Books with East Asian characters

A fun interactive board book about Chinese New Year – perfect for little hands.

A delicious adventure celebrating food and family. Unusual and quirky, but delightful. 

Mai-Anne can’t wait to take part in her family traditions at Chinese New Year.

The quest continues for Sam Wu to prove that he is not afraid of anything. This time he is out to prove that he is not by any means afraid of the dark… This series is going from strength to strength and is a great accessible read.

Despite being terrified of water, Ita feels strangely drawn to the nearby river and, when she ventures to put her hands beneath the surface, discovers something unexpected and magical that gradually changes how she sees the world. 

All Maddy’s family and friends have at least one talent but the only thing Maddy is good at is armpit farts. Surely there must be something else she can do well?

The ruler of heaven challenges every animal to a great race, with the fastest 12 immortalised in the Chinese zodiac. Join Ming the fox and Miaow the cat as they fight to win the race!

Sun Wukong, legendary monkey king and warrior, faces an ancient evil which threatens the world. Join him on a wild and comical adventure as he battles the monsters of ancient Greece. 

This attractive giftbook features sixteen biographical tales from across Asia and throughout history, with contributions from a range of authors and illustrators, all of Asian heritage.

Smart, courageous Mia Tang runs the front desk at a motel, but will her family ever escape the poverty trap and gain everything the USA has to offer? Based on the author’s life story. 

Danny Chung doesn’t do maths he does do art. When his grandmother arrives from China, hilarious adventures including bingo and lychees show him that maths and art are closely connected.

A thrilling fantasy adventure exploring the rich mythology of Japan and the intense feelings of a lonely girl.

An exciting magical mystery and adventure story about the Kuri, legendary wildcat of Linger Island. 

A beautiful graphic novel exploring the restorative power of nature. 

Can Anzu defeat the cruel underworld queen? A stunningly original graphic novel.

Nate Yu Riley is adopted, and knows how loved he is. As he’s Chinese and his mums aren’t, they have tried to connect him with his heritage, but he’s just not interested – until the day he sees the ghost for the first time. 

Jo’s terrified about bringing friend Tina home to meet her parents and revealing that she lives above a Chinese takeaway. In reading Jo’s diary, we understand the tension within her family, as well as the racism and homophobia in the world around her.