By Christa Jiménez (founder of the Pura Vida Moms blog)

We know that reading to our kids in their home language is the key to their academic success in that language, and that’s why Spanish-speaking parents continually seek out bilingual and Spanish books for our kids. What can get difficult is finding high quality, culturally relevant texts that support the home culture. I am continuously amazed at the well-meaning publishers who release “bilingual” books that contain pervasive cultural or linguistic errors.  Over the past three years, I have combed through books for my daughters to read–and have come across these four small Spanish language book publishers that are committed to producing high-quality, authentic Spanish language and bilingual books.

Books del Sur

Books del Sur is a one-woman extravaganza of a book company out of Illinois. The owner, Heather Robertson-Devine, is a dual language teacher who saw the need for high-quality, authentic Spanish literature in schools and homes, and began importing titles from Chile. From there, her collection has continued to grow, and now includes the Anti-Princess collection so beloved by author Junot Díaz. We love her Baby Book Bundle. My younger daughter often totes De Paseo around the house in her shopping cart, and both my daughters love to read the entire collection on our daily morning walk. To read more about Books del Sur, click here or visit the online store and enter the coupon code BilingualWe for special offers.

Lil’ Libros

I had first read about Lil’ Libros and their incredible story in Latina magazine, but I hadn’t
had a chance to purchase any books in the craziness that was birthing my second daughter. I recently decided to purchase a copy of Lotería for my daughters, and I was absolutely floored by the book. The illustrations are simple and vibrant, and the color palette is incredible. Each page includes both the Spanish and English translation of the picture, and I love that the definite article is included. Had I known about these books when I was still in the high school Spanish classroom, I would have used them constantly as models for our Spanish Children’s Book project. These books are the best, and can be purchased at many Target stores, or on Amazon.

Trinity University Press

When my younger daughter turned one, we asked for bilingual books. An artist friend of mine came across the Trinity University Press children’s books at the Denver Art Museum, and Hello Círculos is part of our daily reading routine. The book has reproductions of famous art prints and sculptures surrounded by bilingual prompts that spark academic discussion about numbers, shapes, colors – and of course about all of the art. I love that the appendix includes all of the information about the works on each page. The book is board-book style, but would be great for readers even in the high school Spanish classroom as they study works of art and Latin American artists. This book collection from Trinity University Press should be a staple in every bilingual household. To purchase books from the collection, click here.

Lorito Books

We recently went to our local Denver Public Library branch to check out audiobooks in Spanish. We brought home the 10 that they had, and some were definitely better than others. The best book was Con mis manos, part of a series about the five senses. The book was beautifully illustrated, and read in a manner that was easy for my three year old to follow along. The page chimes were consistent and easy to follow, and the story kept her engaged. Lorito books is another woman-owned business that started with a dream and became reality out of the owner’s house. I’m excited to acquire more Lorito books for my kids. Check out more books here.

Christa Jiménez left the bilingual classroom after 15 years and is now the founder of Pura Vida Moms – a website dedicated to bilingual parenting, family travel, recipes, and bicultural and expat living. She’s married to a Costa Rican, and together they have two young bilingual daughters. When she’s not blogging, traveling, parenting, or reading she co-hosts the BilingualWe weekly vlog, applying the latest bilingual education research to the best practices for everyday bilingual parenting. You can find her at www.puravidamoms.com or join the BilingualWe Facebook Group to connect with other bilingual parents. Christa believes it’s important to make bilingualism at home a priority- no matter what that looks like in your house!

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Blue Manatee Press

Review by Lila Quintero Weaver

Two bilingual board books from Blue Manatee Press provide very young children an introduction to the seasons of spring and fall. With engaging text by Susana Madinabeitia Manso and eye-popping photo illustrations by Emily Hanako Momohara, this pair of concept picture books offers an appealing approach to traditions commonly associated with each season.

The page spreads of In Autumn/En Otoño show a child model in a series of fall activities. She romps in a pile of bright-hued leaves, grins like a jack-o-lantern over a patch of pumpkins, and imitates a squirrel clambering up a tree, to cite three examples.

In Spring/En Primavera shows a different child model as he splashes in a puddle, sings like a robin, hops like a bunny, and enjoys other springtime activities.

In each spread, the text follows a rhythmic set-up appropriate for the ears of toddlers, and appears in echoing segments of English and Spanish.

In spirng…seeds grow. I want to grow like a seed!

En primavera…las semillas crecen. ¡Quiero crecer como una semilla!

Don’t you think I make a good seed?

¿A que sería una buena semilla?

And:

In autumn…the wind blows. I can blow like the wind!

En otoño…el viento sopla. ¡Puedo soplar como el viento!

Can you blow like the wind?

¿Puedes soplar como el viento?

Note: It’s a definite plus that the child models for both books showcase America’s racial and ethnic diversity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susana Madinabeitia Manso is a Spanish teacher and translator. She received her Masters of Arts at West Virginia University and now teaches Spanish at Miami University.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Emily Hanako Momohara is an artist and academic in photography and video arts. She received her Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Kansas and now teaches at the Art Academy of Cincinnati as an Associate Professor.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Lila Quintero Weaver is the author-illustrator of Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Darkroom recounts her family’s immigrant experience in small-town Alabama during the tumultuous 1960s. It is her first major publication and will be available in Spanish in January 2018. Her next book is a middle-grade novel scheduled for release in July 2018 (Candlewick). Lila is a graduate of the University of Alabama. She and her husband, Paul, are the parents of three grown children. She can also be found on her own website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.