New Bilingual Books for Kids of All Ages

I’m always so excited when I come across books that encourage my children to read in Spanish. Bilingual books are great choices for children learning a language, because it can help increase the reader’s vocabulary by including text in their primary language. Even though they are still learning, they are able to read more complex story lines because they can check their comprehension as they go. This is perfect for my kids, who sometimes get frustrated at having to read “easy” books in Spanish because of their more limited vocabulary. Here is a group of wonderful new bilingual books your kids will enjoy, from picture books to early chapter books! Be sure to enter our giveaway of one of these books below – details at the end of this post!

Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of the books below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

New Bilingual Books for Kids of All Ages

Bosley Goes on Safari (Bosley Se Va de Safari) is the sixth book in the picture book series the Adventures of Bosley Bear. In this book, Bosley travels to the African plains to go on safari. There he meets many friendly animals and learns that despite their differences, they all are alike on the inside – a really fun way to teach young children about embracing diversity! This is a very engaging story, especially since what child doesn’t love learning about animals like lions and monkeys? We had fun acting it out as part of our Spanish lesson for the day! I love having the highlighted vocabulary words in the side-by-side Spanish and English texts. And the grammar is simple enough that my kids were able to follow along and enjoy the story without getting tripped up with Spanish beyond their level.

I’m so happy to share that we are giving away a copy of this wonderful book to one lucky winner – open worldwide! See the end of this post for details!

The Little Doctor /El Doctorcito is a wonderful book to encourage kids to dream big! But this is more than just a book about a boy who decides he wants to be a doctor when he grows up. Salvador also gains motivation when he learns first hand what non-English speakers like his beloved abuelita have to deal with when they go to the doctor. When he accompanies his grandmother to the local clinic, Salvador sees how crowded it is and how difficult it is for her to understand the paperwork. But the worst is the physician himself, who is so rushed that he barely even looks at Salvador or his grandmother before running back out the door to see the next patient! Salvador decides to become a doctor so he can be the kind of patient, caring doctor he wishes his grandmother had. A beautiful story about compassion and becoming the change we want to see in the world! I also love that it uses a situation that many bilingual children find themselves in, of being the translators for family members with limited English.

To raise compassionate boys, it is important to start early. Esteban De Luna, Baby Rescuer! /Esteban De Luna, Rescatador De Bebés! is a sweet book that shows a boy who learns that caring for others is a perfect way to be a real superhero. Esteban is disappointed that his superhero cape doesn’t give him any real powers – he can’t fly or leap over tall buildings – yet when he finds an abandoned doll at the park, he soon discovers that his cape can help him do something amazing. When refashioned as a baby carrier, it helps him rescue the doll from the rainstorm! The symbolism in this book is fantastic, as the cape itself is reimagined to help Esteban learn to take care of others, not by swooping in like a traditional superhero but by gently holding his “baby” close and keeping it safe.

What child can’t relate to the delicious anticipation of waking up on their birthday to wonder about the wonderful surprises to come? In A Surprise for Teresita / Una Sorpresa Para Teresita, young Teresita learns just how difficult it can be to wait for a birthday gift. On the morning that Tío Ramón is to bring her a birthday surprise, he seems to take much longer than usual to arrive on Teresita’s block as he does the rounds through her New York neighborhood selling piraguas (snow cones). As she waits for her surprise, we witness the sights and sounds of a Puerto Rican neighborhood from a child’s point of view. A wonderful celebration of a vibrant community and the joy of a birthday gift from a loved one.

A super fun book to read with kids is El Torneo De Trabalenguas / the Tongue Twister Tournament. There is a tongue twister contest, and you get to play along! Which of the quirky contestants do you think should win? And how many of these tongue twisters can you say – in English or Spanish? Fun to read together with your kids or to use in the classroom! These tongue twisters are so much fun and will challenge even grownups! Includes many bonus tongue twisters at the end of the story.

For children ready for a chapter book, we love A Mystery Bigger Than Big / Un misterio mas grande que grandisimo. It is the fourth installment in the Mickey Rangel mystery series, based on a boy with a certificate on his wall from a real online detective course. When a new girl moves into Mickey’s Texas middle school, the young detective is on the case to figure out what her story is. Why is she so quiet and where did she come from? Despite rumors flying around school that she is the child of a drug lord or perhaps of Russian spies, Mickey discovers that she’s really an immigrant from Guatemala. But this discovery only leads to more questions – why would she leave her home, and how could she leave her family behind? A great book to explore the topic of immigration in an honest but heartfelt way.

Rooster Joe and the Bully / El Gallo Joe Y El Abusón is another great bilingual read for older kids. It focuses on the all important topic of bullying, and the importance of standing up for what’s right. I love that middle schooler Joe’s grandfather draws on their cultural heritage to teach him these lessons, by drawing on the stories of courageous people like César Chávez who fought for the rights of those that others looked down on. With his grandfather’s guidance and his own identification with the brave roosters he loves to draw, Joe comes up with a plan to end the bullying not just for him but for all of the students in his class.

Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Bosley Goes on Safari (Bosley Se Va de Safari) a wonderful new bilingual picture book! (see review above). All you have to do is comment below with your child’s current favorite book to read! Contest is open worldwide, ends Wednesday, July 12 at midnight PT. Winner will be chosen randomly from the eligible entries.