Reading Chinese books is one of the most effective ways to promote your child’s Chinese language development. Through exposure to Chinese characters and sentence structures, children’s books help build vocabulary, increase comprehension, and develop critical thinking skills. Reading also helps children learn proper grammar and pronunciation.
Chinese Bookstore Online Retailers
Below are the online retailers that offer a wide variety of Chinese books and Chinese learning materials. With these options, there’s no need to travel abroad or trouble relatives with the task of purchasing books for us. Say goodbye to the hassle of hauling heavy boxes back from overseas, as these small businesses ship Chinese children’s books right to our doorstep.
JoJo Learning
Along with the Luka Reading Robot, Jojo Learning also offers a vast selection of picture books in Simplified Chinese from around the globe, providing young readers with access to an array of culturally diverse stories and perspectives. Jojo Learning is the authorized seller of the renowned Luka Reading Robot and stocks a wide variety of children’s books that are compatible with this popular educational device.
Language: Mandarin, Simplified Chinese
Shipping: Global Shipping
Browse the JoJo Learning Website
Yo Baby Shop
Since 2017, two moms from Taiwan have been sourcing hard-to-get books and kids’ items from Taiwan and Asia. They have since expanded to a brick-and-mortar location in the City of Industry, California, where they host storytime and other events to support Chinese-speaking families.
Language: Mandarin, Traditional Chinese
Shipping: United States, Canada, and Mexico
Browse Yo Baby Shop
Gloria’s Bookstore
As one of the largest online retailers specializing in Chinese children’s books in the United States, Gloria’s Bookstore boasts an extensive collection of thousands of book titles. Based in Santa Clara, California, they also organize periodic warehouse sales at their location, providing customers with exciting opportunities to explore and purchase books at discounted prices.
Language: Mandarin, Traditional Chinese
Shipping: United States and Canada
Local Pickup: Santa Clara, California
Get $5 off at Gloria’s Bookstore
Mr. and Mrs. Books
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Mr. and Mrs. Books is operated by a husband and wife team and their 3 children. They curate only the most popular books from Taiwan to help parents build their children’s Traditional Chinese home libraries.
Language: Mandarin, Traditional Chinese
Shipping: Continental United States
Browse Mr. and Mrs. Books
Chinese Book Subscriptions
A book subscription for kids brings numerous benefits, including exposure to a wide variety of books, regular access to new and curated selections, convenience, time-saving for parents, encouragement of reading habits, and support for literacy and language skills. By providing a constant stream of engaging books, subscriptions enhance children’s literary horizons, vocabulary, comprehension, and overall development while instilling a lifelong appreciation for the joy and value of reading.
Curio Books
Award-winning foreign language books and learning materials for children ages 0-10. Currently available in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Languages: Mandarin, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish
Shipping: United States
Get 10% off Curio Books with code mbmandarin
Book Box Chinese by Mrs. Books
Books Box Chinese is a quarterly book subscription. Each box includes 6 books plus surprise activities and freebies.
Language: Mandarin, Traditional Chinese
Shipping: Continental United States
Learn more about the Book Box Chinese subscription
Duck Duck Book Club
Experience the joy of receiving a brand-new book delivered straight to your doorstep every three months! Duck Duck Books specializes in publishing and curating books that promote social-emotional learning, providing valuable resources to parents in their endeavor to raise kind-hearted individuals. By joining, you can save between 10-40% off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).
Languages: Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese), Spanish, English
Shipping: Continental United States
Where to Buy Used Chinese Books
Motherly Notes Used Chinese Books
Join the Motherly Notes Used Chinese Books Facebook Group and score some deals on pre-loved Chinese books. Establishing a home library is a significant investment and buying used books can help you save a lot of money. Children outgrow books quickly and you can resell your books to offset the cost to purchase new books.
Buy Nothing Group
If you live in a community with a large Asian population, join your local Buy Nothing Community. My group has been my greatest resource for saving money and reducing clutter. Buy nothing helps to reduce waste and is a huge driver of sustainability. I have gifted and received Chinese books from other parents, as well as other useful items.
Public Library Book Sales
We live in the San Francisco Bay Area and our public libraries regularly have book sales. I have found many books starting as low as $0.25. The best deal I found was a set of Little Newton magazines with the DVD for only $0.50 each magazine. Check your local brand for sales!
Chinese Books Reviews and Related Articles
Books about Taiwan in Chinese and English - Read about Taiwan with this list of children's books. Titles include Traditional Chinese, English, and Bilingual books. Continue Reading
Chinese Learning Resources Created by Moms - Shop small and support these mommy owned businesses when buying gifts for Chinese learners. Here are some of my picks for books and products to help children learn Chinese. How creative and inspiring are these fellow moms? 大家加油! Continue Reading
Chinese New Year Books for Kids in Chinese, Bilingual, and English - Learn about the most important holiday of the year with this list of Lunar New Year books. I've included our not-so-traditional favorite stories that I hope your children will love too! These books are published in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and bilingual English. Continue Reading
Chinese Picture Books About Negative Emotions - Here is a list of Chinese picture books that I found helpful to teach my children about negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, frustration, sadness, or loneliness. Being able to identify feelings, positive or negative, can help children work through uncomfortable emotions and foster emotional intelligence. Continue Reading
Diverse Kids Books in Chinese - There are Chinese language learners all around the world! I created a list of Chinese picture books with diverse characters to reflect the multicultural families and differently-abled people in our learning community. It is also important to include diverse kids books in Chinese about different cultures and experiences so children can understand the world around them. Multicultural kids books make learning inclusive for all. Language learning is for everyone! Continue Reading
Travel, Learn, & See the Great Wall – Book Review - Book Review: Travel Learn & See the Great Wall, by Edna Ma, a bilingual picture book written in English and Simplified Chinese with Pinyin Continue Reading
Duck Duck Books Review - Duck Duck Books review: English, Spanish, and Chinese board books to teach children self-confidence and multiculturalism Continue Reading
Chinese Picture Books About Self-Love - Help your Chinese learner build self-confidence with this list of Chinese Picture Books About Self-Love. Most of the books feature human characters that children can relate to and see themselves in the lessons that the books are teaching. Continue Reading
新小小牛頓 New Little Newton Magazine - Check out my review of the 新小小牛頓 New Little Newton Magazine set of 36 issues that come with a reading pen, workbooks, and DVDs with each issue. Continue Reading
LGBTQIA+ Children’s Books in Chinese - To celebrate Pride Month, I have curated this list of LGBTQIA+ children’s books in Chinese. I hope these books will help us raise LGBTQIA+ awareness and promote equality and inclusivity in the Chinese learning community. Continue Reading