Reading with your Toddler: China-themed Board Books

I love to read, and was so excited to share that love with our boy when we brought him home. He’s two, so we are reading board books and picture books, and there are tons that feature China themes and Chinese people. We also like books that show both the English and Chinese word for each object listed in the book.

Here are our favorites:

bringing in the new year

My boy’s absolute favorite book is Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin. He likes to read it every night, no matter the time of year.

Grace Lin also has a book about the Autumn Festival called Thanking the Moon.

Thanking-the-Moon

Also check out her books Dim Sum for Everyone, Kite Flying, Fortune Cookie Fortunes, and the Ugly Vegetables.

We love Grace Lin’s books because they feature Chinese people as the main characters, and because their themes revolve around celebrations of Chinese culture. The illustrations are beautiful too!

Spring-happiness-Poems-

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We love the Mandy Pandy books. These books have an awesome Chinese main character (Mandy), and they feature both English and Chinese words for each picture in the book. Snapped into each cover is a CD so that you can listen to the Chinese pronunciations as well.

mandy pandy

Mandy and Pandy Visit China (this is a great read about Mandy and Pandy taking a big plane ride, and traveling through China).
Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo (our personal favorite).
Mandy and Pandy Play What Colors Do You See?
Mandy and Pandy Say Ni Hao Ma
Mandy and Pandy Play Let’s Count
Mandy and Pandy Play Sports

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Belle Yang’s books are so beautiful. They feature an English story, and the Mandarin characters are presented as well.

nest

A Nest in Springtime
Summertime Rainbow
Hurry Home Hedgehog
Squirrel Round and Round

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My son LOVES Gordon and Li Li — these feature a picture on each page with both the English and Chinese word. Perfect for two year olds who are just starting to learn the English language.

gordonlili