Add These Adorable Spanish Children’s Books To Your Child’s Bookshelf

Simón wants to be a good dog and make his owner proud when he’s left home alone for the day. But he’s also tempted by a chocolate cake on the kitchen table, flowers outside that look fun to dig up. This Spanish picture book has bright and beautiful illustrations, plus it teaches important lessons about temptations, making mistakes, and forgiveness, all while being funny. It’s nearly identical to the English version, though the title and character names have been changed.

The title of this stunning book translates to “Dreamers” and it’s a moving story about a mother and her son who emigrate from Mexico to the United States without knowing English. The pair finds a public library and begins to learn all about their new home. This lovely story shows how everyone, migrant or otherwise, has a gift to offer the world and something to learn.

This bilingual book of nursery rhymes captures the spirit and experience of Latin American and Spanish heritage and childhood. With English translations of each rhyme (and the introduction) children will learn about everything from playing dress up to making tortilla, all in singsong way that may help the language stick.

A book of sight words is always a good place to start when learning a new language. You and your child can practice your Spanish vocabulary together with this book that has bright and eye-catching illustrations to add a fun visual component.

One way to get your kid interested in a story they may not totally understand yet is to make sure the book is packed with illustrations they’ll love. If your kid is in a dino-phase, they’ll enjoy this informational Spanish children’s book that does a deep dive into dinosaur names (and made-up personality traits) with colorful illustrations.

Betty the dog speaks Spanish, her friend, Cat, speaks English, and they live in the same house together. Unlike most bilingual books, this book includes both Spanish and English words, but the text is not translated, meaning the book doesn’t offer a translation of what Betty and Cat are saying. Rather, it’s up to the reader to identify what the characters are saying based on their responses. This mimics the way many bilingual households actually operate, and it’s fun for kids to read with a parent or a grandparent whose native language is different than their own.

In this sweet book, a friendly little monster wakes up one morning feeling very confused: He’s feeling a ton of different emotions at once, and he isn’t sure how to sort it all out. Fortunately, he has a patient and kind friend who helps him work through his feelings using color as metaphor. This sweet story teaches little ones how to handle big emotions, plus color recognition and the importance of friendship. You may already have the English version of this on your shelf, but it’s worth it to add the Spanish one too (and maybe even read them side-by-side).

Imagina is an illustrated poem written entirely in Spanish by former U.S. Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera, and it encourages children to imagine all the wonderful things they can do and be. In addition to being a moving story, the illustrations are simply stunning.

Your little one may know all the hilarious and wild things that happen if you give a mouse a cookie, but they probably haven’t heard the story in Spanish. It’s the same story kids know and love, and if you already have the English version it can be fun and educational to look at the two books side-by-side.

Cocodrilo is a fun rhyming story that teachers colors. Originally published in Spain, it’s aimed at native speakers who are 3 years old or younger, but because of its rhythmic sounds, it’s a good tool for teaching Spanish language learners, too. Antonio Rubio has other great Spanish books for children too, including Limón, which uses beautiful illustrations to help kids identify fruits and veggies.

This book will take you and your little one on a bird’s eye view journey of New York City. The story follows Rosalba and her grandmother (abuela) as Abuela tells her granddaughter all about the city and where the two of them will one day explore. The story is engaging and the illustrations are stunning. There is also an English version of this book that is peppered with Spanish phrases.

You and your child probably already know and love The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This bilingual edition shows Spanish and English text side-by-side, so kids can see how the languages are similar and different, how the letters and symbols differ, and what words are the same.