The Ultimate Christmas Kids’ Booklist in Chinese
Kids learning Chinese this Christmas? There’s a book for every child this festive season.
Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to learn and teach a language is with the help of fun stories and books. They help us apply our vocabulary. That’s why you should take this opportunity to use these Chinese Christmas books! Here are some of our top picks for Christmas:
For babies (0–2 years old)
Tip: Think of books like toys! Books should spark interest!
1. Spot’s First Christmas (Chinese) 《小玻的第一个圣诞节》
Did you know the classic lift-the-flap book series is also in Chinese? All the books in the series are bilingual with English and Chinese text, so it’s a great way to start your bilingual library. This particular book an exciting way to introduce your bilingual baby to the Christmas season. They’ll love lifting the flaps and experiencing the fun of Christmas along with Spot!
2. Apolline’s Christmas Present (Chinese) 《圣诞礼物》
This book is taken from a series called Apolline’s Little World. Like the other books in the series, each page has one line of text in Chinese. It’s really easy to read — perfect for beginners! This little book follows Apolline as she explores her Christmas presents. There is a sweet little ending, too! (where even Doudou gets a Christmas gift!)
For toddlers (2–4 years old)
Tip: Make reading interactive! Toddlers will learn and enjoy more.
3. A Very Noisy Christmas (Chinese-English bilingual edition) 《惊天动地的圣诞》
This bilingual version still keeps all of the shouting and shushing of the original! Enjoy reading this together with toddlers and little kids. It’s a great way to help them learn to read Chinese characters. The story itself is meant to be silly and fun, but biblically faithful — great if you’re a Christian looking for bilingual Chinese books! Plus, there’s a YouTube reading, too!
4. Rory the Dinosaur Needs a Christmas Tree (Chinese) 《神秘的圣诞礼物》
What kinds of things do you need for Christmas? Is it the best Christmas tree you can find? Is it the decorations? Well, all these things are important but it’s just not Christmas without friends and family! This one is great for toddlers because of the adorable illustrations. It’s just the right length and difficulty, too.
5. Mr Willowby’s Christmas Tree (Chinese) 《威廉先生的圣诞树》
This book is a great bridge between shorter books for toddlers and slightly longer stories for children. It shows how one tree gets passed from home to home — and everyone gets a piece to keep! Kids love seeing all the different homes. There’s a few lines of Chinese text per page, but it’s not overwhelming for a little reader, especially because the illustrations are so expressive!
For young children (3–7 years old)
Guide: At this age, a good range of books is best! Let them be independent and explore books in their own time.
6. Pick a Pine Tree (Chinese) 《挑一棵圣诞树》
There are all kinds of trees you could pick for Christmas! Long and slender, short and squat! Follow some friends and their families in this warm, joyful and vibrant story which gets representation done right, too! Christmas is best celebrated with your community! This one has slightly more Chinese text per page. It’s still a manageable difficulty — especially once they’re familiar with the story!
7. Winter Solstice (Chinese) 《冬至》
The China Memories series is a customer favourite because of the beautiful illustrations and the meaningful stories. This book takes you through the traditional Chinese Winter Solstice festival. It gives children the chance to discover Chinese customs and culture. Learn a song, see what they eat, paint a blossom branch… Maybe you can also try observing Winter Solstice this year (21 December).
8. The Jolly Christmas Postman (Chinese) 《快乐的圣诞邮递员》
Now, this one is a real treat for the Chinese Christmas booklist! Kids love going through the pages and discovering all the little surprises hidden in the pockets. There’s a mini puzzle, a beautiful Christmas card, even a board game! There’s more Chinese text, but the story is delightful and children love opening this book over and over again!
For older children (7–12 years old)
Tip: Books for older readers must be more developed but not too challenging. Consider books that have Pinyin, bilingual text or good accompanying illustrations.
9. Martine’s Christmas Night (Chinese) 《玛蒂娜的圣诞夜》
Martine is a beloved series also available in Chinese! It’s great because there are 60 short stories. They’re more suitable for older readers who can work through the vocabulary and longer sentences. The Christmas story is warm, tender and exciting! Martine and friends have a busy night ahead, looking after an excitable puppy!
10. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chinese) 《狮子，女巫和魔衣橱》
Now you can read the epic adventure in Chinese, too! This book is a great read, translated completely into Chinese with full colour illustrations and Pinyin! Narnia is being ruled over by the Witch. Now it’s always winter but never Christmas… Until four brave and remarkable siblings come along to free Narnia from her grip!
Please share this booklist with friends, family and on your social media channels! We hope you managed to discover some new books today — and something that you’d like!
To browse our complete collection of Christmas and Winter Solstice books, head to our online bookshop now.
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