As a Latina mom raising a bilingual and potentially multilingual child, can be challenging. Now that it's back to school vacation is over and it's time to review and learn some more words to make their vocabulary rich. Here are my recommendation for...
Kids Books About Reading and Learning in English and Spanish
1. Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Libraryor in Spanish No lleves tu dragón a la biblioteca
Have you ever thought about bringing your dragon to the library? Don't do it! You might have the best intentions, but that dragon will cause nothing but trouble. Using rhyming text and a diverse cast of characters, this charming picture book will provide some important―and some not so important―library etiquette in a very entertaining way.
Book Info:
Page Number: 32 Pages
Type of Books: Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback, Audio CD
Language: English and Spanish
Reading age: 4 to 7 years old
2. ¡Te amo, te abrazo, leo contigo!/Love you, Hug You, Read to You!
“There are three things I’ll always do . . . love you, hug you, read to you!” The simple promise of togetherness offered in this bilingual (Spanish and English) board book is enhanced by interactive prompts throughout, encouraging parents to engage with their child while reading. Studies show that asking questions, like the ones in this book, helps children learn to read faster than if they just listen to a story. Love and literacy are gifts we can give to our children every day!
Book Info:
Page Number: 32 Pages
Type of Books: Kindle, Boardbook
Language: English, Spanish
Reading age: 0 to 3 years old
3. Lola at the Library and in Spanish Lola en la biblioteca
Learn about the library, checking out books, and story time with Lola. Every Tuesday Lola and her mommy go to the library. Lola meets her friends there. They share books and don't have to be quiet all the time.
The nice librarian tells stories. There is a big machine that buzzes Lola's books in and out, and she can take any books she wants home with her. Lola and her mommy always stop for a treat on the way home. No wonder Lola loves the library.
Book Info:
Page Number: 32 Pages
Type of Books: Kindle, Boardbook
Language: English and Spanish
Reading age: 0 to 3 years old
4. Tomas y la Senora de la Biblioteca
Tomás es hijo de trabajadores migratorios. Cada verano, él y su familia viajan a Iowa, desde Tejas, donde pasan largos y difíciles días en el campo, durante la temporada de la cosecha de frutas y verduras. Por las noches, a veces, se reúnen a escuchar los maravillosos cuentes de papá grande, el abuelo de Tomás. Con el tiempo, Tomás se aprende todos los cuentos de memoria.
Hay muchos otros cuentos en la biblioteca – le dice papá grande.
Y al día siguiente, Tomás conoce a la señora de la biblioteca, quien le abre las puertas a un nuevo mundo.
Este alentador cuento de Pat Mora es acerca de la niñez de Tomás Rivera, quien llegó a ser rector de la Universidad de California en Riverside.
Book Info:
Page Number: 40 Pages
Type of Books: School Library Binding, Paperback
Language: Spanish
Reading age: 8 to 12 years old
5. Bookjoy, Wordjoy
Whether we are collecting words, reading favorite books in the library, celebrating holidays, writing poems, sharing secrets, or singing a jazzy duet, words and books can take us on wonderful adventures and bring us joy. Poet Pat Mora has brought together a collection of her poems that celebrates engaging with words and books in all these ways and more. Vivid illustrations by Raúl Colón bring the poems to life and interpret the magic of the language with captivating images in a style influenced by Mexican muralists. Together the poems and illustrations are sure to inspire creative wordplay in readers of all ages.
We can read, you and I,
see letters become words,
and words become books . . .
You and I read, round and round,
bookjoy around the world.
Book Info:
Page Number: 32 Pages
Type of Books: Hardcover
Language: English
Reading age: 6 to 9 years old
6. We Are in a Book! and in Spanish ¡Estamos en un libro!
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In We Are in a Book!,Gerald and Piggie discover the joy of being read. But what will happen when the book ends?
Book Info:
Page Number: 64 Pages
Type of Books: Hardcover, Paperback
Language: English and Spanish
Reading age: 3 to 5 years old
7. It's a Book and in Spanish ¡Es un libro bebé!
Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, It’s a Book is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age.
This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.
Book Info:
Page Number: 32 Pages
Type of Books: Hardcover, Paperback
Language: English and Spanish
Reading age: 6 to 10 years old
8. The Incredible Book Eating Boy and in Spanish El increíble niño comelibros
Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn’t like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets—he’s on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can’t digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth?
With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It’s almost good enough to eat.
Book Info:
Page Number: 32 Pages
Type of Books: Hardcover, Paperback
Language: English and Spanish
Reading age: 4 to 8 years old
9. Wild About Books
OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD!
Winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award
It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo.
In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal—tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. “She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter.” In no time at all, Molly has them “forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks,” going “wild, simply wild, about wonderful books.” Judy Sierra’s funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown’s lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
Book Info:
Page Number: 40 Pages
Type of Books: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook
Language: English
Reading age: 3 to 7 years old
Final Thoughts on Best Books to Teach your Child Spanish
We hope to continue to add more books to this list. If you're looking for more books to encourage Spanish reading and learning I recommend checking out our Bilingual Kids Blog for weekly updates.
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