5 Fun Spanish-English Integrated Picture Books

Please, Mr. Panda/Por favor, Sr. Panda, by Steve Antony
“Please” and “thank you” are magic words in any language. And this bilingual version of Steve Antony’s delightfully sweet and simple picture book about a panda with a box full of doughnuts—or rosquillas—teaches kids that there is indeed a proper answer to the question,  “¿Quieres una rosquilla?” And it’s not just “¡Sí!” This playful book on the importance of politeness includes the full story in English in black text with the Spanish printed just below it in white.

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina, by Monica Brown and Sara Palacios
With brown skin and red hair, Marisol McDonald is often told she doesn’t match. But unlike many other people, this spunky Peruvian-Scottish-American embraces things that seemingly don’t go together—like stripes and polka dots or peanut butter and jelly burritos. Marisol’s lovely story of nonconformity is told in both English and Spanish with beautiful accompanying illustrations, watercolor, and mixed media artwork.

Maria Had a Little Llama/María Tenía Una Llamita, by Angela Dominguez
Sure, you know all about Mary and her little lamb, but have you met Maria and her llama pequeña? Mexican-American author Angela Dominguez takes readers to rural Peru in this lively picture book that offers up a new twist on a classic nursery rhyme. Presented in both English and Spanish, the tale tells of Maria’s sweet little white llama who comes with her to school, much to the children’s delight. Not only will kids pick up some Spanish, but they’ll also learn about traditional Peruvian village life.

Goodnight Moon/Buenas Noches, Luna, by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
Reading Goodnight Moon has been a delightful bedtime ritual for generations of children for nearly 70 years, and now it’s available as a Spanish-English picture book with all of the familiar rhymes and detailed pictures you remember. So now you can bid buenos noches to un globo rojo (a red balloon) and los tres ositos sentaditos en sus sillas (three little bears sitting in chairs) in both English and Spanish in the same book.

Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses, by Jen Arena and Blanca Gomez
Love is a universal language, as seen in this adorable board book in which everyone has muchos besos for baby. The rhyming English phrases on each page are followed by the same in Spanish and are accompanied by colorful and bold graphics. Little ones—and their parents—will learn simple Spanish terms like Mami (Mommy), Papi (Daddy), bebé (baby), perro (dog), gato (cat), and—of course—besos (kisses), among others.
What’s your favorite Spanish-English picture book?