Books in Spanish are an essential part of a language learning journey. When we read to children, we give them a world of Spanish language and culture. Below you will find book lists, reviews and activities for Spanish books for kids.
Spanish Reading Activities and Online Spanish Books
Visit our Spanish Reading for Kids resource page for an extensive collection of printable reading activities and online Spanish stories.
Jump ahead to sections on this page:
Spanish Book Lists for Kids
Publishers of Spanish Books for Kids
Spanish Picture Books with Activities
Spanish Board Book Reviews
Spanish Picture Book Reviews
Spanish Poetry for Kids
Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Spanish Book Lists for Kids
Our Spanish Books for Kids Book List has many of our favorite titles.
In addition, check out Spanish Book Lists for Kids by Teachers and Parents.
Publishers of Spanish Language Books for Kids
For some of our favorite new titles from these top publishers, check out our Holiday Guide of Spanish Language Gifts for Children.
Independent publishers Lee & Low and Candlewick are fabulous sources for Spanish language books. You will find favorite titles and activities in the following sections.
In addition, Cinco Books and Syncretic Press offer books from Latin American in the United States:
Spanish Books for Schools and Families from Cinco Books
Spanish Publisher in the U.S. Offers Literary Gems: Syncretic Press
Comprehensible Input Novels
Several companies publish comprehensible input novels to use in the classroom. These are great stories! Read about the leveled Spanish readers from Voces Digital here: Spanish Readers: Comprehensible Input Novels.
You can also find information on the new Enhanced Readers here: Spanish Reading: Texts for Beginners. These books create amazing support for text!
The Buena Gente Ebook, Problemas en casa, is another comprehensible input text. The story is adapted from the Buena Gente video series, and using the video and reading together makes for fabulous input. Get the digital download of the Buena Gente Ebook Problemas en casa here.
Also, read How to Find Children’s Books in Spanish in One Easy Step for tips on searching for books by publisher.
Bilingual Fairy Tales and Fables
28 Bilingual English-Spanish Fairy Tales & Fables: Short, Simple Stories for Language Learners of All Ages, with Online Audio by Adam Beck is an excellent resource for Spanish or English learners. These are short, fun versions of classic tales. Read about the book and find activities and a free download here: Spanish Fairy Tales and Fables
Spanish Nonfiction Children’s Books
The Creative Company has three divisions that publish nonfiction titles in Spanish: Amicus, Black Rabbit Books and Creative Education. These publishers have wonderful titles for both native speakers and Spanish learners. Read about these publishers and their excellent books here: Spanish Nonfiction Children’s Books
Shout Mouse Press
If you are working with middle or high school students, be sure to check out Immigration Stories: Voces Sin Fronteras. Sixteen young people share their stories of immigration in comics. This side-by-side bilingual collection is enlightening and inspiring.
Spanish Picture Books with Activities
Spanish Books for Kids from Lee & Low
Cuban History for Kids: Bilingual Book and Activities – Activities for Martí’s Song for Freedom/ Martí y sus versos por la libertad, a bilingual picture book by Emma Otheguy about Cuban poet and hero José Martí.
Activities for Marisol McDonald Books
Spanish Stories Kids Will Love: Marisol McDonald Books – Activity suggestions for Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/ Marisol McDonald no combina and Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash/ Marisol McDonald y la fiesta sin igual by Monica Brown.
Also see Marisol McDonald and the Monster Spanish Activities for a printable activity to use with this wonderful book.
Activities for Spanish Books by Lulu Delacre
Reading comprehension activities for Rafi y Rosi – Spanish Early Reader Books: Rafi y Rosi
Printable reading comprehension activities for Rafi y Rosi ¡Piratas! – Spanish Books for Beginning Readers
Olinguito: Spanish Alphabet Book and suggestions for reading Spanish alphabet books
Spanish Books from Piñata Books and Activities
A review of the picture book El torneo de trabalenguas / The Tongue Twister Tournament by Nicolás Kanellos and tongue twister activities – Spanish Tongue Twisters: Book and Activities
Printable activities for Esteban de Luna, Baby Rescuer / Esteban de Luna, ¡rescatador de bebés¡ by Larissa M. Mercado-López – Spanish Words for Daily Life
A review of The Place Where You Live / El lugar donde vives by James Luna with a printable graphic organizer for a speaking or writing activity – Spanish Places Vocabulary: Book and Writing Activity
Spanish Books from Barefoot Books and Activities
Spanish Story for Kids – Oso en el trabajo Activities – Activity suggestions for Oso en el trabajo by Stella Blackstone, including a printable rhyming activity
Activity suggestions for Nos vamos a México by Laurie Krebs, including a printable vocabulary activity – Spanish Stories for Kids – Nos Vamos a México Activities
Spanish Stories for Kids: Nos fuimos todos de safari – Activity suggestions for Nos fuimos todos de safari by Laurie Krebs
Activity suggestions for Vivamos la Granja by Jan Dobbins – Spanish Story for Kids – Activities for Vivamos la Granja
Spanish Story for Kids: El Fandango de Lola Activities – Activity suggestions for El Fandango de Lola by Anna Witte, including a printable vocabulary activity
More Spanish Books with Activities
Spanish Animals: Activities for Mis Amigos – Activity suggestions for Mis amigos by Taro Gomi
Spanish Stories for Kids: Language Activities for Lucas en un Día en la Playa – Activity suggestions for the yoga story Lucas en un día en la playa by Giselle Shardlow
Brown Bear Brown Bear in Spanish
Spanish Story for Kids – 7 Brown Bear Activities and Free Printable
I Spy Games for Brown Bear Brown Bear
Spanish Board Book Reviews
These Spanish Baby Books are perfect for your littlest language learners. They were my granddaughter’s favorite books during her first year (6/19 – 6/20).
These Spanish Song Books with Built-In Music are wonderful! Press a button to listen, read and sing along.
Spanish Nursery Rhyme Books by Canticos – These wonderful board books are full of language and culture for little ones.
Lil’ Libros: Beautiful Bilingual Board Books – Culturally-based board books with bold illustrations
Spanish-English Board Books for Language Learners – Board books by Leslie Patricelli have short sentences supported by bright pictures.
Spanish Picture Book Reviews
Elementary Spanish Books with Teacher’s Guide – Language Together publishes this fabulous set of 10 books to teach high-frequency vocabulary with simple sentences and fun stories.
Candlewick Press: Spanish Favorites for Kids – Candlewick Press is an independent children’s publisher with a wide selection of bilingual books and books in Spanish.
Award-Winning Latino Picture Books – More books from Candlewick Press with a focus on new books by Latino authors.
Spanish Valentine Books for Kids – 10 of our favorite Spanish picture books for Valentine’s Day.
Spanish Picture Books for Language and Content: Languages4Kidz – Languages4Kidz publishes many content-rich Spanish picture books written by Graciela Castellano
Latino Leaders: César Chávez and Sonia Sotomayor – Spanish language biographies of Latino leaders Justice Sonia Sotomayor and labor organizer Cesar Chavez by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand.
Latino Culture from Lucha Libre to Chanclas – Bilingual Books from Cinco Puntos Press
Spanish Picture Books from Lee and Low
Latino Picture Books for Home and Classroom – These Latino picture books connect to various Spanish-speaking countries and speak to important aspects of culture.
Bilingual Book, Bicultural World: Finding the Music – A wonderful bilingual book by Jennifer Torres with rich setting, appealing characters, and convincing drama.
Bilingual Picture Books Celebrate the Earth Call Me Tree/Llámame árbol is a story about waking up and Water Rolls, Water Rises/ El agua rueda, el agua sube brings water to life for children as it shows the way it moves and connects the Earth.
Maya’s Blanket: Bilingual Book by Monica Brown – Maya’s Blanket/ La manta de Maya is a story of family, a love of books, and the power of telling our stories.
Bilingual Picture Books for Diversity Education
Language Lizard’s series of Living in Harmony books makes it easy to build diversity education into your classroom and home. This series is also an excellent resource for language learners.
Spanish Yoga Stories for Kids
Spanish Yoga Books for Every Season – A set of four seasonal Spanish yoga stories.
Meditation for Kids with Easy Spanish Stories – Imaginaciones by Carolyn Clarke has 17 short imaginary adventures told in easy Spanish.
Spanish Books for Kids by Mariana Llanos
Emotions in Spanish: Mara sin cumpleaños – Mara sin cumpleaños, by Peruvian-born author Mariana Llanos, is perfect for talking about feelings.
Tristán Lobo: Transitioning to Longer Stories – Tristán Lobo by Mariana Llanos, is an entertaining story with a clever twist.
Spanish Poetry Books
See our collection of poetry resources and activities for Spanish learners.
Spanish Poems for Kids: The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations – The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations is a dual language book with 156 poems in English and 156 poems in Spanish.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Spanish Playground is honored to be a co-host for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Learn more about the event and find resources for multicultural books for children:
Diverse Books for Spanish Learners
Resources and link-ups to hundreds of diverse book reviews.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017
We would love to hear about your favorite Spanish books for children so we can read them and add them to our book lists. Please share your recommendations in comments.
