Eva Chen’s Favorite Children’s Books

Kicking the list off with one of my own books! It’s never too early to share amazing women and their accomplishments (to girls AND boys)! Spoiler alert: Babies absolutely love the mirror at the very end of the book!

Oh, I loved this vivid retelling of Humpty Dumpty. Reinvention and rebirth tackled in a kid-friendly way? Yes, please!

This is a beautifully illustrated book about embracing and learning to live with your fears. It’s a good way to broach the topic of obstacles with your little ones.

I feel like a cliche recommending this book because so many others have…but truly how could I not recommend this beautiful, lushly illustrated tale of acceptance?

Gustavo the Shy Ghost: I was a very shy child—probably why I was attracted to heroines like Matilda and Ramona who had unique and outstanding voices! This sweet story about a shy ghost trying to make friends struck a chord with me. My new book celebrates the superpowers of introverts as well and I hope it helps the quieter kids see their own magic.

This book about a pair of bears gallivanting through town is told in primetime news style. My kids LOVE this book and all the little bear puns embedded throughout this charming tale.

Christian Robinson’s illustrations are quirky, colorful, and emotive… and just as appealing to big kids (okay, me!) as they are to littles. I love all his work.

Not going to lie, this book is a little bit odd in the best way possible. Wormholes? Aliens? A crotchety grandmother trying to escape her dozens of grandkids? Check, check, and check!

The title says it all—this book teaches children that there are a myriad of ways to shine. I wish this book had existed when I was a young girl and felt pressured to be book smart, when people-smart and kindness-smart are just as key.

This book has a special place in my heart because it was the first one my daughter Ren really connected to, humor-wise! She laughed hysterically at various pop-up moments of the book… and we still have the dog-eared copy.

My new book baby! This is my most personal book yet… one that celebrates the immigrant story and is a story of self-love. This isn’t just a book for Asian-American children—it’s so important to expose children to stories different from their own, so that they grow up with empathy and acceptance for those with different backgrounds. I’m immensely proud of this book and it’s another book I wish I had had growing up!