Best Chinese Books for 1-Year-Olds: Our Favorite Toddler-Approved Picks
Our Favorite Chinese Books for Babies and Toddlers
My daughter recently turned 1 and she is so interested in books these days. I've been reading to her for months and now I often find picking up books and flipping through them herself. If you're looking for the best Chinese books for toddlers, here are some of her absolute favorites that she always gravitates toward.
Bizzy Bear Books (小熊很忙) – Fun & Interactive Board Books
These books by Benji Davies are originally written in English and have been expertly translated into Chinese. I love that these books are bilingual and they rhyme in both English and Chinese so that my husband and I can both read these to her - 2 books for the price of 1!
The repetition and rhythm make the books very fun to read. My daughter's favorite parts are all the moving parts of the book. Now that she's a big older, she's capable of sliding, pushing, and pulling the tabs in the book.
Plus, these books are extra sturdy for toddlers. There are only 8 pages in each book but there is so much content and the books are so beautifully illustrated with so much detail that we end up inventing our own side stories!
We currently carry the following Bizzy Bear stories at Lotus Leaf Books:
Bizzy Bear Chinese New Year 小熊很忙 - 欢喜过新年
Bizzy Bear Farmyard Fun 小熊很忙 - 欢乐农场日
Bizzy Bear Zoo Ranger 小熊很忙 - 动物管理员
As always, these titles all come with a pinyin guide, so don't hesitate to pick up a copy if you aren't 100% fluent in Chinese!
We're always look to add more, so if you have suggestions for which bilingual Chinese and English Bizzy Bear titles to add, let us know in the comments!
Let's Count Ladybugs （和我一起数瓢虫）- a tactile counting experience
This book was an instant hit as well - this is translated from the English book, "Let's Count Ladybugs" by Melanie Gerth and illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. The 3-D ladybugs disappear one by one throughout the pages. The Chinese version doesn't rhyme quite as well as the English version but has a nice rhythm and repetition to it. My daughter doesn't quite get grasp the concept of counting and numbers yet, but she loves feeling the ladybugs as we go through the book.
The format of the book is not quite a board book - the pages are thinner, but it is much sturdier than a normal book. This has held up well to my toddler's daily use for the past few months.
If you're looking for fun, interactive Chinese books for a 1-year-old, both Bizzy Bear and Let’s Count Ladybugs are fantastic choices! They introduce early language skills, counting, and interactive play, making reading an enjoyable experience for little ones.
Have you tried these books? Let me know your favorite Chinese baby and toddler books in the comments!