30 Korean American Children’s Books Celebrating Food, Family, and Culture
Children’s books about Korean Americans are much needed in schools, libraries, and homes. These books give my kids a window into their heritage and inspire them to learn Korean language and culture. They also help non-Koreans, like myself, reflect on our similarities and differences. To help you find the best books with Korean protagonists by “own voices” authors, I’ve organized them by topic below.
Book menu: Korean Food | Family | Friendships | History | Festivals | Language
Related: The Best 100 Picture Books That Celebrate Asians in English and Chinese
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Children’s books about Korean American food
Bee-Bim Bop
Bibimbap (비빔밥) is my favorite Korean dish, and I bought this book 10 years ago when my first child was born. In this catchy book, rhyming text pairs engaging illustrations of a little kid trying to help in the kitchen. The illustrations are adorable and relatable.
Have a Good Day Cafe
Mike’s immigrant parents work hard selling pizza and bagels in their food cart. When his parents are discouraged by dwindling customers, Mike and his grandma save the day by making amazing Korean food like japchae, mandu (dumplings), and bulgogi.
Kimchi, Kimchi Every Day
Kimchi is the quintessential Korean food, and this book explores how the vegetable side dish is a major part of a traditional meal. Learn fun facts through gently paced rhymes and pictures of Korean kimchi in a roll, on noodles, and more.
Seoul Food
Inspired by the author’s Black and Korean American family, this book encourages children to embrace their unique identities. Hana has fond memories of enjoying different stews during trips to visit each of her grandparents. Based on her love and experiences, she creates a delicious dish with the best flavors of her two cultures.
Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix
This comic-style book celebrates famous Korean American Chef Roy Choi and his passion for creating delicious and affordable Korean food mixed with Mexican flair. His Kogi BBQ Taco Trucks are loved by Los Angeles locals. The graffiti-style illustrations give a modern twist to typical picture books.
Related: Top Korean Cartoons for Kids
A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food
Warning: this book will trigger Korean food cravings! Your mouth will water as you learn fun facts about kimchi, bibimbap, kimbap, galbi, and other popular Korean dishes.
Colorful illustrations and bilingual descriptions make this book perfect for celebrating Korean American food culture.
Children’s books about Korean American families
The Paper Kingdom
A little boy accompanies his parents to work during overnight shifts as custodial staff in a corporate building. When the boy looks tired and bored, his parents transform tedious work into an adventure through the power of storytelling. They teach him about responsibility, compassion, and hope.
This heartwarming book is based on the author’s Korean American family.
Magic Candies
Through magic candies, a little kid learns about empathy and communication. The candies allow him to hear voices – the thoughts of his dad, his dog, and even his couch. Although his grandmother has passed away, he can reconnect with her, too. Each scene is illustrated with clay models, giving extra dimensions to this imaginative journey from loneliness to bravery.
Recommended: Korean Chuseok Activities and Crafts for Kids
The Grandmaster’s Daughter
This beautifully illustrated book celebrates Korean American families, friendship, culture, and martial arts.
Sunny is the taekwondo grandmaster’s daughter. In addition to physical feats, she’s responsible for keeping the studio clean and welcoming. She also leads her diverse friends on imaginative adventures while learning about teamwork, respect, and perseverance.
Grandpa Across the Ocean
In this book, a Korean American boy travels across the ocean to visit his grandpa. At first, the little boy doesn’t understand his grandpa or the Korean country. Everything is different, from language to food. When the boy makes a mistake, the grandpa responds with kindness. Soon, he learns that love is the connection.
This touching story is perfect for Korean American kids who live far from their grandparents.
Our Favorite Day
This charming book celebrates the loving relationship between a little girl and her grandfather, who she calls “Papa.” Gorgeous watercolor and cut-paper illustrations show Papa’s daily routine and highlight the most special day of the week. On Thursdays, the girl meets Papa for lunch and spends the afternoon crafting kites together.
Where’s Halmoni?
In this bilingual book, Joon and his older sister, Noona (누나), go on an adventure to find their missing grandmother, Halmoni (할머니). The children speak English and encounter various Korean-speaking animals from traditional Korean fairy tales that teach them about their heritage and culture. The illustrations are lively and expressive, with a mix of realism and fantasy.
Dear Juno
Through handwritten letters in Korean, an American boy develops a special relationship with his grandmother, who lives in Korea. Grandma also sends photographs while June shares cute drawings. Their love and longing is palpable in this children’s book.
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Books about Korean American kids and friendships
The Name Jar
Unhei moves from South Korea to America, and she’s anxious about fitting in. Instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she asks her classmates to give her a new name. But none of the names seem to fit. That’s when Unhei discovers she’s making real friends who welcome her original Korean name.
Juna’s Jar
Juna and her best friend, Hector, enjoyed many adventures, collecting their discoveries in empty kimchi jars. One day, Hector suddenly moves away. She copes with this heartbreak with their beloved kimchi jar, finding new friends in surprising places. This endearing book has the perfect blend of Korean and American culture.
Danbi Leads the School Parade
Danbi is excited but nervous about starting school in America. Initially, she has a rough start trying to figure out how to play and dance with the other kids. But with her creative imagination, she makes up her own game, leading her classmates in a fun, colorful, whimsical parade.
I Am the Subway
Join the journey inside a rumbling subway in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Everyone on the train has a story of joys, hopes, fears, heartbreaks, and memories. The beautiful illustrations draw the reader to notice individuals in the busy crowd. This book is a wonderful way for American children to prepare — or imagine — a trip to Korea.
Recommended: Fun Korean Lunar New Year Crafts and Activities
Picture books about Korean history
Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans
Rice from Heaven is one of our favorite historical picture books based on the author’s true story. Yoori participates in a church mission, launching rice balloons from South to North Korea. She imagines a young girl like her on the other side, where the land is bare and brown in contrast to her colorful and modern world. While they prepare the sacks of rice, Yoori stands up to a boy who tries to dismiss their plans; later, the boy realizes that he should help, too. The back of the book includes political and geographical details about North versus South Korea.
When Spring Comes to the DMZ
This bittersweet children’s book is about the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), a strip of land between North and South Korea created after World War II. Barbed wire, weapons, and soldiers divide the countries — and families. In contrast, the DMZ appears lush with beautiful animals that come and go as they please.
The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story
Jeju Island in South Korea is known for generations of strong and graceful haenyeo (divers). Dayeaon wants to be a diver, just like her grandmother. With her grandmother’s guidance, she learns to be brave while connecting with the beauty of the ocean.
The House Before Falling Into the Sea
Based on the author’s true story, the book follows the Tak family, who sheltered refugees in their house during the Korean War. The home becomes crowded, and the child, Kyung Tak, wishes strangers would stop coming. But her parents and a new friendship teach Kyung about the gift of courage and caring for neighbors.
The Firekeeper’s Son
Set in the 1800s, this history-inspired fictional tale introduces how Koreans in the countryside communicated with the King through mountaintop fires. Fires ablaze on each mountaintop indicated safety, while darkness meant the King would send out his army to fight enemies. His son faces a new responsibility when his father hurts his ankle and cannot light the fire.
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
This book celebrates Korean American diver Sammy Lee, who overcame discrimination to pursue his dreams of becoming an Olympic champion diver and, later, a doctor.
In 1932, Sammy was only allowed to use the pool once a week like other non-white children. Through bravery, passion, and determination, he became the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal.
The Turtle ship
This heartwarming tale was inspired by the history of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his turtle ship. With perseverance and patience, Sun-sin entered a royal contest to design the ultimate battleship based on his beloved pet turtle, gobi (거북이). Winning allowed him to escape poverty and sail around the world with his turtle.
Read this story with the teacher’s guide from Lee and Low’s Books.
Books about Korean festivals
Tomorrow is a New Year’s Day: Seollal, a Korean Celebration
Mina is excited to share about the Seollal with her school. The book opens with her Korean American family preparing to leave the house. But her little brother stalls as he fights the traditional hanbok attire. Mina and her mom forge ahead and lead the class presentation with pride. Adorned in hanboks, they demonstrate bowing and other traditions. Soon, Mina’s dad brings her grumpy brother, and she’s delightfully surprised to see her friends inviting him into the festive mood.
Wish Soup: A Celebration of Seollal
This sweet book follows a Korean American family and their special tradition of eating tteokguk — Korean rice cake soup — on New Year’s Day. As legend goes, a bowl of tteokguk makes you grow a year older. So, Sohee wants to eat as many bowls as possible to be a big girl. After multiple interruptions, she finds her younger sister devouring everyone’s soup bowls!
Korean Celebrations: Festivals, Holidays, and Traditions
This nonfiction book is a wonderfully colorful overview of popular Korean holidays. Learn about important games, crafts, stories, and foods in Seollal, Chuseok, Parent’s Day, Hangul Day, and more!
Explore: More Korean Lunar New Year Books for Kids
Children’s books about Korean language
My First Book of Korean words
This is a cute introduction to Korean words by following the English alphabet. American kids can use this book to jumpstart Korean language learning.
Related: Easy Korean Alphabet Activities with Playdough
King Sejong Invents an Alphabet
In the 1300s, only rich and educated people were literate. King Sejong was among the lucky elite who learned to read and write Hanja – Chinese characters used in Korea. To improve the lives of all people, King Sejong secretly created a new alphabet to bring equality to Korea. The back of the book explains that the alphabet took many more centuries to become officially and universally used.
Korean Picture Dictionary
This book is a must-have for American children learning Korean! The picture dictionary features 1500 words and phrases organized into topics. Color photographs make each concept memorable, while example sentences help you learn how to use new words. The book also includes an introduction to Korean pronunciation and grammar.
Explore: More Korean Hangul Picture Dictionaries
What are your favorite children’s books about Korean American culture?
What other books do you recommend? If you’ve read any of these books, we’d love to hear your thoughts and if you agree or disagree with our review!
I just stumbled upon your site while frantically searching for Korean Lunar New Year books and activities. Now I’m going down a rabbit hole looking through all of your Korean American resources and recommendations. I am an English speaking American teaching at a Korean school and I am trying desperately to respect and learn more about my students’ and coworkers’ culture. THANK YOU for these resources.
You’re most welcome, Catherine! I am grateful to hear the resources are helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn, too! 🙂