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20 Books Promoting Chinese Culture for Kids
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20 of the Best Books Promoting Chinese Culture for Kids

These picture books about China are a wonderful way to promote Chinese culture for kids. They bring the culture and traditions of China alive for your students.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything through them, I will get a small referral fee and you will be supporting me and my blog at no extra cost to you, so thank you! You can find more information here.

Chinese Culture for Kids

China is a country full of history and wonderful traditions. Read these picture books about China as a wonderful way to promote Chinese culture for kids.

Before getting to the books I have found some websites that go into more detail about how China, its culture, traditions and daily life. There are also a few videos you can use with your students.

Chinese Culture for Kids: Online Resources

For your information, National Geographic Kids has 30 interesting facts about China from the ancient to the modern. If you want to learn a few words and phrases in Mandarin, try Miss Panda Chinese YouTube channel. She presents fun and engaging songs, movements, and stories to learn Mandarin.

Here are a few more China related resources for your classroom.

Picture Books About China

Some of these books about China touch on Chinese New Year, however, you can also find a dedicated list of books illustrating how Chinese New Year is celebrated.

The Dinner That Cooked Itself by J.C. Hsyu

The Dinner That Cooked Itself by J.C. Hsyu

Tuan is a hardworking and lonely man living in ancient China. He has no luck looking for a wife, even the local matchmaker couldn't help. One day a dinner appears on its table and his luck changes forever.
AMAZON
Dumpling Dreams by Carrie Clickard

Dumpling Dreams by Carrie Clickard

Read how Joyce Chen brought Chinese food to America. As a child growing up in Communist China, she became obsessed with cooking. After emigrating to the US she built a food empire through her restaurants, cookbooks, and TV show.
AMAZON
The Five Forms by Barbara McClintock

The Five Forms by Barbara McClintock

When a girl finds a martial art book she disregards the warning inside: DO NOT ATTEMPT THESE FORMS WITHOUT AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER! She is in for a shock when she attempts the different forms herself and chaos ensues.
AMAZON
Giant: A Panda of the Enchanted Forest by Xuan Loc Xuan

Giant: A Panda of the Enchanted Forest by Xuan Loc Xuan

Giant, a panda bear, lives happily in the Sichuan forest until a fire starts. The panda works together with his friends to save the inhabitants from extinction and the forest from developers who want to destroy this beautiful landscape.
AMAZON
Gobi: A Little Dog with a Big Heart by Dion Leonard

Henry and the Kite Dragon by Bruce Edward Hall

Running a 177-mile race in the Gobi Desert, Dion discovers a little dog running with him. Through trials and tribulations, they finish the race together. Dion names the dog Gobi and takes him home to Scotland. This true story promotes determination, strength and perseverance.
AMAZON
Henry and the Kite Dragon by Bruce Edward Hall

Henry and the Kite Dragon by Bruce Edward Hall

Children from Chinatown and Little Italy don't mix on the playground. Henry loves flying home-made kites in the park but the kids from Little Italy destroy it by throwing stones. When the two groups finally come face to face they find out they have much in common than they realise.
AMAZON
Lon Po Po by Ed Young

Lon Po Po by Ed Young

A mother leaves her three daughters at home while she visits her mother, Po Po. A wolf visits the sisters and the younger one lets it in. The two older sisters have to devise a plan to escape and kill the wolf. Compare and contrast this Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood with other versions.
AMAZON
Maggie's Chopsticks by Alan Woo

Maggie's Chopsticks by Alan Woo

Every member of Maggie’s family gives her advice on how she should use her new chopsticks. It is her father who tells her how everyone is different and she holds her chopsticks perfectly.
AMAZON
The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson

The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson

Shen uses her magic brush to provide for the poor in her community. When the emperor hears she has a brush that makes her art real, he orders her to hand it over. Shen escapes the emperor by cleverly using her brush to outwit him and his soldiers. Promotes integrity and creative thinking.
AMAZON
My Mei Mei by Ed Young

My Mei Mei by Ed Young

Antonia tells the story of her adoption from China. As she gets older, Antonia asks her parents for a Mei Mei, a little sister. Her wish comes true when she flies to China to get her baby sister. Reinforces themes of belonging, caring and jealousy
AMAZON
Noodle Magic by Roseanne Greenfield Thong

Noodle Magic by Roseanne Greenfield Thong

Grandpa Tu teaches his granddaughter how to make his special noodles. At first, Mai struggles but eventually realises she has the 'magic' within to make her own special noodles.
AMAZON
The Pet Dragon by Christoph Niemann

The Pet Dragon by Christoph Niemann

Lin and her pet dragon do everything together. When the dragon disappears she sets out on a journey through China to find him. She helps a woman cross the water and she rewards Lin by revealing her dragon is living with other dragons in the sky.
AMAZON
Red Butterfly by Deborah Noyes

Red Butterfly by Deborah Noyes

At her father's insistence, a Chinese princess must leave her splendid kingdom in order to marry. Unable to take her belongings she surreptitiously takes something very precious to remind her of home.
AMAZON
Round is a Mooncake by Roseanne Thong

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong

A girl notices different shapes within her Chinese culture and in her neighbourhood. Round is a mooncake, the moon and lanterns. Square is the checkerboard, a name stamp, tofu and a pizza box. Rectangles are inking stones, mobile phones, an abacus and a puppet stage.
AMAZON
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges

Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim

Ruby impresses her grandfather in old China with her determination to continue her education in a time when girls were not encouraged to go to university. Promotes commitment, determination, gender roles and perseverance.
AMAZON
The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale by Ying Chang Compestine

The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale by Ying Chang Compestine

A poor man, Ming Zhang workes for, Li, the richest man in Beijing. He sends his son to trade their last eggs for a bag of rice but he returns with a singing wok. The wok hops to the greedy Li family, filling itself with food and gold once stolen from others. The Ming family share the fortune and food with other needy villagers.
AMAZON
The Sheep Beauty: A story in English and Chinese by Jian Li

The Sheep Beauty: A story in English and Chinese by Jian Li

The doctor of Sheep Horn Village rescues an injured sheep. When a monster attacks the village the sheep returns the kindness shown by leading the monster away from the village. Reinforces themes of cause & effect, compassion and kindness.
AMAZON
Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker

Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker

In 1958, the Chinese government ordered the eradication of all sparrows. They were blamed for destroying the nation's wheat crop, but their disappearance brought on a plague of locust. A determined Ming Li, rescues seven sparrows. She cares for, then frees the birds, saving her village from a devastating famine. Promotes cause & effect, compassion, inquiry and a growth mindset.
AMAZON
The Two Bullies by Junko Morimoto

The Two Bullies by Junko Morimoto

Two strong men, Ni-ou from Japan and Dokkoi from China, want to prove they are the strongest. They try to intimidate each other with their power and prowess, but believe the other man is the strongest. They make excuses not to fight.
AMAZON
Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong

Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong

A poor Chinese couple find a magic pot that duplicates whatever they place inside. They spend all night placing coins inside to increase their wealth. But when Mrs Haktak falls in the pot and two of her come out what will her husband do?
AMAZON

What Next?

Do you use any other picture books or resources for promoting Chinese culture for kids and celebrating China and its culture and traditions? Add any recomended books, videos and activities in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything through them, I will get a small referral fee and you will be supporting me and my blog at no extra cost to you, so thank you! You can find more information here.

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2 thoughts on “20 of the Best Books Promoting Chinese Culture for Kids”

  1. While some of these books are great, a lot of these books are written by caucasians. Too bad. I’d have liked to see this list comprised by books written by Chinese about their own culture rather than people appropriating from a minority.

    Reply

    1. You are so right Laurel! I am also looking for new books to update my lists and make them more diverse. If you have any suggestions, please get in touch!

      Reply

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