold up to drool and normal mouthing behavior
- Real photos or realistic illustrations
- Simple, everyday language
Best Chinese books for babies and toddlers
Here are some of our favorite Chinese books for babies and toddlers. Some are bilingual, and some have only Chinese characters.
100 First Chinese Words
These books are excellent first books for young children to hold. Kids love looking at photos, especially images of people and animals! I appreciate the diversity of people featured, plus the common words and phrases.
A Nest in Springtime / 春天的鳥巢
This short and sweet story is about little goslings hatching in the Spring. Babies and toddlers can learn to say Happy Birthday and count to 8 in Chinese! If you’re learning Chinese with your children like me, you’ll love the Pinyin and English translations!
Does Kangaroo Have A Mother? 袋鼠也有妈妈吗？ 袋鼠也有媽媽嗎?
This Eric Carle book has lovely illustrations of real animals. With repetitive questions, “Does Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?” is an excellent book encouraging conversation between caregiver and child.
Note: Eric Carle’s books are classics for little kids! My kids loved Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. While these books are great for older toddlers, they are too abstract for babies.
Curious Little Bao Likes to Help / 好奇的小宝爱帮忙 / 好奇的小寶愛幫忙
This sweet board book has realistic illustrations of a young child learning to be helpful! Repetitive sentences help children learn common phrases. The book is available in simplified OR traditional Chinese. It also has Pinyin and English translations to support non-fluent families.
Dear Zoo / 亲爱的动物园 / 親愛的動物園
I loved this book when I was a kid, and now it’s my children’s turn to enjoy it! This classic book has been translated into many languages, and the peek-a-boo flaps are irresistible! The realistic illustrations are fun for toddlers to match with animal toys. The repetitive language can also help children learn to talk in Chinese or English.
Dear Zoo was also one of the first books I learned to read in Chinese. I used Post-It notes to jot down translations in English and Pinyin.
Where to buy:
- Simplified Chinese: China Sprout
- Traditional Chinese: China Sprout
- English: Amazon
Best board books for babies and toddlers in Chinese only
The following book sets are available in Chinese but not English.
小鸡球球 / 小雞球球 touch-and-feel baby books
Get ready for the cutest baby chicks!!! These durable books are wonderfully inviting and interactive! Babies and toddlers will love the holes and textures to touch and push. Each page has only 1-2 sentences in simplified Chinese, perfect for little ones. I highly recommend this set of children’s books for fun sensory exploration.
Where to buy:
- Simplified Chinese: JoJo Learning
- Traditional Chinese: Books.com.tw
宝宝的传统儿歌 Chinese music books with CDs
These set of 3 Chinese musical nursery rhyme books are sweet for babies and toddlers! In the accompanying CDs, the rhymes are spoken with soft yet catchy background music. Both of my children love these playful music board books.
Best board books for babies and toddlers in English only
What if these Chinese books are hard to get or too expensive? Since English books are more affordable for Americans, you can translate books during story time with your baby or toddler. The following baby books are filled with great pictures and engaging language:
More Chinese books for babies and toddlers
What are your favorite English and Chinese books for babies and toddlers?
I hope this guide is helpful as you build your child’s bilingual home library! Please share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to know which English and Chinese books were favorites for your babies and toddlers!
Hi! Thank you for these wonderful resources! I’m not a proficient reader of simplified or traditional Chinese characters. Do you have toddler book recommendations that have both pinyin and simplified characters? I’ve just been translating English books into very simple mandarin but I would love to read actual books that don’t require me to use Google translate every time. Thank you!
Hi Grace! Thanks for reaching out and sorry for the late reply! Yes, check out these books with Pinyin and Simplified Chinese characters for great recommendations. Hope this can help your family!
Thanks so much for compiling these resources! I would like my daughter to be be multilingual but feel hampered by my own ability. Your story/journey and website are inspiring and helpful!
Thank you for taking the time to write, Laura! I’m so glad to hear that the posts are helpful! 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful post. Do you know where I can find resources for caregivers written in Chinese about the Montessori approach? I want to share them with my in laws who read Chinese fluently. I do not speak the language so it is harder for me to find resources and they don’t speak English well. I am trying to raise my daughter to be bilingual and they take care of her several days per week. They have open minds about learning new approaches but they do not know about Montessori methods. Thanks so much.
Hi Lane! Thank you so much for taking the time to write, and I apologize for the late reply! For Chinese Montessori parenting advice, they can check out this book by Henry Lo 羅寶鴻 老師 on published in traditional Chinese.
I’m not sure what script they read, but here is a traditional Chinese Montessori parenting book:
在家玩蒙特梭利
For simplified Chinese, you can check out this:
Chinese Montessori Society
Thank you for this informative post! It’s so hard to find realistic books in Chinese!
You’re welcome, Grace! I hope your family can enjoy some of these books!