Vol. 5, Issue 1, Part A (2023)

While it is easy to get access to bilingual children’s picture books in the current market and the number of published bilingual children’s picture books is increasing every year, knowing the many defining characteristics of bilingual children’s picture books can help teachers, parents, and students select high quality books. The aim of this study is to compare features of English/Chinese bilingual children’s picture books from different publishers. The researchers examine the differences between two major English/Chinese bilingual children’s picture books’ publishers: Mantra Lingua and Milet. Close review was conducted on 31 English/Chinese bilingual children’s picture books collected from these publishers. Specifically, features were scrutinized in the following areas: genre, topic, paratextual material, Chinese language preference, English and Chinese formal textual effects, the relationship between the English text and the Chinese text, series book, cover and body, and the information on these publishers’ websites. The findings illustrate the different features of the English/Chinese bilingual children’s picture books reviewed from Mantra Lingua and Milet and present them for consideration by students, teachers, and parents. Additionally, the findings suggest the areas that need our attentions to better serve bilingual students and multicultural education.