Transnational Funds of Knowledge as Counternarratives: Chinese Students Respond to Multicultural Children's Literature.

This article examines how elementary-aged transnational Chinese students mobilize transnational funds of knowledge (TFoK)—the culturally and historically developed knowledge and skills gained through cross-border linguistic, cultural, and social practices—as counternarratives while reading and discussing picture books depicting diverse immigrant experiences in a community-based book club. Through qualitative practitioner inquiry with four students aged 7 to 10, the study identifies three key themes: reclaiming multilingual identities to challenge English language hegemony; advocating for the affirmation and meaningful inclusion of heritage language and culture in U.S. curricula; and affirming cultural and familial differences as valuable resources rather than deficits. The findings highlight how these students negotiate complex transnational realities to resist deficit stereotypes and cultural erasure often perpetuated by mainstream children's literature and schooling, urging educators to recognize and incorporate TFoK in instruction to foster more inclusive, culturally sustaining learning environments. The study also calls for a reimagining of children's literature of transnationalism (CLT) to authentically represent the dynamic, multilayered experiences of immigrant and transnational youth beyond reductive or stereotypical portrayals.