The holiday season is long gone, but the cozy memories still remain. This past December was particularly special as I finally met our family’s newest edition; Luca. My cousin Fatima’s ten-month-old baby who, during our last visit, was still in her stomach. Now a curious little tike, Luca crawled all over the floor searching for something to satiate his growing and inquisitive mind. Near him were a few small books, all in Spanish so he could learn both languages. As I started picking them up, I spoke to Fatima and my aunt Mari about the different techniques they were using to teach him. Which books were not only educational but also engaging. My aunt was a teacher for years, and so together they helped me compile a list of some of the best kids’ books to teach your kids Spanish!
1. Mo Willems – Elephante y Cerdita
Mo Willems, best known for the iconic The Pigeon series, has an adorable book series that follows an elephant and a pig through various silly adventures. These are the books I got to read when with my family, and not only are they educational, but the stories are hilarious. Well-written and filled with unexpected twists and memorable one-liners. The best part is that this series comes in both languages, so you can read your child both or just one! Either way, it’s a great tool for learning simple phrases while captivating your little ones with cute illustrations.
2. Gianna Marino – Animales Nocturnos
This is one of my aunt’s go-to books in the classroom. Animales Nocturnos is a silly book about nocturnal animals who are afraid of nighttime and of each other! This simple but engaging story introduces children to different nocturnal animals and key phrases in Spanish! This book is also available in English. During my research, I couldn’t find any other Spanish versions of her books, but they may be translated in the future.
3. Mike Alfaro’s Books
Mike Alfaro is a Guatemalan author best known for his Millenial version of Loteria, which went pretty viral back in 2022. On top of his works for adults, Alfaro also has a bilingual series for children as well, including the My First Bilingual Library Collection, which contains 10 books for children ages 1- 3 that explore color names, animals, and items in both English and Spanish. He also has the Los Street Vendors Collection, which is a set of three books that cover different food types, shapes, and flavors in both languages, and My Big Bilingual Book of First Words, which introduces more animals, vehicles, planets, and more throughout! These are simple but well-executed and fun books for your little ones!
4. The Classics, But In Spanish
This suggestion is, well, a classic. Most classic books like Goodnight Moon or Dr. Seuss’s Oh The Places You’ll Go come in both Spanish and English. According to Fatima, Luca’s favorites come from Eric Carle, who wrote classic books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, “His books are whimsical and beautiful and Luca loves the images.” She explained, “We have a bunch of Eric Carle books in both languages. Because most of his books have been translated it’s a good bridge between languages.”
5. Doria Lozada – Memorias de una despistá
If you’re interested in books for an older age range, Puerto Rican author Doria Lozada’s series Memorias de una despistá is great for kids ages 8 and up! Using a signature comic style and quintessential millennial humor, Lozada offers a glimpse at her life from a child with a passion for art to the long road it took to become an artist. There’s also a pandemic version with musings that everyone who went through 2020 can relate to!
