Even if your child or student isn’t bilingual, getting books that come with a Spanish version is a wonderful way of sharing books in two languages. But if you or the children are lucky enough to speak Spanish as well as English, here are some wonderful choices for your home or school library.

Perhaps my favorite Spanish picture book is one that I did not think at first that I would like. “Las tres pequeñas locomotoras” (“The Three Little Engines That Could”) is beautifully rewritten by Bob McKinnon and wonderfully illustrated by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson. What has always bothered me about the original story is the adage that if you think you can do something, you will be able to accomplish it. That is simply not true. Some of us face obstacles that make accomplishing even things that others might consider easy, almost impossible. In this thoughtful rendition, each locomotive thinks it can complete the final test before graduating from locomotive school. But when confronted with insurmountable obstacles, some can’t finish. And the older, wise locomotive explains to the only one who finished the task that not all roads are equal and not all obstacles are equal. No matter how hard some try, they will not be able to succeed. But as the older engine suggests, those struggling and in need of aid can be helped. It’s a beautiful twist on the original story and one worthy of sharing with children. I really loved everything about this precious, thoughtful book. (Grosset & Dunlap)

These two fabulous books were released last year. They are lovely and definitely should be a part of a school or home library. “Mi ciudad canta” and “Mi Ciudad Sings” by Cynthia Harmony and illustrated by Teresa Martínez come in English and Spanish. Even the English version contains plenty of Spanish, with a florería, a panadería, and the mercado. The cilindrero greets the main character and her dog with a friendly, “¿Cómo están?” The books are filled with delightful noises like “humming” (parlanchín), and “clanking” (rechinando), and “whistling” (silbando). The city is filled with sounds until there is an earthquake, and then there is silence. We see how the noises change after the earthquake and how the people come together and make a new music. The illustrations are bright and engaging. In English and Spanish, the robust vocabulary and beautiful sentiment make these books to treasure. (Penguin Workshop)

“Caminantes curiosos” by Micha Archer is, deservedly, a Caldecott Honor book. The illustrations are bold and vivid, and the text is simple but extremely thoughtful. “Es la niebla el manto del río?” asks one page. Another question is if mountains have bones, and still another is: are forests their fur? These questions fire up young imaginations. I’d love to share this book with intermediate readers (2nd through 4th graders) and have them write their own book with questions like these. It’s a great way to teach personification, and a wonderful way to have children think about things through a different lens. (Nancy Paulsen Books)

“Todo el mundo” by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee is a beautiful, all-encompassing book that is about people and the connections we make with nature. It’s about the contradictions, the world being hot and cold, wide and deep, and it’s also about the universality of our worldly experiences: “Todo el mundo es una granja” (All the world is a farm). “Todo el mundo es viejo y nuevo” (All the world is old and new). The illustrations really make this a complete experience, and my favorite might be the double page spread with a huge tree, intricate branches, an older man sitting with a dog, and children playing in the branches of the tree. The use of white space for the text and the play of color and light in the illustrations are just lovely. Also, a word about the translation: It’s effectively done and manages to keep the poetic cadence and rhyme in Spanish. Beautifully executed. (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster)

Books that would be a lovely addition to any dual language library or classroom are “Madre de los tiburones” and “Mother of Sharks” by Melissa Cristina Márquez, a “fiercely proud Hispanic marine biologist wildlife educator,” according to her bio on the back flap of the book jacket. The endpapers of these picture books feature different sharks drawn against a watery blue background and labeled in English/Spanish. Even the English version of this book has some Spanish. Meli’s mother tells her, “¡Dijiste ‘cinco minutos más’ hace cinco minutos!” Meli decides to spend her last five minutes at the beach at the tide pool, where a hermit crab magically begins talking to her. Again, in the English book he first speaks to her in Spanish. Together, they travel the ocean, and he teaches her about the importance of sharks and of conservation. The author’s letter to readers at the end is heartfelt and inspiring. Melissa, (aka Meli?), shares her love of sharks and encourages young girls—and especially young girls of color—to work to help sharks. (Penguin Workshop)

“Nuestra piel: una primera conversación sobra la raza” by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli and Isabel Roxas is a really, really important book. It’s all about different colors of skin, and it explains, in fairly simple Spanish, why some skin is darker than others (es la melanina). And while this is a picture book, it’s quite complete as it discusses racism and implicit bias. One double page spread shows a sign next to a staircase asking for quiet. The illustration has a White man shushing a Black child while on the other page, already up the stairs, are two White kids obviously talking loudly and laughing. I’d read this book to children and ask them to figure out what is happening on these two pages. I think they’d notice the man quieting the child, but like me, I think it would take them a minute to see the other two White kids obviously making noise. And then they’d have to put it together. What implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, is happening here? The book mentions that there are few books with people of color featured, and it’s a perfect time to look at the classroom library and see how many books are about people who don’t have white skin. While this is a fabulous choice for a home or school library, I think it’s an important book to read with children to elicit very important discussions about race. It’s never too early to begin such talks, and this book is a fabulous tool for just that. (Rise x Penguin Workshop)

The next two books are a delightful combination of English and Spanish as the main characters in each play with language and words in each language. (Penguin)

“How to Speak in Spanglish” by Mónica Mancillas and illustrated by Olivia de Castro, is a thoughtfully created book about speaking two languages. In it, Sami has trouble confining his words to one language, so he combines them into Spanglish! He says, “Sometimes I make up brand-new words.” Like when he wants to buy “lonche” at school. He uses both languages in the same sentence and invents new words that combine English and Spanish. His grandmother is not amused and gives him the evil eye. She says he has to keep the languages apart, and he must speak Spanish at home and English at school and not mix them up. What happens is delightful, and it cleverly echoes the new belief that combining languages is natural and something those who speak more than one language do naturally. And after reading this engaging book, the next book is a natural segue. (Penguin Workshop)

“José and El Perro’ by Susan Rose and Silvia López is illustrated by Gloria Félix. José wants a dog, and his family takes him to the local shelter (Yes! They rescue a dog!) to pick out a dog. The narrative is in both languages, a perfect blend of English and Spanish, just as demonstrated in “How to Speak in Spanglish.” José decides to get a spotted dog. “He liked his colors: blanco con manchas marrones.” What José discovers is that unlike many people, most dogs are not bilingual. As much as José gives the dog, Feliz, treats, Feliz does not seem to understand. “Siéntate,” and “Échate,” draw no response. When José realizes the problem, he has a wonderful solution. This is a lovely book that celebrates speaking more than one language. (Penguin Workshop)

This review is based on the final books provided by the publishers for review purposes.