MOWMT: Picture Books Celebrating Chinese Heritage by Maria Wen Adcock
March 10, 2025
In the last few years, the children’s publishing industry has strived to share the voices of authors with different lived experiences to share. As a result, children now have more access to read stories that either reflect their own backgrounds or teach them about different cultures from their own.
However, it wasn’t always that way. As a child, I never saw characters who were Chinese American like me in the books I read. I was a voracious reader and even wanted to write a book one day. But did not think it was realistic as it seemed like being an author was something other people got to do, not people who looked like me.
Decades later when I became a mother, I had difficulty finding children’s books to read to my kids that had Asian characters or centered Asian culture in their stories. I wanted my children to know their culture better, especially since we did not live in an area with a large Asian population.
I recalled my childhood dream of writing a book and began to attend conferences and workshops to learn the craft of children’s book writing. I realized I could be an agent of change by writing books that showed pride in my heritage.
I am now the author of It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George. My newest picture book, My Name is Ai Lin, will be available on July 1, 2025. This new book speaks to how someone’s name can encompass their heritage and how making an effort to properly pronounce a name can send a message of respect and dignity.
The list of children’s books below features stories written by Chinese authors that celebrate and share their cultures. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to read about the prize I’m offering to one lucky reader!
When I wrote this book, I reflected on the Chinese New Year traditions I grew up with in my Chinese American household. All of the traditions mentioned in my book are rooted in symbolism that have been passed down and honored for generations. Here is the book description:
Everyone’s favorite curious little monkey celebrates Chinese New Year with his friend Mei and her family as they prepare for this special holiday! From hanging decorations and enjoying a family feast to fireworks and a dragon dance, Curious George and readers will enjoy learning about many Chinese New Year traditions.
With rhyming text, colorful illustrations, and tabbed pages, this playful board book makes a great read for all Curious George fans — those who celebrate Chinese New Year and those who are learning about it for the first time.
Award-winning author Andrea Wang wrote this book based on her childhood experience of her family collecting wild watercress on the sides of roads to feed their family. As a child, she felt shame about this. However, once she learned her family’s history, she realized her parent’s efforts were an act of love. Watercress is a powerful, moving story. Here is the publisher’s book description:
“While driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's Chinese immigrant parents spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. They stop the car, grabbing rusty scissors and an old paper bag, and the whole family wades into the mud to gather as much as they can.
At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family just get food from the grocery store, like everyone else? But when her mother shares a bittersweet story of her family history in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged—and the memories left behind in pursuit of a new life. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.”
Ask any Asian American what they were bullied for as a child, and most likely they will mention the shape of their eyes. I experienced this as a child myself. In Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, award-winning author Joanna Ho takes power back from the bullies by celebrating the unique shape of Asian eyes. Publisher’s book description:
“A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.
Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self-love and empowerment. This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages.”
ROAR-CHOO! puts a humorous spin on the dragon and phoenix which represent harmony in Chinese culture. Dragons represent power and good fortune. Phonixes symbolize beauty and grace. ROAR-CHOO! imagines these creatures in real life dealing with similiar things us humans have experienced. From the publisher:
“Everyone knows that dragons are fierce, capable of taking on the world! But this dragon can’t stop sneezing long enough to get a roar out. Even with friendly Phoenix insisting that Dragon get some rest, this powerful creature refuses to stop for any orange ginger tea or a drop of bone broth soup.It’s only when Dragon realizes Phoenix has caught the same cold that they are both able to take the break they so badly need. This tale of helping your friends and valuing differences is a sure-thing for story time.”
Based on a true story, Mamie Tape was the heroine in Chinese American culture that I never learned about until this book came out. This nonfiction picture book highlights the story of a young Chinese American girl in the late 19th century who was barred from attending school due to her ethnicity. Her fight for an education was not just Chinese American history, but also U.S. history. From the publisher:
“Mamie’s mom always reminded her a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So when Mamie wanted to go to school, even though Chinese children weren’t allowed, she took her first step and showed up anyway. When she was turned away at the schoolhouse door, she and her parents took another step: they sued the San Francisco school board…and won! Their case Tape v. Hurley made its way up to the California Supreme Court, which ruled that children of Chinese heritage had the right to a free public school education. But even then, Mamie’s fight wasn’t over.
Mamie Tape Fights to go to School is the story of one young changemaker’s brave steps on the long journey to end school segregation in California. It began with a single step.”
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Thank you for reading my post! Read on for a chance to win a prize!
Prize: Choice of a signed copy of “It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George” or a picture book critique. Please comment below for a chance to win, and for an extra entry, share a book that you love that celebrates an Asian or other culture.
Author Bio & Social Media:Maria Wen Adcock is the author of IT'S CHINESE NEW YEAR, CURIOUS GEORGE and the picture book MY NAME IS AI LIN (July 1, 2025). She is a critique group moderator for SCBWI Long Island and is represented by The Seymour Agency. Maria is a first-generation Chinese-American writer and founder of the award-winning Bicultural Mama multicultural blog. She has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Bloomberg News, Newsday, News12, and Huffington Post. Maria is a board member of Multicultural Kid Blogs, an organization supporting diverse parenting bloggers, and co-host of the annual publishing event Read Your World Book Day. She also works at the local library in the children’s department. Maria resides on Long Island with her husband and two children.
Website: www.MariaWenAdcock.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biculturalmama/
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Thanks for sharing such beautiful books with us!
Thank you for sharing your story and the books. Watercress is one of my favorites and I read it frequently. Beautiful!