17 Picture Books About Moving to a New Country

Picture books about moving to a new country are especially near and dear to me. When my sons were 7 and 9 years old, our family moved from Texas to Suzhou, China, where we did not speak the language. Everything—from grocery shopping and ordering food to getting around town—suddenly required extra thought, patience, and courage. Our boys also had to adapt to new schools, make new friends, and say goodbye to the people and places they loved.

Six years later, we did it all over again, this time moving from China to Mexico—although that move was not planned. We were visiting Mexico in January 2020 and chose not to return to China following the outbreak of COVID-19. What began as a visit became our home for the next five years. In total, we spent 11 years living outside the United States before returning to Texas.

Coming home in 2025 brought its own complicated mix of emotions. There has been real relief in speaking the language fluently and knowing how to navigate daily life without constantly stopping to translate or figure out how things work. And we will never take having a dishwasher or clothes dryer for granted again!

At the same time, returning has meant grieving the countries, communities, friends, foods, and routines we left behind. Moving “home” is still a major transition, especially when another country has also become home.

The picture books on this list explore those layered feelings through the eyes of children moving to a new country. Their circumstances vary, but the stories share many of the same emotions: excitement, fear, homesickness, uncertainty, loneliness, grief, and the gradual discovery that it is possible to miss one home while building a life in another.

See all 17 picture books about moving to a new country on my Amazon Lists page.

Before moving to a new country – presumably Hong Kong to Canada, as is the author’s experience – a young boy must say goodbye to the beloved koi fish his family can no longer keep. As he worries about how the fish will adjust to their new pond, his questions gently reveal his own uncertainty about leaving home.

After moving across the ocean, a child struggles with unfamiliar sounds, people, weather, and surroundings while longing for the home left behind. As the strange gradually becomes familiar, the child discovers that home can change, grow, and exist in more than one place.

After moving from Hong Kong to the United States, Jun feels frightened and isolated at school because she speaks very little English. Familiar foods in her lunchbox bring comfort and eventually help her overcome the language barrier and form new friendships.

After war forces a girl and her mother to leave their homeland, they struggle with the unfamiliar language, food, surroundings, and changes within themselves. Recreating the star-shaped lamp that once glowed in their old apartment brings comfort and hope, making their new country feel a little less different.

In her new country, Afsi feels trapped by unfamiliar English words and separated from her classmates by an invisible river of language. A classmate’s kindness and a shared art activity help her communicate, tell her story, and begin finding friendship and belonging.

When war forces Nasser and his family to flee their homeland, he refuses to leave behind the apple tree planted on the day of his birth—the “sister” with whom he has shared his childhood. Carrying and replanting the tree in a new country helps him remain connected to the home he misses while gradually embracing a new one.

Lily is angry and overwhelmed when she and her mother move from the United States to Taiwan to care for her grandmother. As she experiences Taiwanese life, makes friends, and better understands her mother’s connection to the country, Lily gradually accepts that both places can be home.

After leaving Cuba for the United States, Esperanza and her family work together to transform a small, shabby house into a safe and loving home. They soon open its doors to other newly arrived immigrants, creating a supportive community where families can help one another begin again.

When Dandan moves from China to the United States, she struggles with homesickness, limited English, and leaving her best friend Yueyue behind. A gift of red paper and thread helps her share their Lunar New Year paper-cutting tradition with a new friend while preserving her connection to home.

When a young girl learns that her family is moving to another country, she worries about leaving behind everything she loves, including her best friend, pear tree, school bus driver, and the ocean. She discovers that although these beloved people and places cannot fit inside her suitcase, she can carry them to her new home through her memories.

After moving from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to snowy Chicago, Krit misses his culture, familiar surroundings, and the activities he once enjoyed. A Buddhist koan and a new friendship help him see beauty in his new city and understand that he can create a sense of home wherever he lives.

After moving from her village in India to a faraway city, a young Sikh girl misses her grandmother, pet goat, green fields, and joyful Vaisakhi celebrations. A visit to the local gurdwara reconnects her with familiar traditions, foods, and worship while helping her find friendship and community in her new country.

On his first day of school in a new country, Dat feels frightened and isolated because every spoken and written English word sounds like gibberish. Through play, drawing, and patience, a classmate named Julie helps Dat begin understanding his new language and feel less alone.

After moving from Korea to the United States, Yoon feels lonely and disconnected from her identity, especially when she must write her name in unfamiliar English letters. By experimenting with new names and gradually connecting with her teacher and classmates, she learns that she is still Yoon—“Shining Wisdom”—no matter how her name is written.

After moving from Korea to the United States, Unhei worries that her classmates will not accept or pronounce her name, so she considers choosing an American one from their “name jar.” With encouragement from her family and new friends, she embraces her Korean name, its meaning, and the cultural identity it represents.

After moving from Egypt to the United States, Kanzi tries to hide parts of her culture so she can fit in at her new school. Her Arabic poem about a treasured quilt from her grandmother inspires a class project that helps Kanzi celebrate her language, heritage, and identity.

After immigrating to the United States, María, Jin, and Fatimah struggle to communicate and find their places within a new elementary school. Soccer, storytelling, language, and art help them connect with supportive classmates while preserving their individual cultures and identities.