BOOK CLUB

Three-year-old Mia recommends I love you little dumpling by Conny Wong. “I love the dumplings in my book because they are very cute and love each other so much,” says Mia.

I love you, Little Dumpling is a board book for children aged up to four years old. It is a lullaby, intended to be read together as a bedtime story. The story developed from a poem that author Conny wrote for her children when they were babies with the message that they will always be loved unconditionally. minilovetales.com

Ten-month-old Sophia struggles to choose just one book. She’s currently leaning towards My Hong Kong Alphabet. She loves the colourful pages and looking at pictures of all the exciting places to explore in Hong Kong.

My Hong Kong Alphabet is a collection of family memories from Hong Kong which will resonate with parents and children who have experienced this wonderful city. Created by Retykle founder Sarah and her husband Luke, this book is a great way to educate and reinforce experiences with children aged up to three years.

Please be you By Joanne Li

Four-year-old Andrea loves this book. ‘I love the little girl being a superhero,” he says.

Please Be You is an ABC book with a difference. A for Awesome, B for Beautiful and C for Confidence…. Through reading this book, children learn the alphabet while exploring important self-love values, which can help foster self-acceptance and combat the pressures of social media. Written, edited and illustrated by Hong Kong trio Joanne Li, Tanya Bennett and Kellie Eminson. pleasebeyou.com

Côme will be five years old in May, he recommends The Green Dragon And The ‘Oh No’ Bird. “I like the bird in the book and his funny cry. He shouts “Oh no! Oh no” all the time,” he says, adding, “I wish I had a friend like Willy the Green Dragon!”

Southside resident and environmentalist Suzanne Younan published her first children’s book The Green Dragon in 2019 to help educate children on the dangers of plastic pollution. The second book in the series, The Green Dragon And The ‘Oh No’ Bird follows Willy on an adventure into Hong Kong’s beautiful country parks and tackles the problem of picnic waste.

Eight-year-old Rio loves Amma, Tell Me About Hanuman! “I love Hanuman because he is naughty and very clever. My two favourite parts of the book are when Hanuman tries to gobble up the sun and when he steals a basket of flowers from a sage,” says Rio.

Amma, Tell Me About Hanuman! is a picture book for children in the three to 9 years old. It tells the story of how the naughty monkey God from India got his name and the pranks he played. A part of the Amma Tell Me series of picture books on Indian mythology, this is the first book on Hanuman in the Hanuman trilogy. Written in rhyme with captivating illustrations, Hong Kong-based author Bhakti started the series to educate her two young children about Indian festivals and mythology.

Run by French expat Justine Devisse Mezrani and her young family, Lili et Le Prince offers a wide range of affordable French and English books available in a click and delivered at your doorstep in just three days. The brand retails all types of books from baby’s first soft books to teens comics and Justine was recently awarded the Public Prize by French Entrepreneur in Hong Kong.lilietleprince.com

Bookazine is a family run business created by couple Mohan and Nisha Mirchandani in 1985. Now with nine stores across Hong Kong, Bookazine offers a large selection of English books and regularly hosts book launches with local authors. Check out the huge range of toys, games and activity kits at Bookazine’s new kids concept store, Book!dzine at IFC mall.

Formerly known as Dymocks, Kidnapped is an independent bookseller located in the heart of Sai Kung town. The store’s unique name is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel “Kidnapped”, which emphasises the power of books to captivate the reader’s imagination. Kidnapped regularly hosts promotions on children’s books, and is currently offering a buy two, get one free on all children’s picture books. Facebook: Kidnapped Bookshop