Children’s Books about Costa Rica

This post is part of the World Cup for Kids project from Multicultural Kid Blogs.  Each time Costa Rica plays, I will be doing a post on some aspect of that country’s culture.  Today I am sharing some children’s books to teach kids about this beautiful country!

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Costa Rica is very dear to my heart, as it is where my husband is from and where we have spent so many wonderful visits.  It is important to me to teach my sons about this side of their heritage, plus it is just a wonderful place for anyone to get to know!  Reading is a great way to introduce a child to another country.  Here are some great books for kids to read about Costa Rica.  If you have any other recommendations, please let me know!

We just adore The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte.  This funny tale of a greedy parrot is fun to read aloud – and to act out!  The text is delightfully rhythmic, and kids will love the colorful illustrations of the jungle animals.

The Remembering Stone by Barbara Timberlake Russell is a new favorite.  In part, I must admit, I love it because it’s not about the rain forest, as so many of the books about Costa Rica are!  But I also love that it is such a sweet tale about a girl’s desire to fulfill her mother’s wish to return to her native Costa Rica.  The imagery in this story is just beautiful, as the girl imagines herself as a bird returning to to her mother’s homeland, bringing back news of her family there.  It is a story of family, love, and the importance of having dreams to believe in.

For a wonderful interactive read, try this yoga adventure from Kids Yoga Stories!  Sophia’s Jungle Adventure tells of a girl from the US who travels to Costa Rica with her family, delighting in the beautiful nature she finds there but saddened by the deforestation and what it will mean for the animals.  You can read my full review here.

We also love this story by Douglas Keister, Fernando’s Gift/ El Regalo de Fernando.  Kids will instantly relate to Fernando, a boy who loves his dogs and taking long walks with his grandfather.  Yet they will also be fascinated by the details of Fernando’s life in the rain forest – and how he is working to help prevent the forest he loves from being destroyed.  Text is side-by-side in English and Spanish.

 My Monkey and I really enjoyed reading When the Monkeys Came Back by Kristine L. Franklin.  It is the story of a young girl who witnessed the destruction of the forest surrounding her village and the subsequent departure of the monkeys who had lived there.  Determined to bring the monkeys back, she dedicated her life to rebuilding the forest, bit by bit.  She is rewarded for her lifetime of hard work when, as an old woman, she witnesses the monkeys return.

Morpha: A Rain Forest Story by Michael Tennyson tells the adventures of one of Costa Rica’s famous Blue Morpho butterflies, as she learns to navigate the dangers of the rain forest – from spiders to humans!

Don’t forget you can also follow my Costa Rica board on Pinterest:

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