Read and Shine » bilingual

The United States is filled with many cultures and languages, all residing together beneath one flag. One of the most common languages spoken after English is Spanish, and many families speak both languages in one home. Books that are bilingual English/Spanish have emerged in recent years to support children learning both Spanish and English, no matter what the primary language spoken in their household happens to be. This book list includes a selection of noteworthy bilingual titles that are geared toward readers ages 4-7. From folklore to friendship, the books listed here showcase Spanish and English together in a delightfully accessible way.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Abuela By: Arthur Dorros Illustrated by: Eliza Kleven Somersaulting in midair, resting in the sky on a chair-shaped cloud… A little girl and her grandmother, her abuela, soar in this adventure of the imagination as they fly around New York City. In English, with Spanish words and phrases woven into the story, includes a glossary.
	Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day By: Pat Mora Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez Children read aloud in various settings to celebrate El día de los niños, or Children’s Day, in this bilingual story. Includes facts about Mexico’s annual celebration of children and the book fiestas that are often included.
	Dalia’s Wondrous Hair By: Laura Lacámara In this whimsical bilingual picture book, Dalia’s hair becomes a magical force of nature, a life-giving cocoon. Author and illustrator Laura Lacámara once again delight children ages 4-9 with her vibrant illustrations and an imaginative story about a girl’s fanciful encounters with nature.
	Doña Flor By: Pat Mora Illustrated by: Raúl Colón Doña Flor, a giant lady with a big heart, sets off to protect her neighbors from what they think is a dangerous animal but soon discovers the tiny secret behind the huge noise.
	Green is a Chile Pepper By: Roseanne Thong Illustrated by: John Parra Children discover a world of colors all around them. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, but all are universal in appeal. A short glossary explains the cultural significance of the colored objects featured in this book.
	Mango, Abuela, and Me By: Meg Medina Illustrated by: Angela Dominguez 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 perfecto idea 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.
	Maria Had a Little Llama By: Angela Dominguez In this bilingual version of the classic rhyme set in Peru, Maria takes her llama to school one day.
	Not a Bean By: Claudia Guadalupe Martínez Illustrated by: Laura Gonzalez With Spanish vocabulary and a clever counting concept, this poetic story shares the life cycle of a Mexican jumping bean. This curious jumping insect is actually a seedpod from a shrub called yerba de la flecha, into which a caterpillar burrows, living inside the pod until it builds a cocoon and breaks out as a moth. Perfect for preschoolers and pre-readers, this creative picture book explores the Mexican jumping bean’s daily life and eventual transformation and escape from the pod.
	Our Celebración! By: Susan Middleton Elya Illustrated by: Ana Aranda It’s a sunny summer day. Come join the crowd headed for the parade! Marvel at the people riding motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, and unicycles. Duck out of the way as firefighters spray water on hot spectators. Clap to the music as bands of musicians playing clarinetes, saxophones, flautas, trumpets, and drums march by. Feast on lemonade, watermelon, tacos, and ice cream. Wave to the corn princess as her float passes by. Then, take cover when a quick rain shower comes, followed by a bright rainbow. Back in the town plaza as night falls, marvel at the sparkling fireworks that end the day’s festivities. Pop, pop, pop! ¡Bón, bón, bón! With engaging text and imaginative, whimsical illustrations, Our Celebración! is the perfect way to enjoy a summer day—and learn some Spanish too.
	La Princesa and the Pea By: Susan Middleton Elya Illustrated by: Juana Martinez-Neal A rhyming, Latino twist on a classic fairy tale in which a queen places a pea under a young lady’s mattress to see if she is truly a princess. Incorporates Spanish words, includes a glossary, and features artwork inspired by the culture of Peru.
	Rainbow Weaver By: Linda Elovitz Marshall Illustrated by: Elisa Chavarri Ixchel wants to follow in the long tradition of weaving on backstrap looms, just as her mother, grandmother, and most Mayan women have done for more than two thousand years. But Ixchel’s mother is too busy preparing her weavings for the market. Disappointed, Ixchel first tries weaving with blades of grass, and then with bits of wool, but no one would want to buy the results. As she walks around her village, Ixchel finds it littered with colorful plastic bags. There is nowhere to put all the bags, so they just keep accumulating. Suddenly, Ixchel has an idea! She collects and washes the plastic bags. Then she cuts each bag into thin strips. Sitting at her loom, Ixchel weaves the plastic strips into a colorful fabric that looks like a beautiful rainbow—just like the weavings of Mayan women before her.
	Waiting for the Biblioburro By: Monica Brown Illustrated by: John Parra When a man brings to a remote village two burros, Alfa and Beto, loaded with books the children can borrow, Ana’s excitement leads her to write a book of her own as she waits for the BiblioBurro to return. Includes a glossary of Spanish terms and a note on the true story of Columbia’s BiblioBurro and mobile libraries in other countries.

Bilingual picture books provide a unique way for students to learn basic words and conversational phrases in other languages. The books listed below present simple words and phrases great for beginning bilingual learners. Please note that most of the books on this list are bilingual Spanish/English in response to the higher percentage of Spanish/English learners in American classrooms.

	Calabash Cat, and His Amazing Journey By: James Rumford A Calabash Cat, living in Africa, sets off to see where the world ends. The text is also repeated in Arabic.
	The Day it Snowed Tortillas= El Dia que Nevaron Tortillas By: Joe Hayes Illustrated by: Antonio Castro Lopez This flip-book relates ten Spanish folktales in both English and Spanish. A pencil drawing accompanies each story. Though every story has a familiar feel, they all have a distinct Spanish flavor that makes them appealing.
	El Gato Leo Comes to Play: a first Spanish story By: Opal Dunn Invites youngsters to learn Spanish by lifting the flaps to see the English translations of the words Leo, a cat who speaks only Spanish, says as he plays.
	Gracias By: Pat Mora Illustrated by: John Parra A young multiracial boy celebrates family, friendship, and fun by telling about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful.
	Hurry home, hedgehog!: a bilingual book of sounds By: Belle Yang Featuring side-by-side text in English and Mandarin Chinese, a bilingual celebration of the natural world combines illustrations with concept-reinforcing sound words describing a little hedgehog’s exploration of his surroundings.
	Let Me Help! By: Alma Flor Ada Illustrated by: Angela Dominguez A pet parrot tries to help his human family prepare for the Cinco de Mayo festivities in San Antonio, Texas.
	Lupa Vargas and Her Super Best Friend By: A Costales Illustrated by: Alexandra Artigas Lupe and Ana are best friends. After playing games, they have a disagreement and they must determine how to fix it.
	Maya’s Blanket By: Monica Brown Illustrated by: David Diaz When a little girl’s cherished baby blanket becomes old and worn, it is made into a dress, and over the years it is made into even smaller and smaller items, eventually ending up as a bookmark and inspiring the creation of a book.
	Minutka the bilingual dog By: Anna Mycek-Wodecki In both English and Chinese, a little black-and-white dog describes her life with a bilingual family and all the things she can do, including shake her paw and run in circles.
	My Name is Celia: the life of Celia Cruz By: Monica Brown Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez This is the debut title in Rising Moon’s “Luna Rising” series of bilingual Latino storybook-biography series for young readers and tells the story of Cuban songstress/Salsa Queen Celia Cruz.
	Quinito’s Neighborhood= El Vecindario de Quinito By: Ina Cumpiano Illustrated by: Jose Ramirez Quinito describes the members of his family and some of the people in his neighborhood and what they do, from his mother the carpenter and his father the nurse to his teacher and his wife, the school crossing guard.
	Say Something, Perico By: Trudy Harris Illustrated by: Cecilia Rebora Perico is a Spanish-speaking parrot who lives in a pet store, and although he works very hard to earn a new home, buyers keep returning him until the bird, now bilingual, finds the perfect owner. Includes Spanish glossary and pronunciation guide.
	Sora and the cloud = Sora to kumo By: Felicia Hoshino Illustrated by: Akiko Hisa A young boy climbs up a tree and into a waiting cloud, which takes him on a whirling adventure in the sky.
	The Storyteller’s Candle By: Lucia M. Gonzalez Illustrated by: Lulu Delacre During the early days of the Great Depression, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Belpre, introduces the public library to immigrants living in El Barrio and hosts the neighborhood’s first Three Kings’ Day fiesta.
	The Upside Down Boy By: Juan Felipe Herrera Illustrated by: Elizabeth G. Omez The author recalls the year when his farm worker parents settled down in the city so that he could go to school for the first time.