Children's Picture Books with Latino and Hispanic Characters

This list of children's picture books with Hispanic and Latino/a/é characters contains books for babies through elementary school, including poetry! They are great choices to read during Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), but will be enjoyed any time of year.

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Babies and Toddlers

Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Amy Cordova. The lively, rhyming text and illustrations feature aspects of Latino and Hispanic culture like music, fiestas, food and of course, besos and abrazos. I really appreciated that illustrator Amy Cordova recognized that not all Latino Americans have the same skin color! Includes a short glossary.

Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses by Jen Arena, illustrated by Blanca Gomez is a sweet little board book with repetitive and rhyming text. In English with a few Spanish words.

Arrorró, Mi Niño: Latino Lullabies and Gentle Games by Lulu Delacre. This is a wonderful bilingual resource, even for parents with no Spanish language experience. Short songs and interactive games (think: Pat-a-cake, and "To Market, to Market") will encourage caregivers to spend special one on one time with their children.

Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía Una Llamita by Angela Dominguez.  This classic nursery rhyme has a Peruvian twist. The illustrations are delightful. Bilingual.

Un Elefante: Numbers/Numeros by Patty Rodriguez, illustrated by Ariana Stein. The Lil' Libros board book series teaches beginning concepts through Latin American culture, history, and traditions. Bilingual.

MORE: Bilingual books in English and Spanish

Preschoolers and Up

¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge! (series) by Raúl the Third. This is the sixth book in the ¡Vamos! series about Little Lobo and Bernabé. The pair has a new, red truck and are carrying party supplies across a bridge between two countries. When they get stuck in traffic, everyone comes together to pass the time. I highly recommend this entire series, which is also fun to read aloud.

Green is a Chile Pepper and Round is a Tortilla by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra. These two concept books with Spanish words sprinkled throughout are perfect for preschoolers. Colorful, folksy illustrations and rhyming text make these great for story time.

Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra. In this joyful book, a biracial boy narrates all the things he is thankful for, from the mundane to the surprising. The illustrations include a range of multicultural children, so kids of all colors will see themselves represented. Bilingual.

MORE: Children's Books about Gratitude

Niño Wrestles the World  by Yuyi Morales. Niño imagines himself as a “Lucha Libre” wrestler. He wrestles with stellar moves, like the “tickle tackle” and the “puzzle muzzle” and bests intergalactic opponents, but when it comes to his biggest challenge, “Las Hermanitas”, Niño pulls out his very special moves.  An endnote describes this type of theatrical wrestling, popular in Spanish-speaking countries.

What Can You Do With A Paleta?/ ¿Qué Puedes Hacer con una Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Magaly Morales.A paleta is a traditional Mexican popsicle treat. This joyful book about kids running to get a summer treat will spark your preschoolers imagination and maybe he or she will even offer to share a paleta with you! Bilingual.

Looking for Bongo by Eric Velasquez, featuring an Afro-Latino family, is absolutely delightful. A boy is looking for his missing stuffed toy and he asks everyone around him for help. His family's answers are sprinkled with Spanish words and the decor of the house reflects the cultural background of the family. Preschoolers will love spotting clues to find the real culprit of Bongo's disappearance.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López. This wonderful picture book is inspired by the life of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl. Millo bucked Cuba's taboo against female drummers and became a famous musician, even playing the bongos at a birthday celebration for FDR. The book is written as a poem, following a girl's longing to beat on all sorts of drums: congas, bongos, and timbales. She practices secretly until finally she is allowed to share her gift with the world.

MORE: Latinx and Hispanic Biographies for Kids

Kindergarten and Up

Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock (series) by Jesús Trejo, illustrated by Eliza Kinkz. This delightful story will have your child giggling at the antics of a boy who accompanies his father to work. Papá tells his son that work will be done when the water jug is empty. In order to make the work day go faster, the boy gives away the water bit by bit to thirsty creatures, only to find out that's not exactly how the "clock" works!

Spanish Is the Language of My Family by Michael Genhart, illustrated by John Parra. A boy asks his grandmother for help preparing for a Spanish language spelling bee. As they study, she tells her grandson about her experience growing up when speaking Spanish in school was forbidden. Genhart's story sensitively reveals past wrongs while demonstrating how individuals can take pride in their cultural heritage and language, as well as express hope for the future.

MORE: Children's Books about All Kinds of Families

Martina Has Too Many Tías by Emma Otheguy, illustrated by Sara Palacios. In this reimagines the Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina,” a young girl feels overwhelmed by the boisterousness of her tías! She seeks out a quiet place to escape from the sensory overload. After a peaceful afternoon she returns to her tías who welcome her back with warmth and love.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña. As someone who has been on a motorcycle once and never will again, I was sort of freaked out by the premise of this picture book! Nevertheless, it is a wonderfully joyous read aloud about the special time a girl spends with her father cruising the familiar places in the neighborhood. In fact, I loved the book!  Also available in Spanish.

Viva's Voice by Raquel Donoso, illustrated by Carlos Vélez Auiglera. Five-year-old Viva is loud and her bus-driving Papi is quiet. When Papi and his fellow union workers go on strike, Viva joins him on the picket line and uses her big, bold and confident voice to helps Papi find his. A touching story of both family and worker solidarity.

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown, illustrated by Sara Palacios. I loved Marisol from the moment I met her, and as a result, she’s made an appearance on several of my lists, including books with diverse characters and books for Hispanic Heritage Month. Red-headed half-Scottish half-Peruvian Marisol bounces off the page with great enthusiasm and loves her mismatched life. When her friend, Ollie, challenges her to “match”, Marisol finds she is unhappy with life as a conformist. This is a great story that emphasizes the importance of embracing and accepting one’s uniqueness. Bilingual.

Mango, Abuela and Me by Meg Medina, illustrated by Angela Dominguez. I love picture books with intergenerational stories! Mia's Spanish-speaking abuela has come to live with the family. Mia and her grandmother now share a room, but they don't know how to communicate. Abuela can't read Mia's English books and Mia doesn't have enough Spanish words to share her experiences. One day Mia brings home a parrot which reminds Mia of her grandmother's previous home and eventually, through practice, the family learns how to communicate fluently with each other.

MORE: Children's Books about Grandparents

Abuela by Arthur Dorros. A girl and her Abuela hop on a bus to the park where she imagines flying high above New York City. On their imaginary flight they take in all the diverse and exciting scenes of city life. The text is peppered with Spanish words and phrases. I adore the vibrant, colorful illustrations, full of details to study. 

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales. I adore trickster tales and this one about a grandmother who outsmarts a skeleton is quite a treat. A skeleton comes to fetch Grandma Beetle on her birthday, but the clever woman thwarts him as she claims to have too many chores to do first.  The tale seamlessly weaves Spanish language numbers into the humorous narrative as grandma counts up the tasks she must do in order to keep the skeleton at bay.

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh. Two cousins—Charlie, who is American, and Carlitos, who is Mexican—write letters to each other describing life in their home country, thus inviting readers to compare and contrast the different experiences. Tonatiuh's illustrations are heavily influenced by Mixtec tradition (Mixtec was a major civilization of Mesoamerica). In English, with some Spanish words, plus a glossary.

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns by Duncan Tonatiuh. Tonatiuh's retelling of a Mesoamerican creation myth is surpassed only by his amazing illustrations. Four gods set out to create humans, but their attempts result in turning the humans first into mountains, then fish, and finally, in frustration, the gods turn them into monkeys. The gods are discouraged and want to give up–except for Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent. Quetzalcóatl travels to the underworld and during his journey he undergoes trials of strength and bravery. A mesmerizing story–and I'm guessing, as you are here on Earth, reading this, you can predict how it all turns out.

MORE: Folktales from Latin America

Yo Soy Muslim: A Father's Letter to His Daughter by Mark Gonzales, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The narrative is written as a letter from a father to his daughter, but it reads like a poem. The father recognizes that his child will have questions about who she is and what she can accomplish. Celebrating their shared faith and culture and language, the father's letter aims to give his daughter confidence and pride in her identity as a Muslim Latina.

Poetry

Poetry, songs and free verse are wonderful additions to story time!

Book Joy Word Joy by Pat Mora, illustrated by Rafael López. This is a cheerful collection of poems about adventures with language, whether it be reading, singing, writing secrets, or going to the library. Many of the short, dynamic poems incorporate Spanish words or phrases and Colón's illustrations bring a sense of movement to the printed words.

The Magical Cycle of the Seasons. This is a four book series of poems by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez.

De Colores and Other Latin American Folksongs for Children ed. by Jose-Luis Orozco, illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Okay, so these are songs, not poems, but still! These fun tunes will charm you and your kids.