Read Below for:
- 5 Spanish Books Releasing Soon in 2018
- Tips on Expanding Your Spanish Picture Book Library
Keeping up with all the new kids books coming out can be hard. I try to keep up on all the new releases by following the work of people like Sarah Mackenzie at the Read Aloud Revival, Charnaie from Here Wee Read, Erica from What Do We Do All Day, and most recently on Instagram I have been following Kate Olson at littleloudlibrary. The latter three especially do a great job of helping me find diverse and multicultural books for my kids.
But what about Spanish books?
I can honestly say it’s even more difficult. I haven’t discovered a trick for finding awesome stuff on Amazon on my own. Many times I’ll see a title suggested by someone else, but when I go to look for it online I can’t find it. Finding great Spanish kid lit is something I’m working on in 2018, and I have slowly started to build our Spanish library since January. It hasn’t been very easy.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me share some titles I ran across recently that I don’t want you to miss out on. Then I’ll let you know of a few places you might want to start watching/following to keep up with where to find great Spanish books!
This first title I actually found through Here Wee Read. See?! I told you she was great!
Storyline: A sweet story about a little girl who thinks her name is too long, until her dad sits down to tell her the story of where it came from.
Author: Juana Marinez-Neal, this is her author-illustrator debut!
Release: April 10, 2018
Storyline: Lola, a young elementary school girl, and all her classmates get an assignment to draw a picture of the country they are from. One problem: Lola left her Island before she could start to remember. She decides to learn about the Island through the stories and memories of those around her. This style is almost like magical realism for kids.
Author: Junot DÃaz, born in the Dominican Republic, has written award-winning books but this is his first picture book
Release: March 13, 2018
Storyline: This would be a great book to read with your Spanish class (or older Spanish learners at home) for Women’s History Month. Chelsea Clinton wrote She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, and in this new release she tells the story of amazing women from around the world—including Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Mexican writer and poet.
Author: Chelsea Clinton
Release: March 6, 2018
Around the World With Cantinflas
Storyline: A ‘Lil Libros bilingual geography book, this story takes you to the United States, France, and Brazil with world-renowned comedian Mario Moreno.
Author: Patty Rodriguez & Ariana Stein
Release: March 13, 2018
Storyline: An (unauthorized) board-book style biography of the famous singer Selena for the youngest of readers. You can read about her love for her family, her fans, fashion, and other fun facts about her life.
Author: Patty Rodriguez, Ariana Stein
Release: March 13, 2018
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How to Find Spanish Picture Books
With bilingualism on the rise in the US (especially Spanish-English bilingualism), more and more companies are popping up that sell authentic literature from Spanish-speaking countries. Here are a few I know of:
Books del sur—A company out of Illinois that sources literature from Latin America.
Sol Book Box—CEO Vanessa started this book subscription service for families wanting to raise bilingual children and read together with a variety of Spanish language books. The goal is for parents to spend more time reading with their kids and less time searching for quality Spanish books. They offer 1, 3, and 6 month subscriptions.
Booklandia—Another book subscription service, Booklandia sources their books from publishers in the U.S., Latin America and Spain. You can subscribe to a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly box. You fill out a profile about your little readers, and each box comes with two individually wrapped books selected especially for them.
Publisher Websites to Check:
Other Resources
Obviously the library is a great place to check. But we have also found many Spanish books at local thrift stores, Half Price Books, discount stores like Cargo Largo, and garage sales.
Blogs & Social Media
If you’ve been around here a while you know Spanish Playground is my favorite resources for our bilingual journey. She has a place where you can search through all her book posts. Most everything suggested there can be found on Amazon. You might also want to search around at Mommy Maestra, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Mamá Tortuga, Spanish Mama, All Done Monkey, and there’s probably a few I’m forgetting. What are your favorite blogs about Spanish?
I get lots of ideas for books on Instagram from accounts like: cuentosdemama & grandesideasparapeques.
Please, please, please! Share your tips and tricks for finding great Spanish picture books for your kiddos! And let us know in the comments of new books coming out in 2018 that we shouldn’t miss!
