Chinese Songs for Baby & Me by Christina Yang Berry

I've been excited to share today's read(s) for awhile, since it hits something close to my own heart: multilingualism. Not only is my only family is multilingual, but after spending many years abroad, I simply have a respect for individuals who speak several languages. So, when I was approached and asked to take a peek at this series for the youngest literature fans out there, I was more than curious. This series should teach Chinese through children songs and allow children (and adults) to hear the songs, which must be a nice way to strengthen those pronunciation and recognition skills. 

So, let's open this one up, perk our ears, and see what it holds.

CHINESE SONGS FOR BABY & ME!

by Christina Yang Berry

Illustrated by Lukas Miao Zhang

Music by Felton Pilate

JoJo Learning

Board Books  /  Music   /   Linguistics

Ages 0+

• Introduces Mandarin Chinese through original songs with English text and press-to-play sound buttons 

• Each song is a short lyrical story drawn from a young child’s everyday life — mealtime, bath time, playtime, and more 

• Features pinyin (phonetic spelling) alongside Chinese characters to support correct pronunciation 

• Created for both Chinese-speaking and English-speaking families, including those with no prior Chinese experience

 • Based on proven early language learning methods, including Montessori, Total Physical Response (TPR), and Parentese 

• Promotes bonding, bilingual learning, and brain development through joyful, music-driven interaction 

• Designed to support developmental milestones — with images, activities, and lyrics that evolve alongside children’s visual, cognitive, and social growth from birth to age 2, while remaining engaging and age-appropriate for children up to 7 years old

AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

There is so much to enjoy with this series, and not just young children can benefit from it.

At the moment, there are two books in the series with more to come in 2026. The book holds children songs in Chinese with the pronunciations written above each phrase and the English translation below. This makes it easy for anyone learning the language to follow along and grasp each word as they go. The songs are simple and the words and phrases are often repeated to help them sit. A little button at the beginning of each song makes sure that these are played at the desired pace. The songs are easy to sing along with and quickly seep into the memory, too. The singer pronunciations the words clearly while maintaining a soothing voice, which fits the audience level nicely. There are simple illustrations on each page to help radiate the right emotions without growing complex and steering away from the song itself.

I found this book to be very well thought out and put together with much care. It's clear that the author has worked with multilingual children and knows what works and what doesn't. While the songs and books are sold for younger children to ease into the languages or, at least, be introduced to foreign languages, the book also works nicely for anyone first diving into Chinese. The songs help the words stick in the memory in a very enjoyable way. 

I can highly recommend this series for anyone wanting to ease their children into the Chinese language or even for those, who would like a different twist in beginning to learn the language themselves.

Find out more about this and other books:

https://www.jojolearning.com/collections/jojo-sing-learn-chinese

And here they are...

Christine Yang Barry is an entrepreneur, author, lyricist, and leader in early childhood bilingual education with 20+ years in global education and business. As a first-generation Chinese American, her career spans the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute for Pacific Asia at Texas A&M University, and General Electric, where she led multinational academic and industry initiatives. In 2018 she co-founded JoJo Learning to make research-driven language learning accessible, helping thousands of families across 12+ countries raise bilingual children from birth. Drawing on deep Chinese literary roots and real parent–child “first words,” Christine crafts authentic Mandarin lyrics that turn everyday moments into music—helping families take their first steps toward bilingualism. She lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and three multilingual children. Her JoJo Sing & Learn bilingual musical book series has won the 2025 IPPY Gold Medal for Best Interactive Children’s Book and the 2025 Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Best Children’s Non-Fiction Book Award.

You can read an article by Christine, which shares her passion surrounding teaching children languages.  HERE

Lukas Miao Zhang is an internationally acclaimed animation director and visual artist working across media including oil painting, watercolor, illustration, and animation. His artwork and animated films have earned major honors, including the prestigious Magnolia Award in China and recognition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. His mixed-media oil paintings received the Outstanding Artist Award at the AATS Asia Art Expo, and his work has been exhibited in the UK, France, and Germany, and held in the collection of the China National Academy of Painting and Calligraphy. Recognized at the highest levels of his field, he moved to the United States in 2022 to continue his artistic practice. A father of two bilingual boys, Lukas draws on his deep artistic expertise and inspiration from his life in Beijing, New Jersey, and Marietta, Georgia, bringing museum-grade craft to the JoJo Sing & Learn musical books—with sophisticated expression, high-contrast compositions, and shared human emotion at the center—an innovative style that bridges developmental science and fine art.

Felton Pilate, an Oscar- and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, multiinstrumentalist, and producer, is best known as co-lead of the iconic, platinumselling funk/R&B band Con Funk Shun. His groundbreaking production work contributed to MC Hammer’s multi-platinum releases, including Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ’Em and Too Legit to Quit, influencing the crossover pop-rap sound of the era and solidifying his legacy in both funk and hip-hop. Honored with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, Pilate is an active force in the music and film industries, including starring in the 2025 film Hammer Time: The Building of an Empire. He thoroughly enjoys producing music for the JoJo Sing & Learn musical books’ young audiences by transforming classic nursery rhymes into contemporary, playful, and whimsical tunes. Felton lives in Marietta.