Foreign travel is my theme today for Picture Book of the Day. I chose an Asian immigration wordless picture book as the Picture Book of the Day that captures the struggles of a young boy as he adjusts to a new country, a new language, and making new friends.
Since four is an unlucky number in Asian culture, I’ve found five picture books to share with you today with the theme of travel abroad!
What is your favorite foreign travel picture book? Please share!
Here I Am by Patti Kim, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
A young Asian boy emigrates to the United States with his family in this wordless picture book. Kim and Sánchez capture his struggles as he learns a new language, explores his new neighborhood, and makes new friends. A seed from his home country connects him to his new life in unexpected ways, both symbolically and literally. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Traveling to Other Countries Picture Books for Kids
Lately Lily: The Adventures of a Traveling Girl by Micah Player
Lily is a fearless traveler who accompanies her parents as they traverse the world by plane, train, bike, boat, and camel. Her best friend, Zemorah the zebra, keeps her company as well. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
My Awesome Japan Adventure: A Diary About the Best 4 Months Ever by Rebecca Otowa
American 5th grader Dan keeps a diary of his adventures in a small town outside of Kyoto in Japan. He takes great notes and the reader will learn everything from folding origami and writing Japanese characters to practicing the martial art Aikido. This notebook-style graphic story is informative and fun to read! [notebook non-fiction picture book, ages 7 and up]
I Know How to Hola by Suzanne Aspley, illustrated by Lucas Richards
If you are going to travel to a foreign country, it helps to learn a few words and phrases in that language. This series is bilingual with rhyming English text and plenty of vocabulary! It’s a fun way to introduce a foreign language to kids! [picture book, ages 3 and up]
I Know How to Ni-hao by Suzanne Aspley, illustrated by Lucas Richards
Each English story is the same in the series, so it’s fun to compare different languages across the books! My kids are trying to learn Spanish and Mandarin Chinese so this is a great combination for them. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Lately Lily Travel Adventure Picture Book GIVEAWAY
To win a copy of the picture book Lately Lily, please enter the Rafflecopter below.
p.s. Related book lists
Undocumented Immigrants in Children’s Literature
Best Picture Books You’ve Never Heard Of
Native American Folk Tale Picture Book of the Day and Other Explorations
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
I would love to visit Australia.
Hi Barbara,
Me too! It’s on my bucket list along with Bali! I hope Little Miss History makes it there as well!
I loved that book trailer! Right now I most want to visit my sister in China.
Hi MaryAnne,
China would be wonderful to visit! I hear that things are so different from when I was there in the 1980s! I’m glad you liked the book trailer!
Congratulation for all Mothers, This is the Day that we appreciate all the things that moms do for us . Happy Mother’Day for you.
Thank you Fariba! Happy Mother’s Day to you and yours too!
We LOVE linking travel to books – both domestic and overseas. Whenever I travel for work, I pick up a book related to the city rather than an airport tchotchke that will last a week.
I recently picked up The Runaway Kite: An Adventure in Japan. The kids have not put it down!
PS – Happy Mother’s Day
Hi Nadine,
The Runaway Kite sounds great!! I need to read it and add it to my kite book list!! Thanks for the great book recommendation!
I really like Knuffle Bunny Free, they visit grandparents in Holland. Love the book traier for Here I Am. If we win the Lily book I might give it to my mom, she is in love with France! There are lots of places I would like to go. I really enjoyed my work trip to London. I would like to go back for fun at some point.
Hi Ann,
I haven’t read Knuffle Bunny Free yet; sounds fun! I would love to take my family to London too one day. I went there before kids years ago. What a great city! I could not believe the museums are FREE!
There are so many countries I’d like to visit but New Zealand is my #1.
Hi Valerie,
Watching Lord of the Rings movies makes me want to visit New Zealand too. It’s so beautiful! Thanks for entering!
I would love to visit Greece!
Hi Elizabeth,
I would love to go to Greece too! I’ve never been and have heard that the food is amazing!
Hum, where would I like to visit? I am not sure anymore. I think I would like to go someplace quiet, where nobody goes or is. Not sure where that would be. Maybe Antarctica? Haha!
What great book suggestions, mama! Thanks so much for this. This list is awesome!
Hi Lisa,
You are so funny! I’ll bet Antartica would be fun in the summer though probably still cold??! Hope you make it there! 🙂
I would love to visit Italy!!!
Hi Anitha,
Me too! I’ve never been there either! Thanks so much for entering!
One of my favourite travel picture books is Katie goes to London by James Mayhew.
Hi Catherine,
That sounds great for my friend Stella who wants to take her kids to London! Thanks so much for your great book recommendation!!!
There’s also a great one from Charlie and Lola 🙂
Hi Catherine,
My middle daughter loved Charlie and Lola when she was young; we used to read every single one we could get our hands on for her. I’d love to read the one about them traveling overseas! Sounds great! Thanks for your great rec!
I’ve always wanted to go to Greece.
Hi Kim B,
Greece is very high on my list too and my eldest keeps asking to go there! But I don’t know even where to begin … there are so many beautiful islands there!
I adore any travel picture books I can get my hands, especially places I have been. My little G just saw a book trailer for Lately Lilly on Sue’s blog and she wants it, he he. Thanks so much for another great list to pin and for hosting the Kid Lit Blog HOp
Thanks Julie! Thanks for entering to win Lately Lily. A good reminder that I need to draw the winners from Rafflecopter now!
Well I never knew that 4 is an unlucky number in Asian cultures. Thank you for that tidbit of information. I love wordless picture books, and your list is great. Thanks for hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop. Have a great week!
Hi Cool Mom,
Thanks so much for co-hosting Kid Lit Blog Hop with me. The four number sounds like the word for death in Japanese and Chinese too I believe so they never gift in increments of 4; 5 is good though!
Great post Mia! Thanks for sharing in the Kid Lit Blog Hop.
Thanks so much Renee!