Book List

  • Books in Spanish for Valentine’s Day

    Happy febrero! I’m a big fan of this month, mainly because 1.) it’s when I met my husband and 2.) it’s also when my oldest daughter was born. Aaaaand the weather in Phoenix is phenomenal right now, which helps February’s rating tremendously.

    If hija #1 hadn’t been born on Valentine’s Day (which is now 100% eclipsed by her birthday), I would be very into celebrating Love Day, too! I mean, all things pink and chocolate? What’s not to love!

    And since we don’t do much for actual Valentine’s Day anymore, what with all the birthday festivities, an easy way to still give a nod to the holiday throughout the month is with some great books that celebrate all things amor, besos, y abrazos. Here are some family favorites in case you’d like to check them out!

    (I’ve also included links to purchase from Bookshop if I found the books there! I love that every Bookshop sale supports local bookstores, and it’s always nice to have options.)

    Board Books in Spanish for Valentine’s Day

    El pez pucheros by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Dan Hanna and translated by Teresa Mlawer 

    Bookshop link

    El pez pucheros is always pouting, despite all his friends’ advice on what a well-mannered face SHOULD look like. But one day a stranger helps him understand that his pout isn’t a bug; it’s a feature! Because it turns out a pouty mouth is VERY good for bestowing fish smooches. (Excellent excuse to also smother your little one with human smooches!)

    Amigos by Eric Carle

    Bookshop link

    A little boy and a little girl are best friends, so when the little girl moves away, her friend will literally climb mountains and cross oceans to find her. Being reunited never felt so good! I have to say that I find the ending of this book kind of weird for a baby/board book. (They get married? Like, can’t a boy and a girl just be friends? It feels very “When Harry Met Sally.”) But the illustrations are lovely and it’s a cute little story about friendship and love. 

    Mi Amor Por Ti/My Love for You by Susan L. Roth

    Bookshop link

    Two little mice take turns telling each other how big their love for one another is: bigger than one bear! Taller than two giraffes! Heavier than nine hippos! A sweet little counting story made out of collage illustrations for the littlest loves. 

    Girl holding book with heart
    Picture Books in Spanish for Valentine’s Day

    Siembra un beso by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds

    Bookshop link

    A girl decides to see what would happen if she plants a kiss. Little does she know that from that small act of love, joy and happiness will blossom! The text is very sparse, with single words or short phrases to describe what’s happening, which makes it easy to zip through this sweet book. The Spanish version unfortunately loses most of the rhymes from the English version, but even so it’s a favorite!  

    ¿Qué es el amor? by Davide Cali, illustrated by Anna Laura Cantone

    ¿Qué es el amor?, Emma wants to know. So she asks her flower-loving mom, her soccer-loving dad, her expert-baker grandma, and her car-obsessed grandpa. She gets four very different answers, but when she puts them all into practice, she discovers that there are all kinds of different ways to express our love for someone else! 

    ¿De qué color es un beso? by Rocio Bonilla

    Bookshop link

    Mónica loves to paint things, but she’s never tried to paint a kiss. What color is it? Is it maybe yellow, the color of joy and sunshine? Or green, like veggies? (No, concludes Mónica, because she’s not much of a fan of vegetables, unless we’re talking about artichokes!). Each page is dedicated to a color and lists some things that Mónica likes and dislikes that are that color. 

    Te como a besos by Carmen Gil, illustrated by Laure Du Fey

    Bookshop link

    Peludo is a great big monster that is always in a bad mood. He scares away the little rapónchigos with his growls! But one day, a brave rapónchigo decides to try something nobody has ever tried before: being nice to Peludo! It turns out that respect, love, and a few hugs and kisses can cure even the worst mood. 

    El amor es cosa de monstruos: Todo lo que deberías saber cuando estás enamorado by Xavier Gallego Moya

    All kinds of monsters populate this vibrant book: hairy, tall, horned, and stretchy! But one thing they all have in common is how much they love each other. This book includes interactive questions and quizzes, so it’s probably best for older elementary students with a decent level of Spanish. 

    El Monstruo de Colores by Anna Llenas

    A classic book that I’ve recommended before! This book is mostly about different feelings, and how we can classify our feelings by color (red for anger, yellow for happiness, etc.). But in the end, after the little girl helps our monster figure out and organize his feelings, he gets a new one: it’s pink and full of hearts! What could it be? 

    Abrazo de Oso by Susana Isern, illustrated by Betania Zacarias

    Bookshop link

    Natuk, a young Eskimo girl, and Oso Blanco have been inseparable friends ever since Natuk rescued the tiny orphaned bear as a cub. But when a terrible catastrophe strikes the village, and Oso Blanco is blamed, Natuk is afraid they will be separated forever– unless she can do something about it! This book is a tender tale of friendship and loyalty, and a good example of the powerful love between humans and animals. 

    ***

    And there you have it, 10 sweet books in Spanish for Valentine’s Day, perfect to read on February 14th and all year long!

    P.S. More of our favorite books to read in February!

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  • The 10 Best Books I Read in 2021

    For the first time in my life, this year I decided to start tracking the books I read. I had never seen the appeal, but now I do! I tend to read really quickly, and then almost immediately forget a lot of what I read. Being able to see the list of books is not only helpful for remembering the details of those books, but also helps me remember the books I loved or that struck a chord. 

    And it also is very helpful for making “best of” lists, it turns out! So, in case you’re looking for some great reads in 2022, I thought I’d share the 10 best books I read in 2021. I had a hard time narrowing it down and was tempted to make it a “15 best books” list, but I heroically chopped some books after all. 

    About half of these were 2021 new-releases, and the other half are older books that came my way for whatever reason. Hopefully one or a few of these will call your name! 

    (Also: I’m trying to be better about including trigger warnings for each book I recommend, but have a hard time remembering when a book needs them and for what (see: aforementioned memory issues). So, this is me doing my best, I hope I get them all!)

    BEST BOOKS 2021

    Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

    If I had to pick a favorite, this would probably be it. I just looked and this one doesn’t actually release until Jan. 4, 2022 (I got an early copy through Book of the Month), but I HIGHLY recommend grabbing it in the new year if you get a chance! Olga and her brother Prieto are high-profile New Yorkers: he’s a congressman, she’s a wedding planner for the super wealthy. It’s their background as hijos of their radical Boricua mom (a former Young Lord, who left them to be raised by their grandmother while she fought for la causa in Puerto Rico and beyond) that was the most interesting to me, though. I LOVED how this story weaved family secrets, political corruption, activism, a little romance and The American Dream™. I also appreciated how the novel is so rich with Puerto Rican culture and history– I learned a lot! 

    (TW for vulgar language, (implied) rape & sexual assault, death of a parent, drug use) 

    Transportes González e hija by María Amparo Escandón

    ​​Libertad González is serving a prison sentence in Mexico, where the rest of her fellow inmates have revealed (sometimes proudly) the reason they’re locked up. Libertad, however, can’t find a way to share her story until she opens a random book from the prison’s library and begins to “read.” Thus the prison club de lectura is born, where each week Libertad unfolds the next installment of her life story while turning the pages of random books. Born and raised on the road with her father (a former professor of literature who fled Mexico after a frightening experience in his past, to become a trucker in the U.S.), Libertad is a tremendous character that I fell completely in love with. And honestly I could say the same for a lot of the other eccentric female prisoners! I read this in Spanish which I HIGHLY recommend, but if that doesn’t appeal it’s also available in English as “Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Co.” The storytelling in this one!

    (Another TW here for misogyny, violence, and death)

    Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

    When the book starts like this: “It was her idea to tie up the nun,” you know it’s going to be good. It’s the story of a Colombian family—half in the U.S. and half in Colombia—and I loved the way this book highlights so many different immigration experiences: a deported father, an undocumented mother, kids raised in the U.S. with and without U.S. citizenship, and a U.S. citizen raised in Colombia.  Besides the fact that it was a joy to read such a nuanced immigration story (which is no small thing), the writing is incredible! (The mom in the story muses that her daughters, one born in Colombia but raised in the U.S., the other born in the U.S. but raised in Colombia, are like “repotted flowers, creatures forced to live in the wrong habitat.”) And though the author doesn’t shy away from writing the pain, overall this story is a gorgeous portrayal of hope and one family’s commitment to each other (that I couldn’t put down and blazed through in a couple of days).

    (TW for sexual assault/rape and I think also alcoholism)

    Layoverland by Gabby Noone

    This book tells the story of Beatrice Fox, aka Bea. After she “ruins” the life of her younger sister Emmy, she goes for a tearful drive and gets in a car accident and… dies. But the story doesn’t end there! Instead of ending up in heaven or hell, she’s sent to purgatory (which in Layoverland is… a giant airport). To atone for her sins on Earth, she’s tasked with a role as part of the Memory Experience team, where she has to help 5,000 people resolve whatever issue is holding them back from moving on to heaven. Of course, one of the first people she’s paired with is a fellow teen named Caleb. It turns out, he’s the dude that crashed into her. And as much as she would love to see him suffer instead of helping him reach the pearly gates, in true YA fashion, a blossoming romance complicates things. This was a perfect vacation rom-com. 

    Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

    I had been meaning to read Just Mercy for a couple of years, but because I knew basically what it was about, it took me a while to get to it and also quite a while to get through it during YET ANOTHER pandemic year. It’s a heavy book, but I’m also so glad I finally read it. If you haven’t heard of this one yet (or watched the movie version), it’s a powerful story about the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and Bryan Stevenson, the lawyer who founded it. Just Mercy tells the story of the early days of the EJI, when the organization was just getting started defending the poor & the wrongly incarcerated. I learned so much about mass incarceration and the death penalty in the U.S. (I also cried multiple times, but hopefully understand better what kind of reforms are needed). 

    (TW for horrific racism, violence)  

    Outlawed by Anna North

    I thought the premise of this book was really interesting: a “Speculative Western,” set in an alternate version of old-timey ‘Merica. It’s 1894, and in this imagined version of U.S. history, a woman’s fate is tied to her ability to bear children (to replace the enormous number of deaths from the Great Flu). And while Anna, the protagonist, has a bright future as an apprentice midwife, after a year of marriage with no baby, she has to flee everything she knows in order to avoid being incarcerated or hanged as a witch like all “barren women” are. She ends up joining the notorious Hole in the Rock Gang, a group of women and gender-fluid outcasts that have banded together as outlaws. This book was billed as super feminist, but it’s definitely not of the intersectional feminist variety (leans pretty “straight white feminist” IMO). I did find it very entertaining though! 

    Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

    Listen, you already know I love a good book about immigration! Following three generations of Cuban women from Cuba to Miami to Mexico (and a few places in between), this book is short-ish but really packs some powerful meditations on how immigration shapes the lives of our mujeres. While Jeanette battles addiction in present-day Miami, her Cuban immigrant mother Carmen tries to figure out how to help her (while also fiercely guarding the family secrets that made her leave Cuba in the first place). We also get the stories of Jeanette’s family members in Cuba, from her tatarabuela María Isabel rolling cigars in 19th century Cuba, to her present-day cousin. And a few chapters are dedicated to little Ana, the Salvadoreña neighbor Jeanette brings into her home after her mom is detained by ICE. If you’re thinking that’s a lot of storylines to pack into ~200 pages, you’re right; but author Gabriela Garcia writes her characters so generously that the lives of all of these mothers and daughters feel rich and true. Well worth the read! 

    (TW for some violent scenes)

    Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

    My cousin sent this one along and it was just the perfect book to read over summer vacation! Willowdean, aka Will, is the self-proclaimed fat daughter of a beauty pageant mom. She’s always been at home in her own skin, has zero interest in the beauty pageant life, and is happiest hanging out with her all-American beauty of a BFF, Ellen. When Will gets a new job and meets Private School Bo, a hot jock, she’s surprised to find that he’s as into her as she is into him. It weirdly freaks her out, so she decides to reclaim her confidence by entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant (inspiring a lot of other unlikely candidates to do so, too). Lots of Dolly Parton songs and references in this book, which just added to the awesome. This one is also a movie, apparently!

    The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

    Do you want to go on a road trip? Then pick this one up! It’s 1954 in Nebraska, and 18-year-old Emmett Watson has just finished his time at a work farm for accidentally killing a boy that was bullying him. His only family is his 8-year-old brother Billy, since their mom is long gone and their dad recently deceased. Emmett’s plan is to pick up Billy and head to Texas to make a new life there. But when the warden drives away, lo and behold, two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car and have a very different plan for how the next few days, and their own “fresh starts,” should look. Enjoyed this one so much I passed it on to my dad! Amor Towles is a very talented storyteller. 

    (TW for suicide) 

    Las hijas del capitán by María Dueñas

    Last but not least is this giant! It took me a while to get into the story (and even longer to get through all ~800 pages), but once I did I was hooked. In 1936 NYC, the Arenas sisters & their mother have just migrated from Spain to join their father, who after years of sailing the world doing random jobs to support his family, has settled in New York and decided to run a restaurant. But almost immediately after they arrive, papá Emilio is killed in an accident, leaving his family to try to figure out a way in this new world. The sisters–Victoria, Mona and Luz–were super unhappy to leave Spain in the first place, so as you can imagine this new development is extremely unwelcome. I’ve loved Maria Dueñas’ previous books and so enjoyed reading about the Arenas sisters’ dreams, adventures, disappointments and feisty fight for survival in this one. 

    (TW for sexual assault)

    ***

    Et voila! The 10 best books I read in 2021! I didn’t mean for this post to be soooo long but apparently I have a hard time summarizing books I loved. If you end up reading any of these, let me know what you think!

    P.S. How to read more books, in case you need to make space in your life for reading before picking any of these up!

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  • Thanksgiving Books in Spanish and English

    Thanksgiving is a holiday that I definitely grew up with, thanks to my American grandma who always made sure we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV & ate plenty of apple pie. 

    But because we celebrated in Mexico, I had only a cursory understanding of the actual Thanksgiving story. And it was definitely a very white-centric version, a one-sided one that wasn’t inclusive of indigenous voices and experiences. 

    So needless to say, Thanksgiving is still something I’m learning about (I found this essay, a Native perspective on Thanksgiving, very enlightening). And of course, I want to do what I can to make sure my kids’ understanding of Thanksgiving is broader than mine was. 

    Also I would like books that accomplish this in Spanish, please. Is that so much to ask? 🙂

    Unsurprisingly, there aren’t really thaaat many Thanksgiving books in Spanish. Which makes sense, as it is a holiday only celebrated in an English-speaking country. But! Below I’ve listed some favorite books that celebrate gratitude, immigration, and even a couple of specifically Thanksgiving-themed ones in Spanish. 

    And I’m also including some favorite Thanksgiving books in English! So my dear bilingual friends, I hope you can find a new title or two to read as a family before the pleasure of eating all of that delicious food. 

    THANKSGIVING BOOKS IN SPANISH

    ¡Gracias, Omu! by Oge Mora

    I love this book so much! Omu, an Igbo grandmother, has prepared a delicious soup for her dinner. So delicious, in fact, that the smell spreads throughout her neighborhood and invites many people to her door to sample it. I love her generosity in feeding those around her, and also love that they all share with her in return. This story is so perfect for a holiday about joy and celebration surrounding a feast. 

    Gracias / Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra

    This bilingual book is a list of a young boy’s simple pleasures and things he is thankful for. While it’s not a book specific to Thanksgiving, the author does encourage young readers to make their own list of things they’re grateful for. (Some of the things the boy is thankful for reminded me of my hija #3 (2), who told us she was grateful for “cheese sticks” as her contribution to our Thankful Turkey this year, haha.)

    Soñadores by Yuyi Morales

    Ok, stick with me here– technically this book is not about Thanksgiving, but it IS about immigration, and about the beautiful gifts immigrants bring. And what is Thanksgiving if not a story about U.S. immigration? I love this beautiful book so much and will take any excuse to read it, any time of year. 

    Un día una señora se tragó un pavo by Lucille Colandro, illustrated by Jared Lee

    I think this book may be out of print, because the only working link I could find to purchase it is from a bookstore in Guayaquil, Ecuador. But if you do happen to come across this title, it’s a silly, Thanksgiving-themed twist on I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. It’s an easy book that is great for discussing sequencing!

    THANKSGIVING BOOKS IN ENGLISH

    Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

    I bought this book just this year, and it’s for sure one of my all-time favorites from this list (see: years and years of watching the Macy’s parade with Grandma on Thanksgiving morning). Balloons over Broadway tells the true story of the creator behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The illustrations are sweet and phenomenally well-done, and even though it’s a children’s book you can tell it’s extremely well researched. LOVE. 

    Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

    You already know I will read and love anything Juana Martinez-Neal creates! This is such a sweet story of a modern Native American family, and what fry bread means to them and their family history. I love that it brings in food and family & shows a variety of indigenous tribes. 

    Over the River and Through the Wood by L. Maria Child, illustrated by Matt Tavares

    We moved to Arizona (from Utah) in the middle of winter 11 years ago specifically to escape the snow. Reading this book is the ONLY time I am even slightly tempted to live somewhere with snow, which I think is a real testament to how gorgeous it is! This picture book is a beautiful winter-y book to display all season long. 

    We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorrell, illustrated by Frane Lessac

    This gorgeous book focuses on the word “otsaliheliga,” which is a Cherokee word that means gratitude. The story focuses not just on one celebration of gratitude, but a full year of gratitude and celebrations. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving read! 

    ***

    I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving this year! It’s truly one of my very favorite holidays, porque nunca está por demás to take a minute or two to consider all of the beauty around us.

    P.S. Because IMO Christmas starts at midnight the night of Thanksgiving 🙂 a Spanish Christmas book roundup to get you started!

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  • 3 Great Halloween Books in Spanish

    A few days ago, I did a poll on Instagram—Halloween: “love” or “eh”?

    Every single person who answered the poll hit “love” except for one (and I think that might have been a mistake).

    So if you, too, are a Halloween lover, I’m happy to share three new-ish books en español to read all through this spooky month (and beyond!). Our family loves all three of these great Halloween books in Spanish!

    5 great Halloween books in Spanish.

    Un vampiro peligrozo by José Carlos Andrés

    On a dark night in Transylvania, a little vampire is ready to give someone the scare of their life. If he does, he will pass the test at Vampire School. If he doesn’t, he will be banished to Banana Peeler School! So when he sees a little girl walking alone, he tries his tactics on her: “¡Zoy un vampiro peligrozo!” The little girl is… not very scared. But when she sees how much this means to him, she decides to help him out.

    ¡Los zombis no comen verduras! by Megan Lacera and Jorge Lacera

    Mo Romero loves nothing more than cooking and eating vegetables. But his parents, who prefer things like “deditos en salsa” or “pata-tas” don’t understand why he can’t just eat their healthy food like a regular zombie! So our little vegetable enthusiast decides to concoct a delectable veggie gazpacho for his parents and give it a zombie rebrand. Will Mo’s parents “give peas a chance”?

    Cosas de bruja by Mariasole Brusa

    This witch is hopping mad. Her hair, instead of being a witchy color like green (boogers!) or red (blood!), is a distressingly cheerful shade of blue. So to prove how very witchy she is, she decides she’ll do something truly terrible, like kidnap a kid at the park. When she sees Nicolás playing with (what she thinks are) dolls he stole from his sister, she’s found her victim. Will the witch become the witchiest of all, or will she find the path to radical self-acceptance instead?

    You can see all of these great Halloween books in Spanish, plus a few other favorites, on this little Instagram reel I just made! Now is the time to look these up online or at the library, so you can enjoy them all month long!

    P.S. Even more Spanish books for Halloween and Día de los muertos, right here!

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  • Six Books by Latinas to Read This Summer

    Pretty much my favorite thing in the whole wide world is a good book list. 

    But then, you probably know that about me already. 

    And summer is an ESPECIALLY crucial time to have great reading options available! To me, nothing says “vacation” louder than a stack of wonderful books just waiting for me to read them.

    (The other day my husband and I went out of town for three days to celebrate our anniversary and between the two of us, we took 7 BOOKS, which was… excessive. But did feel VERY vacation-y!)

    So today I thought I’d share some great books I’ve read and recommend for your summer reading list—all written by Latina authors! I was so happy to find that it wasn’t difficult at all to find several recent books by Latinas in multiple genres to include in this guide, which gives me great hope for the future.

    BOOKS BY LATINAS TO READ THIS SUMMER

    Old novel: Dominicana by Angie Cruz

    I just think it’s the worst when book lists are filled with new-releases that you have to wait 100 years to get from the library, so although “Dominicana” is actually only a couple of years old, it should be fairly easy to get your hands on this one. Ana Canción was never one of those dominicanas who dreamed of moving to the States. But when Juan Ruiz (a man twice her age) proposes and promises to take her to New York City, she has to accept the opportunity to move away from the place where hope for a better future is ever-dwindling; not just for her, but for her whole family. This was an incredibly insightful portrait of what it means to be an immigrant in America, and once again, beautiful writing by Angie Cruz. 

    Image of the book "Infinite Country."

    New novel: Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

    This book hooked me from its very first line: “It was her idea to tie up the nun.” Ahh! This 2021 release about a Colombian family—half in the U.S. and half in Colombia—is just so, so good. I loved the way this book highlights so many different immigration experiences: a deported father, an undocumented mother, kids raised in the U.S. with and without U.S. citizenship, and a U.S. citizen raised in Colombia. And though the author doesn’t shy away from writing the pain, overall this story is a gorgeous portrayal of hope and one family’s commitment to each other (that I couldn’t put down and blazed through in a couple of days). Besides the fact that it was a joy to read such a nuanced immigration story (which is no small thing), the writing is incredible! Highly recommend. 

    YA/Fantasy: Lobizona by Romina Garber

    Fantasy is not usually my first choice, but I picked this one up because A) my friend Madison said it was really good and B) I wanted to have a few different genres represented in this book list. And I have to admit, a couple of times when I was reading, I’d look up and be like “I am reading a book about werewolves right now…” But then the story was so engrossing, I’d shrug and pick it back up. Props to Romina Garber for crafting an excellent story that weaves magic, social commentary, immigration, Argentine folklore and bilingualism! As a not-YA, I’m not the target audience for this book but I still read it in two days and will absolutely read the sequel, coming out this August! 

    Romance: The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

    I read a review of this book that described it as “kind of like a Jane Austen novel with a splash of telekinesis thrown in,” which IMHO is spot-on. Antonina “Nina” Beaulieu is a fish out of water, sent to the city of Loisail to stay with her cousin and his wife, Valérie, who is supposed to oversee her first Grand Season where she will hopefully find a husband. When she’s drawn to Hector Auvray, a performer who shares the same telekinetic abilities she has, it becomes clear she’s been dropped straight into a world she’s both ill-prepared and ill-fitted for. This is a classic love triangle with several twists, and while it is slower-paced (especially at the beginning), it’s just a very easy romance to read. I blazed through it in a couple of days at the beach, and it was just a perfect light vacation read. Solid writing by Moreno-Garcia, who apparently never writes books in the same genre twice! 

    Memoir: My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes

    Originally I picked this book up because Quiara Alegría Hudes (along with Lin-Manuel Miranda) wrote the excellent musical “In the Heights.” TBH I didn’t know anything else about it, and was very pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous writing of this book (what else would you expect from a prize-winning lyricist, though, right?). I especially loved all of the unapologetic and unexplained Spanish in Hudes’ coming-of-age story as a half-Jewish, half-Puerto Riqueña growing up with her Santera mom in Philly. Warning that there’s quite a bit of swearing and some strong thematic elements to this memoir!

    Image of the book "La casa de los espíritus."

    En español: La casa de los espíritus by Isabel Allende

    If I haven’t yet convinced you to read something by Isabel Allende (honestly my life’s mission), then just go ahead and start with this absolute CLASSIC! This book is magical realism perfection, and follows the Trueba family through four generations, from post-World War I Chile through the Pinochet coup which overthrew the Allende government in 1973. Written in masterful prose by Isabel Allende, this book is (with good reason!) one of the most important and beloved Latin American works of the twentieth century. Whether we’re reading about ethereal Clara and her violent husband Esteban; their daughter, Blanca (and her forbidden love for a man named Pedro Tercero); or granddaughter Alba, a beautiful and ambitious girl who wants to usher Chile into its revolutionary future—Allende grips us in this sweeping saga. (TW for some strong thematic elements including rape and abortion.) 

    ***

    Feliz verano and happy reading! Hope one or more of these books by Latinas is calling your name!

    P.S. 8 (more) books for your summer reading list, because can you ever really have too many?

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  • Spanish Chapter Books for Preschoolers

    I’ve known since before I was a mom that reading aloud to my kids was very important to me. I think I’ve done a good job so far! While my parents also read a lot to us as babies and young kids, I don’t think we read aloud together beyond picture books. Once my brothers and I learned to read, they turned us loose and made sure we had plenty of books TO read, but not necessarily with them.  

    Maybe because of this, I felt a little lost when it came to finding chapter books to read aloud with my growing daughters. The chapter books I remember are the ones I read to myself, and they were basically all in English. 

    Pin reading: Spanish chapter books for preschoolers.

    Thank goodness for the internet! So grateful for the people working hard to make sure our older kids here in the U.S. have access to great books en español. I’ve gathered all of the Spanish chapter books for preschoolers we’ve read together, arranged from simplest to most advanced. We alternate with English books! 

    By the way—if you’re wondering when kids are ready to listen to chapter books, I can share our experience. I started reading these aloud to my hija mayor a few months before she turned 4, which was perfect for her. Hija #2, two years younger, would occasionally listen in; but wasn’t REALLY interested in these longer stories until this year (she’s also newly 4). There’s no prize for moving on from picture books super early, of course. The most important thing is for reading to be fun, not frustrating! But in my experience, any time between 3.5 – 6 years old is a good place to start. And you can always go back to picture books if chapter books aren’t working). 

    SPANISH CHAPTER BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

    Yasmin la constructora

    I bought this one recently thinking it would be good for my oldest (6) ¡pero le duró un suspiro! I would definitely categorize this book as an easy-reader (big text, lots of illustrations), so it’s perfect for emerging readers. My 4-year-old and I also read it together and it was great for her. This series, about a spunky Pakistani American girl, has a few books in it, which is always nice! I also appreciated the little glossary at the back, and I think each book has different craft and recipe ideas (this one has facts about Pakistan and instructions for building your own cardboard building).

    La princesa de negro

    Disclaimer that our copy (from Amazon) was NOT very well printed (there were several parts where whole sentences ran together into one giant word with no spaces). That unfortunate fact aside, my daughters were very into this story of Princesa Magnolia, who is summoned by her monstruo-alarma while having tea con la chismosa de la Duquesa Pelucatiesa. Gotta love a spunky, monster-fighting heroine! This one also has very big text and lots of illustrations, though it’s a little longer than the “Yasmin” ones.

    Valentina

    Valentina is a princess, but she dreams of hunting dragons just like her brothers do. She is NOT excited about creating elaborate hairstyles or wearing fancy dresses like her sisters. So even though she’s supposed to stay home, when a fierce dragon threatens to eat the children in the kingdom, Valentina sneaks out behind all of the knights to conquer the beast. Will she defeat the dragon, or is she better off leaving dragon-hunting to the men? This book was originally written in Spanish which is always a plus! And we all really liked it. 🙂

    Three Spanish chapter books for preschoolers in a little girl's lap.

    El ratoncito de la moto

    A Beverly Cleary book I had never heard of! This story, about little mouse who meets a boy staying at his hotel and starts riding his toy motorcycle, is so cute! My oldest daughter and I read this one together a year or two ago and it was the first one where she was just on the edge of her seat, asking me to read another chapter. The translation was well-done, too; although one thing about reading translated chapter books is that, in my admittedly limited experience, they all do read like translations somehow. I feel like that’s not always the case for translated picture books—just something about those longer stories I guess.

    Ramona la chinche

    Another (very famous) Beverly Cleary hit! I’ve heard the Ramona series is phenomenal & gets even better after “Ramona la chinche” (“Ramona the Pest” in English). I need to hunt for the other books in the series in Spanish! This book, in which Ramona starts kindergarten, was perfect to read together in the months before my oldest started kindergarten. (Which she never did, lol—thank you COVID—but this book did help her get excited for school.)

    Domingo Teporingo

    We LOVED the first book we read in this collection of stories about Domingo, a Teporingo rabbit, who lives with his friends in El Refugio. I heard these books described as “similar to the animal worlds created by A.A. Milne, but reimagined in the mountains of Mexico,” and I think that summary is perfect. These charming stories are a perfect little escape (especially true for us during the pandemic). We read “Invierno” a few months ago, and writing this post reminded me that I need to pull out “Primavera” to read (we’ll do one each season this year)!

    La telaraña de Carlota

    This was the very first chapter book I attempted to read with a then-3-year-old. We ended up having to put it down for many months and come back to it later because the story was a little hard for my daughter to follow. Like I said, no prizes for moving on to chapter books too early! Once we DID pick it up, she loved the story just like I hoped she would. Reminder that this book starts off with a rather detailed conversation of wanting to kill little Wilbur the pig! I forgot that small detail and wasn’t mentally prepared the first time around to discuss animal slaughter with my small child, haha.

    Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate

    I remember reading this one as a kid! It was so fun to see my own kid love every crazy, magical part. I think Roald Dahl’s brain must have been quite a fantastic place. Most of his books are wonderful, but I think this is probably the one with the most kid-appeal. (I mean, endless amounts of candy…)

    Overhead shot of a mom reading with her two daughters.

    ***

    As always, I hope this list is helpful! I think it’s so important to continue giving our kids access to reading material in Spanish as they get older. And to be honest it’s been challenging for me! Our library doesn’t really have Spanish chapter books for preschoolers like these. So I hope this roundup can help someone in the same boat. And I would love to hear your suggestions if you have any!

    P.S. These are some of the early chapter books in English that we’ve read together, in case you’re interested: Matilda, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, The BFG, (also available in Spanish!), Time at the Top, Ivy and Bean series, and a few from The Boxcar Children series.

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  • Two Beautiful Spanish Poetry Books For Kids

    A few years ago, I wrote a post all about some favorite Spanish poetry books for kids (it’s one of the most popular posts on this blog!). 

    But since then I’ve discovered MORE beautiful Spanish poetry books, so in honor of National Poetry Month this April I thought I would share a couple of them here. 

    Early on in the COVID pandemic, I read one homeschooler’s impassioned article in defense of “Poetry Tea Time.” I knew my kids would get a kick out of at least the tea cups and the snacks, and while I was fully prepared for them to be less excited about the poetry, it’s actually been really sweet how much they love it. We’ve adapted this practice to just general “fiesta de lectura,” (any book will do!), but when I remember to pull out poetry books I feel very virtuous and pleased with myself, haha. 

    Little girl reading Spanish poetry books for kids.

    These books below are a phenomenal resource!

    TWO (NEW) FAVORITE SPANISH POETRY BOOKS FOR KIDS

    Poemas para niños chicos

    We have the kindle version of this one, and while I wish we had a hardcover (team paper books forever), it’s kind of nice to be able to pull out little poems on the go. (Not that we go places these days (#pandemic) but soon!) During the month of April I’m trying to read a poem (with the kids or by myself) each day, and who better to read than one of the most important Spanish poets and dramatists of the 20th century!

    Bichopoemas y otras bestias

    This book (divided in sections of animals that are “voladores,” “acuáticos,” “reptadores” and “rugidores”) is also so wonderful! The rhymes are fun, and very kid-friendly. The vocabulary in this book is also fairly simple, so it’s a good one for younger kids and beginning readers. This one has really interesting illustrations all done in collage! 

    ***

    I hope this is helpful! I’m excited to really dive into poetry this month and I’m always happy to include the kids, too. And as always I’d love to hear about any of your favorites! 

    P.S. Here’s that earlier roundup of poetry books in Spanish again, in case you’d like to see some others we’ve loved. 

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  • Best Spanish Books with Black Characters

    I always feel so lucky to be a mom in what I think is the golden age of children’s literature. Libros en español? Check. Books with Black or Afro-Latinx protagonists? Check. Spanish books with Black characters? Check!

    While there still aren’t NEARLY enough books centering POC characters, and there’s definitely a reason we have the #weneeddiversebooks movement, I am so very glad to have these options to read at home with my hijas.

    The last time I did a roundup of Spanish books with Black characters was a few years ago, so I thought we were due for an update! All of the books below are phenomenal ones we’ve read and loved, and I hope you love them too!

    Picture of a little girl reading some of the best Spanish books with Black characters.
    FAVORITE SPANISH BOOKS FEATURING BLACK CHARACTERS

    Sirenas

    Little Julián and his Abuela are on their way home from the pool one day when they see some spectacularly dressed women on the subway. They look just like mermaids! Julián is enchanted. “Yo también soy una sirena,” he tells Abuela. While Abuela goes to take a shower, Julián has a flash of inspiration! With the fronds of a potted fern in his hair and a curtain wrapped around his waist for a tail, he’s living his best life until Abuela sees him (and the mess). Is Julián in trouble? This book is such a powerful affirmation of individuality, creative expression and unconditional acceptance!

    Lola y el dragón

    Lola and her beloved cat, Bola, have an important event to attend: a costume party! The party is just getting good (there’s a dessert table!) when all of a sudden, a terrible dragon flies over and scoops up little Bola. Lola, a true heroine for our times, immediately recruits her friends to help with the rescue. But eventually Lola finds herself alone, with nothing but her courage and her creativity to help her rescue her beloved cat. Alone, that is, until she bumps into an unexpected little someone…

    Schomburg: El hombre que creó una biblioteca

    Arturo Schomburg, an Afro-Puerto Rican, was a law clerk. But his passion was collecting books, letters, music and art from Africa and the African diaspora, as he worked to honor “people of African descent through the ages.” Eventually, his collection grew so much that it threatened to overtake his whole house! And that’s when he turned to the New York Public Library. This is the story of how he put together his famous collection.

    ¡Gracias, Omu!

    Omu has made a delicious red stew for her lunch. And not only does it taste fabulous, it also smells AMAZING! So when the smell wafts out of her apartment and into the neighborhood, her neighbors can’t help but follow their noses to see where that delectable scent is coming from. One by one, Omu offers each person that knocks at her door a taste of her wonderful stew. But when dinner time finally comes around and it’s her turn to eat, the pot is empty! Has Omu been so generous that there’s nothing left for her?

    El día en que descubres quién eres

    The Spanish translation of “The Day You Begin” is just as lovely as the original English version! In this book, we start the school year along with Angelina, who (along with a few of her classmates) feels like an outsider. Whether because of home language, food diversity, skin color, or even the way they talk, the message here is that these differences make each child unique and, at the same time, a beautiful part of the community they now share.

    El elefante

    A young boy finds a book about elephants on his shelf. Along with him, we discover so many amazing facts about these giant creatures that make their home from Africa to Asia! For example: just like humans can be right- or left-handed, elephants can be right tusked or left tusked! The book’s accessible text is paired with clever and beautiful illustrations that turn interesting facts (an African elephant’s tusks grow up to 8 feet long) with visual examples (two seven-year-olds lounging toe-to-toe on an elephant’s tusk).

    Ada Magnífica, científica

    We love this translation of the English “Ada Twist, Scientist.” If translation is challenging, translation of rhymes is doubly so! This one is extremely well-done though, and introduces us to the curious little Ada, who is full of questions she just HAS to know the answers to (¿por qué tienes pelos en la naríz?). So when her house fills with a horrible smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to figure out why. But when her scientific experiments in the name of discovery lead to even more stink, will Ada be in big trouble?

    Jabari salta

    Jabari has learned to swim and is working up the courage to jump off the high dive–but he just can’t seem to take the leap! He has almost decided that actually, TOMORROW is the best day to jump, when his father tells him the little secret that helps him discover his bravery.

    ***

    I hope you’ll check out some of these Spanish books with Black characters! I’m publishing this post during Black History Month, but EVERY month of the year would be a perfect time to read them. 🙂 I’d love to know if there are any favorites of yours that I’ve missed!

    P.S. 7 more phenomenal books featuring Afro-Latinx characters.

    *Note: Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that if you click a link and make a purchase I may get a small commission. It won’t change how much you pay for an item.

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  • Best Spanish Board Books

    Is there anything sweeter than little board books all set up in the nursery, just waiting for a baby to love (and slobber on) them? 

    Today I’m sharing the very best Spanish board books, the ones that all three of my babies have loved. Several of these are translations of English books, BUT they’re so well done that you won’t mind rereading them 600 times (give or take). 

    If you’re interested in Spanish board books at all, you’ve probably heard of Lil’ Libros already. We’ve loved those books too! But all of the recommendations below have a little more of a story, so they’re nice for babies and toddlers who can probably benefit from longer books but are still in page-ripping territory. 

    BEST SPANISH BOARD BOOKS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

    El pez pucheros

    I think it’s important to note that our copy of this is looking preeeetty rough because of how many times we’ve read it (and how many times it’s been packed in a bag or backpack to take on adventures and trips). The Spanish translation is incredibly well-done! All of the different fish characters make it easy to do different voices, and when the book ends with a bunch of fish smooches? That is DEFINITELY a good reason to also smother your baby with kisses. 🙂 

    Cada oveja con su pareja

    A little book about mama and baby animals who dance together, perfect for the tiniest babies! Extra points for a subtle vocabulary lesson as each adult and baby animal is named (gallina/pollito, paloma/pichón, oveja/cordero, etc.). You can also find the song for this book online and sing the words instead of read them. This book is a current hit with my 15-month-old who loves to make all the different animal sounds when we read it. 

    Dos en el zoológico/Two at the Zoo

    We’ve also loved this bilingual book about a grandson/grandpa duo who visit the zoo. From one “oso pardo” to ten warthogs with “mucho pelo, dientes y pies,” they visit each zoo animal until “el abuelo está cansado” and it’s time to go home. (Love that that line is accompanied by an illustration of the little boy giving a big yawn, haha). The translation between English and Spanish isn’t literal, which is amazing because it rhymes so well in both languages. 

    ¿Quién se comió mi fruta?

    El pequeño gato is so hungry! He has four pieces of fruit to choose from, but when he goes to eat… someone has already taken a bite of ALL his fruit! Will there be anything at all left for him? This is a cute story with bright illustrations and flaps you open to reveal which animal has eaten each fruit (conejo ate the pear, just FYI).  

     La jirafa Rafa

    This book comes with a QR code on the back that you can scan to hear the song that goes with it! You can sing along as la jirafa Rafa lives his best life in the savanna. The song is super catchy and adds a lot to the bright illustrations and simple rhymes. 

    ¿Eres mi mamá?

    It’s a classic for a reason! The Spanish translation of “Are You My Mother?” is a well-done translation of the story we all know and love, as a baby bird looks everywhere for the mama bird. Extra points if you bounce your child on your knee when the egg is hatching and do your best animal voices while you read!

    Caperucita roja

    This book is a lovely version of this classic story. It’s a little larger than most board books and has a fairly significant amount of text. One very cool thing about it is how the illustrations are either raised or indented, so that they have inviting texture for babies to touch. 

    Los tres cerditos

    We also have this version of the three little pigs story, by the same author as Caperucita Roja above. Again, a big, sturdy book with lovely illustrations. Fair warning that the pigs put the wolf in a pot at the end (spoiler alert!) and one Amazon reviewer said it was too scary for her kids so… YMMV. 

    Perritos: Un libro para contar y ladrar

    When I asked for Spanish board book recommendations on Instagram, this book came up more than any other! Sandra Boynton is always a hit. The Spanish version of this book is very cute, and it’s so fun to count (and bark) along with all of the perritos.

    Canticos Books

    We also have really loved all of the Canticos books that bring Latin American nursery rhymes and songs to an American audience. Each book is bilingual English/Spanish! There are a lot to choose from, but Little Chickies / Los Pollitos , Little Mice / Ratoncitos, Little Sunny Sunshine / Sol Solecito, and All the Colors / De colores are my personal favorites.

    ***

    And there you have it! Did I miss any of YOUR best Spanish board books? It’s never too early to start reading to your baby, so I hope these books will help start that crucial habit as soon as possible. And any of these options would make great baby shower gifts for proud new papás!

    P.S. I am also a very, very big fan of reading picture books to a baby!

    Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that if you click a link and make a purchase I may get a small commission. It won’t change how much you pay for an item.

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  • Spanish Bedtime Stories

    The thing about Spanish bedtime stories is that technically, ANY book you read before bed is… a bedtime story. But sometimes, when your kid has decided that she’s desperately thirsty, she’s afraid of the dark, or she’d rather be in a different bed (i.e. your bed), it’s nice to read something that might make sleep come a little quicker.

    These books, with their stories about sleepy characters and illustrations prominently featuring the night sky, will hopefully give your little darling the right idea. That idea being, of course, that she should definitely sleep in her own bed all night long. As my mom would say, “HINT, HINT.”

    Little girls reading a Spanish picture book in bed
    SPANISH BEDTIME STORIES

    ¿A qué sabe la luna?

    In this whimsical story, all of the animals want to know what the moon tastes like. Is it sweet? Or perhaps salty? They just want a tiny bite! One day, tortuga climbs the tallest mountain to try to reach the moon. Since she can’t, she asks elefante to climb on her back and see if HE can reach it. One by one, the animals collaborate with each other in their quest to reach the moon. Will teamwork help them reach their goal? 

    Dormir a la reina panda

    The Reina Panda has a big problem: she can’t sleep! It’s no wonder she’s in a terrible mood. So her royal advisor (who’s also in a terrible mood, thanks to the fact that he now has to be up all night working) offers a sack of Chinese pearls as a reward to anyone who can get her to doze off. News travels fast and visitors come from all over the world to give it a shot. But nobody—not the shepherd from Mongolia nor the opera singer from Paris—is having any luck! I’m including this book in the Spanish bedtime stories roundup even though it’s really hard to find here in the U.S. because it’s SO beautiful & thematically aligned (we sent it to our Sol Book Box subscribers!).

    Aquí estamos. Notas para vivir en el planeta tierra

    Author/illustrator Oliver Jeffers wrote this book shortly after the birth of his son, and it’s intended as a sort of “intro to Earth” manual. The end result is a celebration of people of all shapes and sizes, and of the beauty and mystery of our planet. While this book, dedicated to a newborn, is lovely to read to a younger crowd (one line says “you can’t speak yet”), the concepts and illustrations are really great for older kids, too. Lots of space-themed illustrations in shades of blue and purple make it very bedtime-friendly! 

    Pile of Spanish bedtime stories.

    Nochecita

    This gorgeous book is the perfect bedtime story, with its palette of rich purples, blues and reds. I was hooked from the first line: “Al final del largo día, Madre Cielo llena la tina con estrellas fugaces y llama, ‘¡Hora de bañar a Nochecita!’” Both the images and the imagery are gorgeous, and I really loved the sweet relationship between the mother and her daughter (who insists on a little round of hide and seek before bedtime). This book also won a bunch of awards, ¡muy bien merecidos! 

    La luz de Lucía

    Lucía is a little firefly that can´t wait until she’s big enough to go light the night with the rest of her family. Finally, one night, her father tells her that her moment has come! Lucía is so excited, until she realizes that something already IS lighting up the night, and this round light is so big and bright that her small glow can never compete. Will Lucía la luciérnaga learn how to let her own light shine? 

    Los calzoncillos maléficos

    This book, from the same author that wrote Las zanahorias maléficas (one of our favorite Halloween books!) is about Jasper, a little bunny who spots a pair of glow-in-the-dark calzoncillos at the store and wants them desperately. Of course, once he gets home and puts them on, he realizes that undies that glow-in-the-dark are actually… really scary. Will Jasper ever be able to sleep again? 

    La siesta perfecta

    Deep in the hot jungle, a cool, nap-inducing breeze blows. The jaguar has something very important to do, but it would be a shame to waste such a breeze. So he asks the coati to wake him up in 10 minutes. The coati also notices the nap-breeze and asks the cockatiel to wake HIM up in 10 minutes. After a while all of the animals are asleep except for the sloth, who now is responsible for waking everyone up from their nap! Will he win the battle against extreme sleepiness? (The sloth yawns several times in this story, and no matter what time of day I read it, I always yawn for real. #momlife) 

    Little girl reading in bed
    ENGLISH BEDTIME STORIES

    And here are a couple of bonus English bedtime stories that we also love and I couldn’t help but include:

    Salsa Lullaby

    It’s bedtime, and Mami and Papi are getting the baby ready to sleep, rumbero style: “Mami starts a salsa song./ Papi keeps the beat.” At first the trio bounces and leaps across the pages, but eventually the mood turns drowsy and the music follows the baby to dreamland. Really beautiful illustrations in this book that interweaves Spanish words in English rhymes.

    A Big Mooncake for Little Star

    This story starts as Mama and Little Star make a mooncake (an Asian treat) in the kitchen. Little Star isn’t supposed to touch it; but in the middle of the night she can’t help taking a little nibble from the edge, another the next night, and so on until the mooncake (or is it the moon?) wanes to a crescent. A lovely and warm book that also helps kids learn about moon phases!

    Have you read any of these Spanish bedtime stories? And do you have any other great ones that I should add to the list? If so I’d love to hear about them!

    *Note: Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that if you click a link and make a purchase I may get a (very) small commission. It won’t change how much you pay for an item.

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