Recommended Reads: Children's Bilingual Materials

Hello! Hola! Some people speak Spanish. Some people speak English. Although we may not speak the same language, some things, like friendship, are universal! Follow two young giraffes as they meet, celebrate, and become friends. This bilingual tale will have readers eager to meet new friends andamigos.

"Vámanos," Mamá says. "Let's go!" Together we garden and bake. We bike and paint a mural, colorful and bright. I do some things sola, all by myself. Mamá says, "¡Perfecto!"— just perfect! With Mamá, I feel like a girasol, a sunflower, tall and proud. For a bilingual girl and her mamá, a loving bond is about being together . . . and independent. Arthur Dorros's skillful and subtle blend of English and Spanish narrative, illustrated with bold, striking paintings by award-winning artist Rudy Gutierrez, offers readers a poignant reminder that every day with Mamá is dulce—sweet!

Follow two children as they celebrate their ancestors on this vibrant holiday. They offer marigolds, sugar skulls, and special bread, and make delicious foods. By spreading marigold petals, they guide the dead home to join the festivities. Finally, after singing and dancing, it's time for bed. Bob Barner's luscious collages incorporate the traditional symbols of Day of the Dead. His poetic text is both English and Spanish. An author's note provides additional information on the holiday.

Told in both English and Spanish, this story introduces young readers to the concept of opposites as it follows young Quinito, whose daily life is just full of opposites.

Marta isuna niña, an ordinary girl . . . with some extraordinary animal friends! As Marta explores the jungle, she knows she's bigger than a bug, smaller than an elephant, and faster than a turtle. But then she meets the snake, who thinks Marta issabrosa—tasty, very tasty! But Marta isingeniosa, a very clever girl, and she outsmarts the snake with hilarious results. With simple Spanish and a glossary at the end, this fun read-aloud picture book teaches little ones to identify opposites and animals and learn new words.

When a little girl moves her hand, she changes the world as she discovers it. As she moves her known world, she discovers her own power and creates everything anew. The poem, written by Argentine poet Jorge Luján, comes from a culture saturated with magic, in which even the very young can make the world by reaching out and moving it. Mandana Sadat’s imaginative illustrations deepen and enrich the text. Moví la mano / I Moved My Hand is a very special contribution to the world of children’s books for the very young (and the not so young).

A 2016 Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book A 2016 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor Book When a little girl’s far-away grandmother comes to stay, love and patience transcend language in a tender story written by acclaimed author Meg Medina. Mia’s abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can’t read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English ("Dough. Masa"), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfectoidea for how to help them all communicate a little better. An endearing tale from an award-winning duo that speaks loud and clear about learning new things and the love that bonds family members.

Marisol McDonald has flaming red hair and nut-brown skin. Polka dots and stripes are her favorite combination. She prefers peanut butter and jelly burritos in her lunch box. To Marisol, these seemingly mismatched things make perfect sense together. Other people wrinkle their nose in confusion at Marisol can't she just choose one or the other? Try as she might, in a world where everyone tries to put this biracial, Peruvian-Scottish-American girl into a box, Marisol McDonald doesn t match. And that s just fine with her."

In this lively picture book, children discover a world of shapes all around them: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stonemetates, triangles are slices of watermelon andquesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes found in every child's day!

Pura Belpre; Award, Illustrator Honor Latino Book Award, Winner Green is a chile pepper, spicy and hot. Green is cilantro inside our pot. In this lively picture book, children discover a world of colors all around them: red is spices and swirling skirts, yellow is masa, tortillas, and sweet corn cake. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the colors found in every child's day!

The Princess and the Pea gets a fresh twist in this charming bilingual retelling. El principe knows this girl is the one for him, but, as usual, his mother doesn't agree. The queen has a secret test in mind to see if this girl is really a princesa. But the prince might just have a sneaky plan, too...

The rain forest is lush with delicious things to eat, but it?s also full of terribly picky eaters! Mangoes are too sweet for the baby iguana, bananas are just too yellow for monito (little monkey), and little quetzal can?t take even one more squishy avocado. Then fed-up Mamá Macaw has an idea that brings all the kids together to share a meal, and everyone finds exciting new foods to try. And what could be more fun than sharing a feast with friends? This bright and funny bilingual picture book will delight finicky kids and the parents who do their best to feed them.

No opponent is too big a challenge for the cunning skills of Las Hermanitas, Lucha Queens! Their Poopy Bomb Blowout will knock em' down! Their Tag-Team Teething will gnaw opponents down to a pulp! Their Pampered Plunder Diversion will fell even the most determined competitor! But what happens when Nino comes after them with a move of his own? Watch the tables turn in this wild, exciting wrestling adventure from Caldecott Honor author Yuyi Morales,Rudas: Horrendous Hermanitas. A Neal Porter Book

Songs + fun and games = little language learners! What better way to capture children's attention and open their minds to a new language than with catchy tunes, giggle-inducing games, and beloved fairy tales? Award-winning author Ana Lomba presents Hop, Skip, and Sing Spanish for Kids, an interactive program that will help you teach Spanish to children ages two though seven. Based on the author's proven "Easy Immersion" methodology, this audio package offers 25 songs and games that use repetition and active participation to make language learning a snap while encouraging children to sing, play, and act silly for maximum fun.

La primera amiga de todos los niños! For the first time, four classic Maisy toddler titles are available in dual Spanish-English editions. Young children are invited to meet Maisy’s favorite animals, check out her wardrobe, see what’s on her menu, and peek at what she has in her toy box — all through vibrant, toddler-friendly illustrations by Lucy Cousins identified in both Spanish and English.

Juana loves many things — drawing, eating Brussels sprouts, living in Bogota, Colombia, and especially her dog, Lucas, the best amigo ever. She does not love wearing her itchy school uniform, solving math problems, or going to dance class. And she especially does not love learning the English. Why is it so important to learn a language that makes so little sense? But when Juana’s abuelos tell her about a special trip they are planning—one that Juana will need to speak English to go on—Juana begins to wonder whether learning the English might be a good use of her time after all.

This heartwarming bilingual collection of traditional animal nursery rhymes from Spain, Latin America, and the United States will delight readers young and old. From the call of the rooster to the chirp, chirp of the cricket, these seventeen poems in both English and Spanish have been handpicked by distinguished authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, who have also included five of their own original poems in this anthology.

Books in this series aim to help children build their vocabulary in a target foreign language. This title presents 1000 entries for terms in Spanish and English with corresponding illustrations to show usage. The illustrations invite conversation between children and their parents.

-- Everyday Words encourages word/object association - great for beginning readers -- Children will love the miniature model characters and wonderfully detailed scenes -- Each title contains over 500 words in English, French, German or Spanish -- Useful vocabulary builder and spelling guides -- Foreign editions also include a dictionary and easy-to-use pronunciation guide

-- A wonderful picture-word book perfect for getting children started in Spanish.-- A complete alaphabetical list, with an easy phonetic guide to the Spanish word, is also included.

A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book A 2015 Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award Frida Kahlo, one of the world's most famous and unusual artists is revered around the world. Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases. Distinguished author/illustrator Yuyi Morales illuminates Frida's life and work in this elegant and fascinating book. A Neal Porter Book

In this new cooking poem, Jorge Argueta brings us a fun and easy recipe for a yummy salsa. A young boy and his sister gather the ingredients and grind them up in a molcajete, just like their ancestors used to do, singing and dancing all the while. The children imagine that their ingredients are different parts of an orchestra -- the tomatoes are bongos and kettledrums, the onion, a maraca, the cloves of garlic, trumpets and the cilantro, the conductor. They chop and then grind these ingredients in the molcajete, along with red chili peppers for the "hotness" that is so delicious, finally adding a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt. When they are finished, their mother warms tortillas and their father lays out plates, as the whole family, including the cat and dog, dance salsa in mouth-watering anticipation.