Submitted by Nikki on
For both kids and adults learning Spanish, children's books are a great way to practice reading in Spanish. While many language-learners get frustrated with texts that are beyond their ability, kid's books offer a colorful, enjoyable way to improve your Spanish reading skill. The books recommended below are translations of books you have either read or been read to as a child. I recommend practicing reading aloud to improve your pronunciation.
Children's Books for Beginners
Buenas Noches Luna (Goodnight Moon)
If you want to be able to read a book in Spanish but are a beginner, Buenos Noches Luna will make you feel good about your level. The wonderfully-illustrated book goes through the process of saying Buenas Noches to everything within sight, which offers some good vocabulary practice. This is also a great book to read to your little one, even if you're not a Spanish-speaker yourself. Just keep in mind the vowel sounds for pronunciation -- a (ah) e (eh) i (ee) o (oh) u (oo). ¡Booeh-nahs Noh-chehs!
Spanish learning notes: simple vocabulary and the use of the diminutive
El Conejito Andarín (The Runaway Bunny)
This classic by Margaret Wise Brown is one of my childhood favs, about the relationship between bunny mother and bunny child. The illustrations are fantastic, and there are some great vocabulary and grammatical points to notice, including the Spanish word for crocus and saffron --- azafrán.
Spanish learning notes: vocabulary relating to outdoor sports, hypothetical IF/THEN statements (first conditional), and verbs of change (convertirse and hacerse).
El Árbol Generoso (The Giving Tree)
Have you ever noticed that some children's books are meant for adults? You certainly will when you reach the end of this Shel Silverstein classic, sniff sniff. This book has some good repetition, and the vocabulary is relatively simple but you'll certainly learn some new words and phrases, like jugar al escondite (to play hide-and-seek). Who knew?
Spanish learning notes: mixed preterit and imperfect of the past and familiar commands.
La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Hungry Caterpillar)
Who doesn't love the incredible illustrations of this fantastic book by Eric Carle? This is a great book for beginners since the illustrations make the vocabulary perfectly understandable. This is also a great book to read with kids and have them explain the different colors and objects they see.
Spanish learning notes: food and nature vocabulary, days of the week.
Donde Viven Los Monstruos (Where the Wild Things Are)
Another well-illustrated book, this is a quick read that will help build your confidence.
**Spanish learning notes: regular verbs in the past (preterit) and some animal/nature vocabulary.
Children's Books for Intermediates
¡Oh, cuán lejos llegarás! and other books by Dr. Seuss
I must say Dr. Seuss books can be confusing even in English, but offer some great repetition and rhyme for intermediate Spanish students. Oh, cuán lejos llegarás is great for practicing the future, and you'll certainly learn some new expressions and words. Ojo for invented words, however.
Spanish learning notes: subjunctive and future.
In general, pick out books that interest you and include vocabulary and grammatical concepts that are a bit of a challenge but still within your reach. This should be fun, after all!
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