17 Spanish/English Bilingual
Picture Books
by Melissa Taylor
Bilingual picture books offer children the opportunity to develop a second language and expand their cultural awareness. While reading a bilingual picture book won’t make your kid fluent in a new language, it’s a great way to introduce and reinforce new sounds and words.
Some bilingual books provide side-by-side text in English as well as Spanish; others simply pepper in Spanish words and phrases. For those side-by-side texts, I recommend starting with one language and sticking with it throughout the entire book. Then, read the book again but in the other language. If your child is fluent in both languages, you can try reading both languages side by side and comparing the translations. Either way, after you read, spend some time talking about the story and the new words you learned. Oral language development is foundational for reading success in any language.
When it comes to choosing a bilingual book, it’s no different than picking any book for your child. Select high interest, relatable stories. Even better, have your child choose the books.
Here are 17 bilingual Spanish/English books to get you started.
-
Huggy Kissy / Abrazos y besitos
Available from:Snuggle with your baby and enjoy Leslie Patricelli’s popular board book in English and Spanish. You won’t be able to resist covering your little one with hugs and kisses!
(Ages 0 - 3)Also available from: -
¡Te amo, te abrazo, leo contigo! / Love You, Hug You, Read to You!
Available from:Are there three better promises parents can give their children than "I’ll always love you, hug you, and read to you?" This sweet picture book is made even more interactive by the inclusion of questions to ask little ones — a method shown to help children learn to read.
(Ages 0 - 3)Also available from: -
Vamos a jugar (Let's Play, Spanish-English Bilingual Edition)
Available from:Jumpstart your baby’s bilingual skills with Leo Lionni’s classic board book about two mice playing together. The simple text appears in English and Spanish, making it perfect for introducing your child to familiar concepts and words in both languages.
(Ages 0 - 3)Also available from: -
Cerca / Close
Available from:As a young girl moves through her day, she takes notice of the things that are close — cerca — like the daisies in her yard. In the companion book, Lejos / Far, a young boy observes what lies at a distance, like the city beyond his house and the ocean beyond the city. A simple and engaging way to teach both vocabulary and opposites.
(Ages 2 - 5)Also available from: -
The Day of the Dead / El Día de los Muertos
Available from:Celebrate el Día de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — with this cheerful read that honors the festive and treasured holiday. Children will follow along as a family prepares to greet their ancestors, as narrated by simple and accessible bilingual phrases.
(Ages 2 - 5)Also available from: -
The Very Hungry Caterpillar / La oruga muy hambrienta
Available from:With side-by-side English and Spanish text, Eric Carle’s beloved classic is perfect for learning new vocabulary. Odds are, your little one can already recite the story — now they can do so bilingually!
(Ages 2 - 5)Also available from: -
Señorita Mariposa
Available from:Every year, monarch butterflies make a 3,000-mile journey from Canada to Mexico, and now readers can follow that migration — all the people and places the monarchs fly over — in rhyming bilingual text. As the butterflies travel across continents, the languages change prominence, in this clever book that highlights butterflies’ role in our ecosystem.
(Ages 3 - 5)Also available from: -
Nosotros Means Us
Available from:If you’re looking for a meaningful picture book about the love between a parent and child, you can’t go wrong with this one. Gorgeous illustrations and poetic text make it an excellent gift for new parents, baby showers, or special occasions.
(Ages 3 - 5)Also available from: -
Abuela
Available from:Rosalba spends the day in the park with her Spanish-speaking abuela. Together they imagine what it would be like to soar over the sights of New York City. A mix of Spanish and English, their shared daydream is both poetic and fantastical.
(Ages 3 - 7)Also available from: -
My Town / Mi Pueblo
Available from:This adorable picture book takes place on both sides of the US-Mexico border, and the text appears in English and Spanish. Two cousins introduce the reader to their respective hometowns and show off their cultures. They also visit and explore each other’s towns. It’s a beautiful celebration of border towns and the people living there.
(Ages 3 - 7)Also available from: -
The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary in Spanish
Available from:This Seussian dictionary is an excellent resource for introducing Spanish to English speakers and vice versa. Each word is illustrated by a colorful picture and followed by short sentences in both languages. For parents also learning along, there’s a pronunciation guide to help.
(Ages 3 - 7)Also available from: -
Mi Ciudad Sings
Available from:When an earthquake silences her vibrant city, a little girl worries it will never be the same. As she helps with the cleanup and repair, she discovers that even though her city looks different, it is still the home she loves. This heartfelt story about hope in hard times seamlessly weaves Spanish words into the narrative.
(Ages 3 - 7)Also available from: -
Blue Sky White Stars Bilingual Edition
Available from:Made all the more poignant when presented in two languages, Blue Sky White Stars celebrates America’s past and present through iconic imagery of the American flag, from Ellis Island to Cape Canaveral. Combined with the rich artwork, the bilingual text models inclusivity.
(Ages 4 - 8)Also available from: -
La Princesa and the Pea
Available from:This bilingual retelling of a familiar story comes with a twist, one that fans of the classic fairy tale are sure to love. Rhyming verses in a mix of Spanish and English paired with vibrant Peruvian-inspired illustrations make this a delightful read-aloud.
(Ages 4 - 8)Also available from: -
My Papi Has a Motorcycle
Available from:Evenings are Daisy Ramona’s favorite part of the day — that’s when she gets to ride around her California neighborhood on the back of her papi’s motorcycle. Spanish phrases are peppered throughout the joyful text and Daisy’s astute observations of a city in transition.
(Ages 4 - 8)Also available from: -
Waiting for the Biblioburro / Esperando el Biblioburro
Available from:Based on a real-life traveling librarian in Colombia, a young girl feeds her need for stories while waiting for the Biblioburro’s next visit by writing her own.
(Ages 5 - 8)Also available from: -
Mango, Abuela, and Me
Available from:Readers will find that love knows no language in this sweet story. When Mia’s abuela moves in with her family, it becomes obvious that Mia doesn’t speak enough Spanish and her grandmother doesn’t speak enough English for them to communicate well. As the days go by, though, they learn each other’s languages and form a bond through teaching their new pet parrot different words.
(Ages 5 - 8)Also available from:
Additional Resources:
- Teaching in Two Languages: A Guide for K–12 Bilingual Educators by Sharon Adelman Reyes, Tatyana Kleyn
- Language Policy for the Multilingual Classroom: Pedagogy of the Possible edited by Christine Hélot, Muiris Ó Laoire
- Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition by Stephen D. Krashen
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2022.