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Bilingual Bookworm, Book List
Picture Books with Latinx Characters
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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I’m delighted to share this list of what I consider THE best English picture books with Latinx characters.They’re clever, well-written, and beautifully illustrated—you won’t want to miss a single one!

As you know if you’ve been here for a minute, I love highlighting books en español that my little bilingual readers and I have enjoyed. But I also think it’s super important that my Latina daughters see themselves represented in mainstream media here in the U.S.!

That’s why discovering English picture books with Latinx characters makes me super happy. We’re so lucky to live in a time where #OwnVoices books (books with diverse characters that are written by people who share those identities) are on the rise. Still, only about 6% of all children’s books published in the U.S. each year have a Latinx main character/subject. And of that percentage, only about a third are actually written or illustrated by a Latinx!

So, there’s definitely room for a lot more books featuring Latinx protagonists. But for now, may I suggest that Hispanic Heritage Month is an ideal time to check out these ten, which in my opinion are the BEST picture books with Latinx characters!

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Also in Spanish as Soñadores. This book tells the story of a mother and son who cross a bridge and become immigrants. They walk, a little lost, through this strange new land until they come to a marvelous place: The library! From the vibrant, mixed media artwork to the way the story celebrates books and the gifts immigrants bring, there’s so much to love.

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown

Marisol McDonald has flaming red hair and warm brown skin. Her favorite lunch is peanut butter and jelly burritos. She may not make sense to other people, but to Marisol (and all of us other multicultural mashups), these seemingly mismatched things go together perfectly.

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

Also in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. Alma has a super long name: Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela. “It never fits,” she grumbles to her Papi. And that’s the start of Alma’s search for her identity, as her father guides her through the family history that inspired such a long name. The artwork in this one is so beautiful.

Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales

¡Señoras y señores! In this corner of the playroom, we have an energetic little luchador who, clad in underwear and a bright red lucha libre mask, prepares to take on his contenders. And in the opposite corner, an assortment of villains are ready to take our brave Niño down. Morales’ illustrations are reminiscent of a lucha libre poster, and I love the way she has Niño use Spanish exclamations (“¡Recórcholis!”).

Green Is a Chile Pepper by Roseanne Greenfield Thong

This colorful book introduces kids to a rainbow of colors, from the red of spices and swirling skirts to the white of sugar skulls and handmade lace. It’s written in rhyme—always fun—and incorporates words in Spanish throughout the text. This book cheerfully presents a slice of Mexican culture through both the text and the playful illustrations!

Miguel and the Grand Harmony by Matt de la Peña

Based on the characters from the movie Coco, this book is perfect for fans of that film. In it, we learn the story of how Miguel found the guitar he uses to play in secret in the attic. It’s written from the perspective of La Música, as she guides Miguel to his dream of playing the music in his heart. My favorite part of this book by far are the gorgeous and vibrant illustrations created by Pixar artist Ana Ramírez, who worked on Coco.

Abuela by Arthur Dorros

Flying over Manhattan and turning somersaults in the air, Rosalba and her abuela are taking an extraordinary trip— in Rosalba´s imagination. The story is narrated in English, and sprinkled with Spanish phrases as Abuela points out places that they explore together. The colorful illustrations are full of detail and are perfect for kids to spend lots of time looking at the pictures.

La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya

In this book, the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale unfolds with Peruvian flair. The prince is “so lonely, in need of affection,” but his mother, la reina, is in charge of vetting all possible marriage candidates. And she’s very demanding! Spoiler alert: that pea under the mattresses test? Let’s just say that the prince makes sure his amada passes with flying colors. The illustrations in this one are phenomenal, with characters dressed in clothing from different regions of Peru.

Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown

This book presents the life of the iconic Frida Kahlo through the kid-friendly lens of her animal friends. The text makes frequent comparisons between the featured animals and little Frida, that free-spirited artist. This isn’t the first picture book about Frida and won’t be the last, but the lively, folk-art style illustrations really make it special.

Islandborn by Junot Diaz

Most of the kids in Lola’s class are “from somewhere else.” When their teacher assigns them a project to draw a picture of the place where their families immigrated from, Lola is excited– until she realizes she doesn’t remember The Island, because she left when she was just a baby. So she draws on the memories of family and friends to discover the place where she’s from. This is a beautiful and sensitive story of culture, identity and belonging.

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Book List, Reading
8 Books for your Summer Reading List
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“Whatcha doing?” my husband Josh asked me the other day. “Oh, just maxing out my holds requests at the library,” I responded.

I love making a great big summer reading list! I never really get to all of the books on it (sometimes this is because I’m #658 on the library waitlist…), but half the fun is just making the list in the first place.

But what I don’t love? Is wasting my precious reading time on a mediocre book. ¡No gracias! I used to feel this weird obligation to finish every book I started (is this a Capricorn thing?), but now I just give myself permission to stop reading if it’s not doing anything for me.

But it’s always nicer to start off with a book that I’m pretty sure I’ll love. 🙂 These 8 below have been some of my favorites that I’ve read recently (or recently-ish), and I think they’d be perfect for YOUR summer reading list!

Almost none of these are new releases (in fact, some are quite old), so hopefully you can avoid being #658 on the library waitlist and actually read them in the summer instead of, say, January when it’s finally your turn.

BOOKS BY A LATINX AUTHOR:

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez

This book follows the story of Arturo and Alma Rivera and their beautiful daughter Maribel, who all move to the U.S. from their small town in Mexico. After a horrific accident that left fifteen-year-old Maribel with a brain injury, they’ve waited and sacrificed to get the right papers to come to los Estados Unidos, the country that they hope will help her get better. Amid all of the struggles and difficulties the Rivera family faces in this new country, one bright spot is their friendship with their Panamanian neighbors, the Toro family. Mayor Toro (their teenage son) and Maribel become especially close. But all of those relationships are tested as a number of incidents occur which set in motion a chain of events that will change each of their lives forever. I really liked how the author wove in testimonios of other men and women (neighbors in their apartment complex who also immigrated to the States) throughout the book. This is a short-ish, engrossing read that goes by fast!

The Seamstress: A Novel by Frances de Pontes Peebles

The Seamstress was released 10 years ago, but I just discovered it this year after reading the author’s newest book. Sisters Emília and Luzia dos Santos start off as seamstresses in a small town in backcountry Brazil. Left orphaned at a young age, they live with their aunt, who teaches them how to mend, cut and create. Both long for escape, and both find it: Luzia is (willingly) abducted by a band of outlaw cangaceiros (bandits) led by the infamous Hawk; and Emília (the family romantic) finangles her way into a marriage with the son of a wealthy and politically powerful doctor and moves to the big city. Though the sisters’ lives diverge in drastic ways, they keep track of each other through occasional mentions in the newspaper (Emília in the society section, Luzia in the headlines when the cangaceiros do something particularly brutal or barbaric). This is an epic, long novel (600+ pages), but I was so engrossed in all of it and thought about the book for a long time after I finished it. I definitely wouldn’t classify this as a “light” read (both the story and the writing are intense), but it’s excellently written and the author does a great job of creating strong, believable characters and situating them perfectly in the context of 1930’s Brazil.

MEMOIRS:

Love Warrior: A Memoir by Glennon Doyle

I’m not the first person to recommend Glennon Doyle’s memoir (though I am in excellent company because Oprah picked it for her book club), but I couldn’t leave it off this summer reading list! Starting with her early descent into bulimia and alcoholism, this book takes us through Glennon’s beautiful, brutal journey to get sober for marriage and motherhood. Three kids later, she discovers her husband is wrestling his own addictions: to porn and infidelity. What makes the story so riveting is her account of how she– and he– rebuild their lives, together and separately. Doyle started off as a blogger who gained a massive following for her vulnerable writing, and that honesty and warmth totally shines through in her book.

At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider

I picked up this book because we have several friends who have done some version of what Oxenreider and her family did: packing up a house and spending a year wandering the world. I’m not sure that type of travel is for me (give me a home base and a routine for my kids, please). But I still loved following the Oxenreiders as they load up their three kids and set off on an adventure, starting in Beijing and ending in London. The most interesting part of this book for me was the way Oxenreider worked to balance her love of travel, of seeing the world and exploring new places, with her love of roots, stability, and community. It’s a tension I feel (and, I suspect, so do many others), and her reflections on family and home and community really resonated with me. I also really like her thesis that travel isn’t mutually exclusive with having kids (preach!). Pick this one up if you want a way to satisfy your wanderlust from your couch this summer (though the end result might be that you book a plane ticket to see the world— you’ve been warned).

BOOKS SET OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES:

The Last Days of Café Leila by Donia Bijan

I grabbed this off the library shelf on a whim solely because my oldest daughter is named Leila, and was pleasantly surprised by it! Noor is a (happily— or so she thinks) married doctor living in San Francisco, but a personal crisis leaves her reeling. Dragging her unwilling teenage daughter along, she decides to take a long-overdue visit to her father, Zod, in Iran. As Noor rejoins the world of Cafe Leila, the restaurant her family has been running for three generations and the backdrop of her Persian childhood, she must rethink who she is and figure out her plan for the future. I’m a big fan of immigrant stories, and this one beautifully weaves together Iran’s complex history with the more domestic story of food, family and homecoming.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

In this book we read the parallel storylines of Li-yan, who grew up in a remote Chinese village among the Akha people, and her daughter Hayley, adopted by an American couple in California. As a teenager Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, violates Akha cultural taboos in several significant ways, including having a baby out of wedlock (and later marrying the baby’s father despite her family’s disapproval). Rather than standing by tradition, Li-yan wraps the baby in a blanket, tucks in a tea cake, and leaves her near an orphanage in the nearest city. The rest of the book is the story of Li-yan’s emergence from the insularity of her village and her introduction to modern (1990’s) China; it’s also the story of Hayley’s search for answers as she grows up the privileged, well-loved Asian daughter of a White couple. Ultimately, they both find what they are seeking in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations.

LIBROS EN ESPAÑOL

El tiempo entre costuras by María Dueñas

This is the book that inspired one of my faaaavorite TV series (same name in Spanish, or “The Time in Between” in English.). Sira is the daughter of a Spanish seamstress. When Spain becomes politically fraught leading up to the Spanish Civil War, Sira ends up escaping the country with her gorgeous lover and heads to Morocco. However, she soon finds herself abandoned, penniless, and heartbroken in an exotic land. This story follows Sira as she reinvents herself and opens a successful atelier in Morocco, but the adventure doesn’t end there. At the height of World War II, Sira’s new friends persuade her to return to Madrid and adopt an entirely new identity, embarking on the most dangerous undertaking of her career. A little bit love story, a little bit spy story, and lots of beautiful clothes, I couldn’t put this book down! It’s on the long side, so if you’re looking for an epic summer reading project I think this would be a great option.

Largo pétalo de mar by Isabel Allende

Obviously no summer reading list of mine would be complete without something by Isabel Allende, and luckily she has a brand new book out this month! Coincidentally, this story is also set during the Spanish Civil War. Víctor Dalmau, a young doctor, finds himself fleeing Barcelona along with his pianist friend Roser Bruguera aboard the Winnipeg (the ship that poet Pablo Neruda commissioned to sail from France to Chile with two thousand Spanish refugees aboard). Roser and Víctor had to marry before boarding the Winnipeg to be allowed aboard, but despite the fact that it was a marriage of convenience they settle in Chile and live happily for several decades. However, when President Salvador Allende is outed in a military coup, the threat of a new dictatorship puts everything they have worked for at risk.

Any good recommendations for me? I’d love to add another book (or 15) to my summer reading list!

P.S. How to read more books 🙂 (in case you’re feeling crunched for time!)

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Bilingual Bookworm, Bilingual Kids, Book List, Reading
Spanish Poems for Kids
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At my elementary school in Mexico, a big part of our curriculum was memorizing poetry and then reciting it in front of the class. It actually was more than reciting– it was “declamar,” which means you had to say the poem with convincing emotion and include dramatic hand gestures, too (more like acting out the poem). The kids who were really good at this got to go compete with kids from other schools at a poetry-reciting contest.

I was always great at memorizing the poems (my long-term memory is shot, but my short-term memory is and always has been amazing!); but with my little mouse voice, I can’t tell you how many times my teacher asked me to speak louder because nobody could hear me.

Needless to say, I never won one of those contests. 🙂

However, I do think it’s pretty cool that poetry was such a big part of our education! Just the other day I explained the concept of rhyming to my four-year-old and realized that I actually say little poems to my kids all day long (“Caracol, caracol, saca tus cuernos al sol,” etc.).

I’d love to claim that this is a byproduct of my excellent poetry education as a child, but the truth is that most of them come from one of my very favorite children’s books, ¡Pío Peep!, a classic (and beautifully illustrated) bilingual book of songs and little poems.

One thing that I think is really great about Spanish poems for kids is that because most bilingual kids are also bicultural, knowing the sayings and rhymes of two cultures allows children to fully participate in both. Knowing the little rhymes everyone else grew up on helps you get jokes and literary references, too (if you’re Latinx, tell me you haven’t bonded with someone over “los pollitos dicen,” haha).

All of this is to say that April, which is National Poetry Month in the U.S., seemed like a great time to share some of our favorite books of Spanish poems for kids (a couple are bilingual!). As always, if you have favorites of your own, I would be THRILLED to have more recommendations.

¡Pío Peep!: Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy (bilingual English/Spanish)

I mentioned before that this book is one of my favorites! We got it as a gift at our baby shower for our first daughter and, four years later, I still pull it out all the time. It has so many of the Spanish songs and nursery rhymes I remember from my own childhood and now love singing to my kids. And in addition, I think the English translations are really well done. They’re not literal translations, which is essential especially in poetry because that way they can actually rhyme in English, too. Highly recommend!

Colors! ¡Colores! by Jorge Luján and Piet Grobler (bilingual English/Spanish)

This book is a great introduction to poetry because each poem is super short. Mexican poet Jorge Luján picks one color to focus on in each poem, which is set against illustrator Piet Grobler’s beautiful images. I’m not normally into non-rhyming poetry (what can I say, I’m an unsophisticated poetry-reader), but I think this book really works for me because the poems are so bite-sized.

Historias para colorear un mosquitero blanco by Zahylis Ferro (Spanish)

I had to include this one because I think the writing here is so beautiful! The poems in this book are written from the perspective of three generations of women: the grandmother, who lives in a rural part of the Caribbean country where she was born; the granddaughter/mother who left (migrated to the U.S. is the implication); and the great-granddaughter who returns to the ancestral home for a visit. These poems are truly lovely and nostalgic, but my favorite part is how they all center on love for the family.

Mi primer libro de poesía by José Luis Ferris (Spanish)

This is an illustrated anthology that includes poems from classic and contemporary poets from Spain and Latin America. Some of the more famous ones include Amado Nervo, Gloria Fuertes, and Federico García Lorca. It’s a nice way to introduce these authors to kids as a foundation for future Spanish literature study!

Todo es canción: Antología poética by Alma Flor Ada (Spanish)

I think the best thing I can share about this book is my favorite poem from it:

I mean if that’s not an anthem for Sol Book Box / my life / my motherhood / this blog, I don’t know what is! All of the Spanish poems in here are organized by curriculum themes (parts of the body, numbers, nature, etc.), so it’s a great one for teachers or folks with a teacher-heart. 🙂

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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Bilingual Bookworm, Bilingual Kids, Book List, Reading
7 Fantastic Nonfiction Books in Spanish
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It’s (the end of) National Reading Month! Heyooo! I love that the U.S. has a whole month dedicated to helping kids (and adults) improve their reading skills and find a love for books. March is almost over, but that doesn’t mean the reading fun should stop!

As you know, I also love a good Spanish children’s book roundup, because it’s rare for us to just be able to go to the library or bookstore and happen upon great books en español. It usually takes a little more planning and research to be able to find the fabulous ones, and in my experience that’s even more true with nonfiction books.

I’m thrilled to partner with Read on Arizonaand the Conversar para Aprender initiative this month to share a list of fantastic nonfiction books for little ones!

You know I talk all the time about how important reading is. It’s a huge part of the Conversar para Aprender campaign as the fourth strategy (out of five) for helping kids’ language and literacy development.

Reading nonfiction is ESPECIALLY important for kids though, because it helps them develop reading comprehension, build background knowledge, improve vocabulary, and develop analytical skills. In fact, the book we sent out to our Sol Book Box subscribers this month was nonfiction for these very reasons!

The picture books below are the perfect intro to nonfiction thanks to their compelling text and kid-friendly visuals. I hope you can pick up one or a few at your local library or online to enjoy as a family!

Hay un triceratops en la casa del árbol by Larousse

We are in a dinosaur phase right now, so this book has been a big hit lately. Have you ever thought about how a triceratops would do in our modern world? He’d be great at playing soccer/fútbol because of his super strong legs… buuut he might accidentally pop the ball with his horns. I like it because it shares so many interesting facts about the triceratops in a silly, kid-friendly format.

El pan by Francois Laurent

“El pan” is part of a series of books called “Yo sé lo que como.” Like the other books in the series, this one talks about a specific food (bread, in this case) and helps kids understand where it comes from, starting from the wheat we grow to make the flour. This book is also really great because it discusses things like “¿Cómo podemos producir el pan respetando la tierra?” I really appreciate the environmentally conscious vibe.

La gravedad by Jason Chin

This was an unexpected library find! It has sparse text and compelling images to take the very complex subject of gravity and make it accessible to young readers. My only complaint is that, while it asks questions like “What stops everything from floating into space?” it leaves the reader with the heavy-lifting of explaining what exactly gravity IS, which I was so not prepared to do. Fair warning so you can prep before your own small child makes you explain. 🙂

En el parque de bomberos (Spanish Edition) by Marie Fordacq

What is a firefighter’s job? What kind of things do they do each day? This interactive picture book walks us through a firefighter’s daily routine, from training to rescue missions. This was a Sol Book Box book we sent out last year. We especially love the removable figurines at the back of the book that let readers build their own fire station!

¿Sabes cómo funciona? by Cecile Jugla

This book is REALLY great for curious little people because it explains the science behind 50 items we use in our everyday life. It’s divided into different sections (a few examples include: At Home, Transportation, Food, and Getting Ready). In each of those sections it teaches kids things like why we use soap, what happens at the airport, or even how cartoons are made. Highly recommended in case you need some help with answers to the many “porque’s” and “como’s” you get asked on the daily!

BONUS BOOKS FOR OLDER KIDS (7+)

When I asked for recommendations on Instagram, there were a couple of suggestions for books geared toward older kids. I checked them out and they are pretty great, so I’m including in case you have older readers! Both of these are still picture books, but are written for kids in the 7-11 age range.

Viajamos tan lejos… by Laura Knowles

I think animal migration is such a fascinating thing! Just think of all the creatures that spend their life swimming, flying or walking across the planet. In this book, beautiful illustrations accompany the amazing migration stories of different species, including whales, albatross, leatherback turtles, monarch butterflies, and polar bears (plus lots of others).

Sabores De America by Ana María Pavez and Constanza Recart

This book is all about food, so it’s pretty easy to love. In it, we read about some of the foods that until modern times were consumed only on the American continent (things like corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, papaya, and avocado). This book is also awesome because for along with little facts and a history lesson behind each food, you also get a simple, kid-friendly recipe to try out.

And there you have it! I would LOVE to add to this list, so if you have suggestions for other fabulous nonfiction books your kids have loved, please leave them in the comments!

This post is sponsored by Read On Arizona, an organization that shares my enthusiasm for helping parents raise readers.

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Book List, Featured, Reading, Top Stories
The Best Spanish Christmas Books to Read this Season
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Navidad, Navidad, ¡ya es Navidad! Hello, most wonderful time of the year! I always love a good Spanish children’s book roundup, but a roundup of Spanish CHRISTMAS books? I mean, it might as well be covered in twinkle lights!

As I’ve been working with Read On Arizona to share the Smart Talk / Conversar para Aprender initiative, I’ve really been trying to think of how to use these strategies in my own family over the holidays. They’re all simple (but significant!), so they’re easy to incorporate into our daily routine even during this busy time of year:
1. Describe
2. Ask
3. Respond
4. Read
5. Repeat
(You can see more detailed descriptions of the 5 strategies here!)

As for me and my family, for the next few weeks we’ll be focusing heavily on strategy #4: read! Reading with your baby or toddler is such a simple way to introduce new and unusual words and build vocabulary. And books and stories are also an ideal way to introduce concepts like Christmas, Santa, or snow (for us desert dwellers) to these little humans who are still learning!

I know lots of families who do an advent calendar with books, where the kids open one wrapped Christmas book each day of December. I think that’s so lovely! Personally, I have not reached that level of #momgoals yet, but I DO have my stack of Spanish Christmas books ready to read with my two chiquitas this month.

Here are a few of our favorites, in case you’d like to look for them online or at the library!

SPANISH CHRISTMAS BOOKS

La Navidad del camioncito azul by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry

I’m going to tell you right now that the best part of this book is that the last page actually lights up with real-life lights. Such a crowd pleaser! This cute Christmas board book also doubles as counting practice for the littlest niños, as el camioncito azul delivers Christmas trees (and cheer!) to his animal friends.

La historia de la Navidad text by various authors, art by Robert Sabuda

Small disclaimer here that this one is on the expensive side, but if you love books that are beautiful then it’s definitely worth checking out! This book tells the story of the birth of Jesus, and what makes it really special are the gorgeous, intricate pop-up scenes. It’s the perfect book to tell this Bible story, and so lovely that you’ll be excited to pull it out each Christmas. (This one is probably best reserved for older kids who won’t be tempted to rip out the pop-ups.)

La mejor Navidad by Chih-Yuan Chen

It’s a going to be a small Christmas at the Oso house this year, since Papá Oso has lost his job and money is tight. But to everyone’s surprise, on Christmas morning there is a present under the tree for each member of the family— and not just any present, but a cherished item they thought they had lost! Who could have left them there? Observant readers will love helping the Oso family solve the mystery. 🙂 I love this story for its message that gifts don’t have to be expensive (in fact, they don’t have to cost anything at all). The most important thing is to give thoughtfully and from the heart!

La primera Navidad de los elfos by Atsuko Morozumi

After finding their woodland village suddenly invaded by woodcutters, the elves wander in search of a new home. Just when they’re starting to give up hope of ever finding a good place in the winter cold and snow, they spot the inviting lights of a small farm. If you’ve guessed that the farm belongs to Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, you’re right! This is the charming story of the elves’ first Christmas with Santa and how they were able to lend a helping hand.

Ya llegan los Reyes Magos by Georgina Lázaro León

I love this book for so many reasons! This rhyming story is set in Puerto Rico, and takes us through one small boy’s day of preparing for el Día de los Reyes. First he has to write to the Reyes, there’s a whole day of cooking, and then everyone in the family goes to find “la hierba más fresca y más verde” to leave for the camels. And at the end of the night? “Unos partirán temprano / después de comer bizcocho / pero otros esperarán / a que esté listo el sancocho.” Highly recommended and a great option for talking about Día de los Reyes traditions!

El milagro de la primera flor de Nochebuena by Joanne Oppenheim

Ok, I don’t know why this book is priced at $105, but I found a copy for the extravagant price of FREE at my local library. I’m including it here in case you happen to spot it anywhere for less than a Benjamin! And also because this is a great version of the traditional Mexican tale about how the poinsettia plant, which folks all over the world use to decorate at Christmas, first came to be. Bonus points for the artwork which I think is really lovely.

The Christmas Gift / El regalo de Navidad by Francisco Jiménez

I hadn’t heard of this one until I asked for your favorite Spanish Christmas books over on Instagram, and what a find it turned out to be! Author Francisco Jimenez based this this story on his own experience as the child of migrant farmworkers. Our protagonist, Panchito, learns that even though he will not be getting the present he would like for Christmas, the best gift of all is his family’s ability to be thankful for the blessings they have. Although they have so little in material possessions, what they do have is love for each other and willingness to sacrifice for a better life. This one is bilingual (English text on one side, Spanish on the other) and you proooobably want to have a box of tissues handy if you read it.

El expreso polar by Chris Van Allsburg

The Spanish translation of this classic Christmas tale follows a young boy as he boards a magical train on Christmas Eve. Bitterly skeptical of the existence of Santa Claus, his journey to the North Pole and eventual meeting of Santa (with many adventures along the way), helps him become a believer. This one is a sweet story, and pairs very nicely with the Polar Express movie if you’re planning to watch it this season!

BONUS ENGLISH BUT LATINX-INSPIRED BOOKS

‘Twas Nochebuena by Roseanne Greenfield Thong (English with sprinkles of Spanish)

This rhyming book takes us through a traditional Mexican Nochebuena celebration! We follow a family through tasty tamale-making, to the posadas that start when it’s dark, and then to a piñata where “a shower of candy soon falls to el suelo / we chase after gum and sweet caramelo.” And after the midnight feast has been served and all of the gifts have been unwrapped, it’s time to wish everyone “Feliz Navidad and to all a good night!”

A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora (English with sprinkles of Spanish)

Who can help but sing along to The 12 Days of Christmas? Though this book is mostly in English, there are things to find and count in Spanish on every page, from burritos bailando to lunitas cantando! This is a lovely Latinx twist on the traditional folk song, and my favorite part is the sweet surprise ending as the narrator’s secret amiga, who has been sending her gifts all along, is revealed. The artwork is really great in this one and (fun fact!) was done by Magaly Morales, the sister of one of my favorite author/illustrators, Yuyi Morales!

Thanks so much to those of you who sent me your favorite Spanish Christmas books via social media! And if I’m missing any great ones, please comment and let me know so I can add them to the list!

This post is sponsored by Read On Arizona, an organization that shares my enthusiasm for helping parents raise readers.

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Bilingual Bookworm, Book List, Reading
Spanish Children’s Books for Back to School
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Ahh, September, the season of newly sharpened pencils and lunch boxes that don’t yet smell faintly of old sandwich. We’re pretty firmly back in the school routine (having started school in early August, what up AZ?). But I feel like September is the REAL back to school month and we’re still figuring out new routines and new relationships.

Because my oldest is only in preschool a couple of mornings a week for a few hours, it kind of feels like we’re just playing dress-up with the idea of having school-age kids. And I’m ok with that! I don’t mind one little bit waiting a couple more years to have to get everyone fed, dressed and out of the house by 7:30 am (no por favoooor).

But regardless of whether your chiquitín/a is starting preschool or kindergarten & beyond, any of these books would be perfect to read as you nail the back to school thing.

Soy demasiado pequeña para ir al colegio by Lauren Child

It’s time for Tolola to go to school, but she’s not so sure school’s for her. Luckily, her brother Juan is around to show her the ropes. There’s really one major hurdle by the first day: how will Tolola go to school without Soren Lorensen, her imaginary friend? What if no one sits by her at lunch?! Fun fact, I had no idea that Juan and Tolola first existed in English as Charlie and Lola (and I’m still perplexed that someone felt the need to change “Lola” to “Tolola” for the Spanish version).

Mi maestra es un monstruo (No es cierto) by Peter Brown

Roberto has the worst teacher: she’s so scary and mean, in fact, he’s pretty sure she’s a monster. Thankfully he only has to see her at school, until one weekend she shows up in Roberto’s favorite park! Love this one for teaching that most people are pretty wonderful if you just take the time to get to know them a little better. (And also for teaching the shocking news that teachers exist OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, gasp!)

Ruby, mono ve, mono hace by Peggy Rathmann

When my high school best friend found out I was starting a business selling Spanish children’s books, she mailed me this one because she loves it so much. Ruby is the new girl in school, and she has a lot of similarities to Angela. What a coincidence! At first, Angela is flattered when Ruby shows up at school wearing all the same clothes she wears… but it gets old fast. Their teacher, la señorita Lara, takes matters into her own hands as she tries to teach Ruby a very important lesson (summarized by that quote that somebody made famous): “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

El primer día de escuela de Chu by Neil Gaiman

It’s Chu’s first day of school, and (like most kids), he’s a little nervous about how it’s going to go. His main worry, of course, is whether he will make friends. At school, the teacher asks everyone to introduce themselves and talk about what they really like to do. And it turns out Chu’s answer to the question is rather unusual!

Un beso en mi mano by Audrey Penn

This sweet story is perfect for little students that feel nervous about the first day of school. Chester el Mapache doesn’t want to go to school—he’d rather stay home, see his friends, and play with his toys! But then his Mami shows him a special secret that will let him feel her love as he ventures out into the world. This adorable little trick might be just perfect for real-life kids that feel similarly apprehensive about leaving home all day long.

Y ahora cuenten— any favorite back to school books I’m missing? I’d love to add more to the list!

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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Bilingual Bookworm, Book List, Reading
Phenomenal Picture Books Featuring Afro-Latinx Characters
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The first time I ever heard or thought about the concept of Afro-Latinx was when I was in college (the small town in Chihuahua, Mexico where I grew up was pretty homogenous). My junior year, I left the U.S. to do a summer internship in Honduras where I made some great Afrohondureño friends. When I came back to the States, I realized that I knew tons of people that identified as both Black and Latinx—I always just paid attention to their Latinx side!

Since starting Sol Book Box, one of my goals has always been to find books that act as “mirrors” for kids, the kind where they can read authentic stories that reflect their own lives and families. My revelatory experience from all those years ago has been on my mind as we’re about to start Black History Month, because I don’t know about you, but I don’t often see Afro-Latinxs featured during this month that we celebrate achievements by Black people in U.S. history.

I definitely don’t want my kids to be in college before they realize that lots of people are BOTH Black and Latinx (a Pew Research Center survey of Latinx adults shows that one-quarter of all U.S. Latinxs self-identify as Afro-Latinx, Afro-Caribbean, or of African descent with roots in Latin America), so I thought I’d go on the hunt for great books in Spanish that feature an Afro-Latinx protagonist to read this February. And then I decided I needed to share here!

You should know that I never recommend books that I haven’t personally read with my kids and enjoyed. These 7 books highlighting Afro-Latinx characters are the ones that made the cut!

Lola by Junot Diaz (Spanish), also in English as Islandborn

Most of the kids in Lola’s class are “from somewhere else.” When their teacher assigns them a project to draw a picture of the place where their families immigrated from, Lola is excited– until she realizes she doesn’t remember The Island, because she left when she was just a baby. So she draws on the memories of family and friends to discover the place where she’s from. This is a beautiful and sensitive story of culture, identity and belonging.

Blanca Nieve y los siete gigantones by Yanitzia Canetti (Spanish)

If you’ve been reading for a minute you already know that I’m a huge fan of Yanitzia Canetti’s “Había otra vez” series. This book reimagines Blanca Nieve as una niña “con los ojos rasgados y de color caramelo, su piel como chocolate y muy crespo su pelo,” and replaces the forest with a tropical island. It’s one of my favorites because of Canetti’s rhymes, which are precise, musical, and hilarious. (Also it doesn’t hurt that in this version Blanca Nieve tells the dwarfs they can do their own housework, and later informs the prince that while she’s grateful he saved her life, she can’t reciprocate his love until she gets to know him a little better!)

Última parada de la calle Market by Matt de la Peña (Spanish)

This book has won all kinds of awards, and happily the Spanish translation was exceptionally well done and retains the magic of the English version. Every Sunday after church, Jackson and his grandma, Nana, board the bus to go to la calle Market. Jackson has a lot of questions: Why don’t they have a car like his friend Colby? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Nana, who with every answer encourages Jackson to see the beauty of the city and the people they encounter, is one of my very favorite children’s book characters. (I’m also rather partial to the heavily tattooed man on the bus who spends the whole time looking at his cell phone, ha!). Definitely a can’t-miss book for any list featuring

Nochecita by Yuyi Morales (Spanish)

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! Definitely a can’t-miss book for any list of Afro-Latinx centered stories.

Letras al carbón by Irene Vasco (Spanish)

In Palenque, a small town in Colombia, nobody (except the shopkeeper) knows how to read or write. But when our protagonist’s older sister, Gina, begins to receive letters from Miguel Ángel—who had visited the small town previously—the girls’ need to read and discover what these mysterious epistles say gets real. I can never resist a book about reading and books, and I really like the illustrations in this one. Also I like that this book was recommended to me on Instagram, yay for the internet!

Draw! by Raúl Colón (Wordless)

This book is technically wordless, but I’m going to go ahead and count it as Spanish! (As a side note, I used to not be a huge fan of wordless picture books because I felt like I was “reading” them in the most boring way ever… but I’ve come around thanks to the fact that I can make them all Spanish and that makes me happy.) This book, about a boy who begins in his room with a sketchbook and ends up drawing all sorts of animals in the jungle, is cute and great for animal lovers (so basically every kid ever).

Pelé, el rey del fútbol/King of Soccer by Monica Brown (bilingual English/Spanish)

Ideal for the soccer-loving crowd, and a nice tribute to Pelé, a poor boy from Brazil who grew up to become the world’s greatest soccer star. The text itself is ok (though I must admit I found the random italicized paragraphs weird and distracting), but the illustrations are what really make this book, with high-energy, full-bleed pictures throughout. Brown describes Pelé’s humble background (he and his friends didn’t have enough money to buy a soccer ball so they used a grapefruit; they also couldn’t afford shoes so the soccer team played barefoot), but doesn’t dwell on it.

I go through periodically and update this list as new books featuring Afro-Latinx protagonists are published, so if you have a recent favorite, I’d love to hear about it!

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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Bilingual Bookworm, Book List, Reading
5 Spanish Halloween / Día de los Muertos Books to Love
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I’m going to confess something.

Ready?

Día de los muertos is not my favorite holiday. There! I said it!

I’m definitely not opposed to remembering and celebrating our ancestors, of course, but I mean… DEATH. In my family we didn’t build altares covered in flor de cempasúchil (although I did very much enjoy the pan de muertos and my mom, former Spanish teacher, can write a mean calavera). Being from northern Mexico probably contributed to this lackadaisical attitude re: Día de los Muertos festivities (in southern Mexico it’s a much bigger deal and the celebrations are beautiful!).

However, now that I’m here in the U.S. raising my little mexicanitas I want to make sure they learn about and appreciate this important tradition and that it doesn’t get totally eclipsed by Halloween (also not my favorite holiday, though gaining in favor now that I get to eat all my kids’ Halloween candy).

And you better believe I want books en español as we celebrate both! Here are my top picks, whether you’re looking to build your collection of Halloween / Día de los Muertos children’s books or just grab a few new titles from the library:

Board books:

La Llorona by Patty Rodriguez and Adriana Stein

Like all Lil’ Libros books, this one has a simple one word/one image per page format and focuses on counting spooky illustrations (rather than the actual story of La Llorona). My tolerance for spooky things is very low, but even I can handle this one!

Dibuja a la bruja by Monica Campadabal

This book comes with a pen and invites kids to draw different faces on the witch (sad, surprised, etc.) mirroring the illustration of her making that face on the opposite page. This is a cute little interactive book and I love the unusual shape!

Boo! / ¡Bu! by Leslie Patricelli

This is a year-round favorite at our house. The first year my hija mayor was old enough to grasp the concept of carving a pumpkin, she ran to get this book and straight up used it as a manual while supervising the pumpkin-face-carving process (“¡Ahora tienes que hacer la boca así!”).

Picture books:

Las zanahorias maléficas by Aaron Reynolds (Spanish)

I first read the English version of this book (Creepy Carrots!) and was super happy to see there is a Spanish translation! It reminds me of an old-timey horror film, with its ominous black and white illustrations peppered with a pop of orange. El conejito Jasper won’t stop eating carrots, so the carrots decide to go after him! Or is he just imagining things?

Rosita y Conchita by Erich Haeger and Eric Gonzalez (bilingual English/Spanish)

Sweetest story of Rosita and Conchita, twin sisters (one living, one dead) who connect on Día de los Muertos. I was sweating for a second thinking I was going to have to explain to my two year old what “se murió” means, but she’s still a little too young to grasp the concept. However, if you DO want to discuss grief or death with young kids, this is the perfect book for it since it focuses more on the sisters’ emotional connection than the sadness of death. This book also goes through every aspect of the altar so it’s great for contextualizing what is traditionally added to ofrendas. (Looks like this one is now a million dollars on Amazon, but I’m leaving it on the list in case you run across it somewhere else!)

The Day of the Dead / El Dia De Los Muertos by Bob Barner (bilingual English/Spanish)

In this book we follow two children as they celebrate their ancestors by making an ofrenda of marigolds, sugar skulls, pan de muertos and other delicious foods. This is a basic Día de los Muertos primer with bold, colorful illustrations.

Bonus:

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh (English)

This book isn’t in Spanish, but I couldn’t not include it because it’s pretty great, especially for older kids. It has won all kinds of awards and was on the New York Times Best list for illustrations in 2015. In it, we learn the story of Mexican artist José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada, who created the calavera (skeleton) illustrations that have now become synonymous with el Día de los Muertos.

Any of your favorites I missed? Let me know because there are not many books in Spanish out there for these holidays- dear authors and publishers, there’s a market opportunity for you!

P.S. Three more (newer!) Halloween books in Spanish that we love.

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Book List

BOOKS BY A LATINX AUTHOR:

MEMOIRS:

BOOKS SET OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES:

LIBROS EN ESPAÑOL

BONUS BOOKS FOR OLDER KIDS (7+)

SPANISH CHRISTMAS BOOKS

BONUS ENGLISH BUT LATINX-INSPIRED BOOKS