Reading Cantonese books to your kids is one of the best ways to expose them to the language. It helps with their listening skills and comprehension in a natural, fun way, and can even kickstart their Cantonese reading ability too.

When we were little, books like this just didn’t exist. But now there’s a growing wave of bilingual Cantonese/English books for kids, which is really exciting. More and more Cantonese authors are writing stories that connect not just with our kids, but with us too – touching on topics we never saw growing up, like managing emotions and celebrating our identity.

Below is a list of bilingual Cantonese children’s books that include Jyutping to help support your family’s language journey.

1. “Mina Learns Chinese” Series

Author Katrina Liu has at least 10 of her Chinese books in bilingual Cantonese/Jyutping and English. “Mina Learns Chinese” is a subset of her books which follows Mina through everyday adventures. We have “Mina’s Ups & Downs” which discusses emotions during an amusement park trip, as well as “My Birthday Cake” (my daughter’s been singing “祝你生日快樂” ever since we read this book!). Both are easy to read and engaging for young kids. Be sure to check out Katrina Liu’s other Cantonese translated books at her online shop Lychee Press!

2. Bitty Bao Books

Bitty Bao books are an absolute staple in our house! They have a huge selection of Cantonese/English bilingual books with Jyutping for easy reading. The board books are well made, with colorful illustrations that will engage all kids. Some favorites cover festive holidays such as “Our Moon” and “Celebrating Chinese New Year“, while others teach numbers like “Counting with Dim Sum” and emotions like “Boba Emotions“. You can’t go wrong with any of their books.

3. Dim Sum, Please!

Who doesn’t love dim sum?! This “Dim Sum, Please!” is a simple story of a little boy learning different foods at dim sum and discovering how delicious they are. Maybe your little one can order the next time your family goes to yum cha!

4. The Three Little Pigs

Ann Hamilton has a Cantonese Fairy Tale series that includes English classics like “The Three Little Pigs” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears“. These are great entry-level Cantonese books since kids may already be familiar with the English version of the stories. It can make it easier for little ones to follow the plot and pick up Cantonese vocabulary.

5. My First Words in Chinese – Cantonese with Jyutping

Compared to the other story books on this list, “My First Words in Chinese” offers an illustrated and easy-to-understand vocabulary book. The series also has other wonderful themed versions, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive bilingual Cantonese-English vocabulary book this one’s fantastic to add to your child’s library. Learn colors, clothing types, body parts, weather, emotions, and more – all in one place.

6. My Amazing Body

As an ABC, Carol Chan, wanted to create Cantonese books for non-native speakers like herself that would help families introduce their little ones to Chinese early. She has published a few bilingual books already, but her latest project “My Amazing Body” is a wonderful way for babies and toddlers to learn about their body parts while fostering a sense of wonder for all their bodies can do. Check out and support the Kickstarter for the book!

Comment below if one of your favorite Cantonese children’s books or authors are missing from this list!