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! Through stories, we can be comforted by knowing we aren’t alone in balancing cultures, celebrating family, and overcoming racism. I’m encouraged that more books about Chinese and Taiwanese Americans have been published recently.
But regardless of background, we all can discover joy, empathy, friendship, and perseverance from books about Chinese and Taiwanese Americans. Please share this list with your local schools and libraries to encourage diversity and inclusion! Most of these books are available at Bookshop and Amazon.
Since we’re raising bilingual children, this list includes recommendations for English and Chinese picture books (when available).
Recommended: 100 Picture Books That Celebrate Asians in English and Chinese
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Chinese and Taiwanese American books about families
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.
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. Please read my full review and trigger warning for Eyes That Kiss in The Corners here.
Books about Chinese and Taiwanese American kids having fun
Jason Chin books
Both of my children are obsessed with Jason Chin’s books! His specialty is science, and he presents interesting facts through relatable storytelling. Several of Jason Chin’s books have been translated into simplified Chinese, which we read with our Youdao dictionary pen.
We have and recommend all of the following books:
- Grand Canyon 大峡谷
- Redwoods 穿越侏罗纪原始森林
- Coral Reefs 穿越寒武纪珊瑚礁
- Island 一座岛的600万年
- Gravity 万有引力
- Nine Months
And there are many more on our wish list!
- Where to buy
- English:
- Simplified Chinese:
Explore this: The Best Human Body Science Toys for Kids
Katrina Liu books (Mina Learns Chinese series)
Katrina Liu is the author of the Mina Learns Chinese series. Her books are perfect for bilingual families with English, simplified OR traditional Chinese, and Hanyu Pinyin. Please read my review of the Mina Learn Chinese books and learn where to buy them here!
A Big Bed for Little Snow 小雪的大被子
A little boy “小雪” gets up after bedtime to jump and play on his big, fluffy bed. His creative imagination wonders if his bed is a cloud and whether the feathers are snowflakes! Originally written in English, the Chinese translation by 谢媛媛 and 赵伟轩 is also beautiful.
- Where to buy:
- English / ISBN 9780316478366:
- Simplified Chinese / ISBN 9787508699974:
Edna Ma Adventures in Mandarin Immersion in Chinese and English
Based on a true story, anesthesiologist Dr. Edna Ma was inspired to share the story of her son, Dean, and his best friend, Ethan. Dean is Chinese American while Ethan is African American, and 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.
Text is fully bilingual, simplified Chinese and English, with Hanyu Pinyin for non-fluent readers.
- Where to buy:
Grace 说 books
We LOVE the Grace 说 series, which features a dad encouraging his daughter:
- Grace 说恒心 / Grace 說恆心 (Grace Said Persistence)
- Grace 说专心 / Grace 說專心 (Grace Said Focus)
- Grace 说耐心 / Grace 說耐心 (Grace Said Patience)
Two of these books are compatible with the Luka Reading Robot.
- Where to buy:
- Simplified Chinese / ISBN: 9787550289321, 9787550289307, 9787550289314
- Traditional Chinese / ISBN: 9789862233917, 9789862233351, 9789862233559
- English / ISBN: 9789862233368, 9789862233542, 9789862233924
Try this: Effective Ways to Praise Kids Instead of “Good Job” (Chinese and English)
Books about Chinese and Taiwanese food
Ugly Vegetables
If you’ve ever felt like your family’s vegetables were different, this book is for you! A little girl is worried that her mom’s vegetable garden is “ugly,” in contrast to 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!
- Where to buy
- English:
- Simplified Chinese:
Watercress
Andrea Wang’s new book, Watercress, is truly beautiful, though 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.
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao
This is a cute book about a girl, Amy, who struggles with making bao. All too relatable, her creations come out 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!
Devour this: 25+ Delicious English and Chinese Picture Books About Food
I Love Boba!
This adorable story celebrates the Taiwanese staple, boba, with catchy text in Chinese and rhyming in English! The book begins with a map of Taiwan to introduce the background of this fun drink! I also appreciate the choking hazard warning at the end of the book; boba pearls could get aspirated, especially in children 4 years and younger. The books are available in Traditional Chinese with Pinyin and English or English only.
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Mandarin audio narration: Author’s website
Cleversticks
A little boy named Ling Sung goes to school in a diverse classroom, but he feels left out because he can’t do things like the other kids. One day, he feels confident when his peers are in awe of his chopstick skills, and he shows them how to use them. Please make sure to read other stories because it could reinforce the stereotype that Chinese / Taiwanese boys have limited capabilities.
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. As customers gradually trickle in, her father mentions that fireworks were invented in China. The day ends with the girl enjoying apple pie while watching the fireworks. While the dialogue isn’t deep, the story can be a conversation starter about the year-round hard work of Chinese American immigrants and the balance of cultures.
Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子)
Brandon is a kid excited about his grandparents visiting from China and making dumplings together! This book is mostly written in English but introduces a few traditional Chinese characters with Hanyu Pinyin: 餃子 (jiǎo zi / dumplings), 婆婆 (pópo/ grandma), 公公 (gōnggòng / grandpa), and 好吃 (hào chī / yummy).
Devour this: 25+ Delicious English and Chinese Picture Books About Food
Books about traditional Chinese culture
Ruby’s Wish
This inspiring tale is about a Chinese girl, Ruby, who had a grandfather who let his grandchildren undergo tutoring, regardless of whether they were boys or girls. Ruby loves to learn! She tells her grandfather that she would rather attend university than marry. Working hard to defy stereotypes, she becomes the first Chinese woman in her generation to attend college.
Explore this: Positive Affirmations Kids Need to Hear
The Empty Pot
Paired with adorable illustrations, this folktale celebrates honest effort and integrity. An emperor gives a flower seed to each child in his kingdom. He challenges the children to return in one year to show who grows the best flower; the winner will become the heir to his throne. During that year, a boy named Ping, who loves gardening, struggles to grow anything from the seed. He’s embarrassed when the other children present beautiful flowers to the emperor. None of the seeds were supposed to bloom; Ping was the only honest child.
Try this: Effective Ways to Praise Kids Instead of “Good Job” (Chinese and English)
Picture books about Chinese and Taiwanese American History
Coolies
This history-based story about the Chinese railroad workers in the 1860s is told from the perspective of a grandma to her grandson. Qingming festival (eg, Tomb-Sweeping Day) is a day to honor ancestors, so we learn about two brothers named Shek and Little Wong who left China to find work in California. Despite brutal discrimination (lower pay, threats) and dire conditions (e.g., avalanches), they built a great railroad and eventually called California home.
While the story addresses death indirectly (eg, “one [avalanche] had swept away a crew of workers”), the author’s note mentions, “thousands of Chinese lost their lives. Some of the recovered bodies were sent back to their families in China. 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
During the Cultural Revolution in China, a little boy and his father are separated suddenly but try to stay connected through their special pastime, kite flying. Baba promises his son that he will fly his kite while looking for his so that they can “see” each other. However, for some time, Baba cannot fly his kite. Although the book leaves out details like the 1.5 million deaths during the Cultural Revolution, the father and son are lucky to be reunited at the end of the story.
I highly recommend this story as an introduction to Chinese history. You can download this pdf for deeper discussion. I’ve read it several times with both of my children and am shocked that there are so few reviews of this poignant story. I hope Red Kite Blue Kite stays in print!
- Where to buy / English ISBN: 9781423127536
More Chinese history and culture books on our to-read list:
Picture book biographies about Chinese and Taiwanese Americans
Notable Chinese / Taiwanese American women
For Women’s History Month, my daughter and I enjoyed reading about Wu Chien-Shiung, Hazel Ying Lee, and Maya Lin. Each of these books does a great job of amplifying each woman’s strengths. Authors Theresa Robeson and Julie Leung highlight the challenges of racism and sexism faced by Wu Chien Shiung and Hazel Ying Lee. However, Maya Lin’s struggles are briefly mentioned on a page but are not the focus of this particular narrative. All are beautifully illustrated.
- 物理天后 推翻宇宙定律的吳健雄 Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom: Amazon | Bookshop | Books.com.tw
- The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee: Amazon | Bookshop
- Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines: Amazon | Bookshop
More details of each book and more amazing female leaders can be found in the link below.
Read this: 20 Fascinating Picture Books for Women’s History Month in Chinese and English
Notable Chinese / Taiwanese American men
- Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist: Julie Leung also wrote this biographical picture book about Disney artist Tyrus Wong (originally named Wong Geng Yeo). Tyrus immigrated from China to America, initially starting life here as a janitor while dreaming of turning the mop into a paintbrush, eventually getting a chance to create for Bambi. As much as I want to appreciate the illustrations, I am disappointed with how the people are portrayed. With so few books about Asian men, we need realistic images. However, the back of the book does feature 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?
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! 🙂