Father's Day is around the corner and there are many special books that celebrate daddy in English, Spanish, and/or are Bilingual. Let's take a closer look at some of these books and how you can build and grow your library at home.
7 Bilingual Spanish and English Books for Kids that Celebrate Daddy
Quiero a Mi Papa Porque... I Love My Daddy Because...
Concept: "This book begins with a heartwarming scene between a human parent and child, but moves on to loving care in many animal families. "He sings me songs," says a gray wolf cub. "He keeps me safe and warm," says a young penguin. Children will love reading about how baby animals spend time with their dads, and daddies everywhere will love celebrating Father's Day—or any occassion!—with this adorable gift from their little ones."
Why my daughter loves it? She loves learning about the different animals.
Why I love it? We've had this book since my daughter was a baby. Now that she is 5 we still read it because it's a book that can grow with them, even if it's a board book.
2. El Mejor es Mi Papá
Concept: "Puerto Rico s best-selling author offers us this warm and loving tale about relationships between father and child. In a kingdom far, far away, a time and place has been set to choose the best father of all. In verses, each one of the animals, from a chick to a firefly, and a frog to a penguin, tells why their candidate is the best one. Find out the reasons why everyone s father is the best in the world."
Why I'm adding it to our buy list? It got great reviews and is listed for older kids 4-7 and I think it would be a great addition to our library.
3. Mi Papi Has a Motorcycle
Concept: "A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.
When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.
But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.
With vivid illustrations and text bursting with heart, My Papi Has a Motorcycle is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change."
Why my daughter loves it? She loves this book because her dad has a motorcycle and she can relate to the little girl in this story.
Why I love it? I love this book because it reminds me of so many Latino homes and barrios and reminds me of my own papi. While my dad never had a motorcycle, I can remember greeting him and the "smell of a hard day's work." It reminds me of my dad.
Why I added it to our buy list? We added this one because it was a great diverse book.
4. Why a Daughter Needs a Dad
Concept: This new picture book is touching story to show a child all the ways her father will help her grow and to remind her of the special bond only she can have with dad. Featuring charming illustrations and heartwarming rhymes about the moments fathers and daughters share, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad is the perfect story to connect father and daughter together.
From the first time I held you, so perfect and new,
I promised to do everything that I could do
To help you become your most wonderful YOU,
My darling, my daughter, my girl.
Why I'm adding it to our buy list? It's just so tender and beautiful. EVen if it's not bilingual, it's a keeper for our library.
5. Don Caballito De Mar
Concept: When Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs, she does it on Mr. Seahorse's belly! She knows he will take good care of them. While he swims waiting for the eggs to hatch, he meets other underwater fathers caring for their babies. Now Eric Carle's heart-warming New York Times bestseller is finally available in a board book edition, complete with the clear "peek-a-boo" pages that made the original such a hit. Brimming with bright, colorful sea life, this new board book will be irresistible to young children everywhere.
Why I'm adding it to our buy list? We love Eric Carle books and it was recommended by a friend who said that she loved it. I definitely want to add it to our list.
6. Dada
Concept:
Your baby's first word will be . . .
"Dada!"
Right?
Everyone knows that fathers wage a secret campaign to ensure that their babies' first word is "Dada!"
But how does it work?
One of the most popular entertainers in the world and NBC's The Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon, shows you how.
Why my daughter loved it? This was one of my daughter's favorite books as a baby. It's very simple, so if you're expecting something with more substance then this book may not be for you. It just celebrates the word Dada and animal sounds, simple, but very effective and entertaining .
Why I love it? I love it because it really became a favorite and watching my daughter crack up at a silly book just melted my heart.
7. La Frontera: El Viaje con Papá - My Journey with Papa
Concept: Join a young boy and his father on a daring journey from Mexico to Texas to find a new life. They'll need all the resilience and courage they can muster to safely cross the border - la frontera - and to make a home for themselves in a new land.
Why I'm adding it to our buy list? When my daughter is older this will definitely be one to read. We all come from different places and backgrounds and it's very important for children to understand many of our immigrant families' stories.
Final Thoughts on Books that Honor Fathers
As you expand your library, it's nice to have books that reflect our families and our diversity. Reading is a great way to strengthen your bond with your child and yes celebrate those nearest and dearest to our hearts, like papi.
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