Icy Fruit: A Taiwanese Children’s Book with Printable Chinese Learning Activities

I’m always on the lookout for new children’s books that introduce different cultural backgrounds, so when I stumbled upon Icy Fruit through Maria Wen Adcock’s book review blog, Bicultural Mama, I knew I had to check it out. If you don’t know Maria, she’s the author of It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George and a wonderful advocate for multicultural children’s literature. Fun fact—she actually interviewed me for Lingo Buddies a while back! (You can read the interview here.)

I'm so excited to share a new book with you today! While I love revisiting classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Good Night Gorilla, this time feels different. I've found a book that truly speaks to my heart and my Taiwanese roots: Icy Fruit by Charlotte Cheng, beautifully illustrated by Vivian Mineker.

This book is something special. It’s a warm, loving story about the author’s own grandfather, who invented a popular icy treat in Taiwan. It’s part biography, part family tribute, and a total celebration of Taiwanese culture, family bonds, and those delicious tastes of summer—things so central to our heritage. You know how learning a language is also about soaking up the culture? Icy Fruit wraps it all up in one sweet story.

If you’re raising bilingual kids, you know how great Chinese storybooks are for little learners. Here’s a tip that works well for us: we often start with an English story the kids already love, then work our way into the Chinese version. Once they understand the story in English, making the leap to Chinese just clicks! It helps build those language bridges and makes the whole process more fun and meaningful. After all, stories are how we’ve learned for ages—they just stick!

To make Icy Fruit even more fun, I created some playful printable activities. These take the heart of the story—the colors, the fruits, the feeling of summer—and turn it into hands-on learning. It’s such a lovely way to connect more deeply with the book and the culture it shares.

Here’s a peek at some of the activities we’ve put together:

Icy Fruit Story Bingo and Coloring Page

Ready to make storytime even more fun? With this two-in-one activity, you and your kids can play along as you read—just listen for special moments in the book and color in each bingo square when you spot them. It’s a great way to keep everyone engaged and sneak in some new vocabulary, too!
When you’re done, grab the coloring page and let your little ones get creative. They’ll love coloring a happy scene of a girl enjoying all the tasty treats from Icy Fruit. It’s the perfect way to wrap up storytime and connect with the story’s yummy, summery vibes.

I Spy Popsicles
Spot and circle popsicles hidden throughout a playful scene, practicing Chinese characters like 冰 (ice), 水 (water), 果 (fruit), and 甜 (sweet). Kids love this engaging search-and-find game that brings the story’s icy treats to life!

Popsicle Flavors Coloring Page

Color nine classic Taiwanese popsicle flavors and use the page as a pretend menu for dramatic play! It’s a sweet way for kids to get creative and play shopkeeper or customer.

Icy Fruit Flashcards
Match colorful flashcards featuring fruits and treats from the book in both languages. Perfect for quick games, memory challenges, or practicing reading aloud together.

Fruits Flashcards with Seasons
Discover which fruits are in season as you play with these vibrant flashcards. Kids learn not just the names, but also when to enjoy their favorite summer snacks.

My Chinese Character Minibook 吃 Eat

Create a mini booklet all about the character 吃 (eat). Kids can color, trace, and write, making this a hands-on way to remember an essential word from the story. Check out our whole Minibook Collection.

Fruits Word Search
Hunt for Chinese fruit names hidden in a grid—great for building character recognition and spelling skills while having a blast.

I Spy Summer Fruits
Search for juicy summer fruits in a lively picture, practicing 水 (water) and 果 (fruit). This gentle activity is perfect for younger children and budding readers.

Summer Coloring and Writing
Kids can color a fun summer scene at the top of the page and then practice tracing the Chinese character for “summer” (夏) below. It’s a simple, hands-on way to connect art and language, helping little learners remember this seasonal word!

Share your storybook activities with our community of parents and teachers!  Send your photos to careteam@lingobuddies.fun or add #lingobbudies to your social media posts!