National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, a period when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the U.S. and celebrate the group’s heritage and culture. We found numerous children’s books in Spanish that highlight Latino culture and help children understand its rich heritage. Below are some of our favorites.
¡Azúcar! (Sugar) by Ivar Da Col is the biography of Celia Cruz, known as the queen of salsa. Author/illustrator Da Coll uses poetry and humor to describe the important milestones in the star’s life, from her birth in Havana, Cuba, to her funeral in Miami. The illustrations capture the essence of her colorful, vibrant personality.
Arco iris de poesía (Poetry Rainbow), written by Sergio Andricain and illustrated by Olga Cuellar, is a wonderful collection of poetry from the Americas and Spain. The collection includes work by some of the most notable writers in Spanish, such as Rubén Darío (Nicaragua), Federico García Lorca (Spain), José Martí (Cuba), Ester Feliciano Mendoza (Puerto Rico), Gabriela Mistral (Chile), Amado Nervo (Mexico), and Shel Silverstein (U.S.).
El chocolate de Abuelita (Grandma’s Chocolate) by Mara Price is a bilingual book that celebrates family heritage. Young Sabrina is always excited for visits from her grandmother from Mexico, whose suitcase is covered in stickers from the places she has visited. Opening the suitcase is like opening a treasure chest, and inside are a host of riches: colorful ribbons, a clay whistle shaped like a bird, a drum, a huipi—the traditional garment worn by Mayan and Aztec women—and a strong smell of chocolate.
Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas: Cuentos populares hispánicos (Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection), written by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy and illustrated by Felipe Davalos, Vivi Escriva, Susan Guevara, and Leyla Torres, is a mixture of popular tales and literary lore. The anthology for students in grades K–5 celebrates Hispanic culture and its many roots—indigenous, African, Arab, Hebrew, and Spanish. Four leading Latino artists illustrate the 12 stories in the collection.
Frida (Frida), written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Ana Juan, draws on the art and life of Frida Kahlo to create an insightful, playful tribute to one of the 20th century’s most influential Mexican artists. When polio kept her bedridden for nine months, drawing saved her from boredom. When a bus accident left her in unimaginable agony, her paintings expressed her pain and depression—and eventually, her joys and triumphs. The book highlights how Kahlo turned the challenges of her life into art.
Lero, Lero Candelero (Lero, Lero Candelstick), written by Sergio Andricain and illustrated by Nuria Feijoo, is a wonderfully illustrated collection of children’s rhymes, songs, and verse, containing favorites from all over Latin America. It captures the rich oral tradition of the region, making it fresh and new for today’s children.
René tiene dos apellidos (René Has Two Last Names) by René Colato Laínez helps children understand why two last names are used in Latin America when only one is used in the United States. Young René is from El Salvador, and he doesn’t understand why his name has to be different in America. When he writes just Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, René and Amelia. When he writes Laínez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second last name, René feels “like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese.”
