Besides being fun for you and your child, reading books aloud together provides many cognitive benefits. Reading aloud sharpens attention skills since children follow the inflections of your voice, take in the illustrations on the page, and decode the text. They are also simultaneously weaving those elements together to develop an understanding of the story, the characters, and how the text relates to themselves, their world, and other books they’ve read. All that mental exercise from reading a book aloud together sets them up for success as they take on more complex work later in school and life!
As if that wasn’t enough, most books below include two languages, so these alouds have the added benefits of bilingualism. Studies have shown that children who can speak, read, and think in two languages are better problem solvers because they have multiple perspectives to lean on. Research has also found that bilingual children tend to be more empathetic because having two languages makes it easier to see themselves in another’s shoes.
Books, like everything else, are best enjoyed in community, so be sure to read these titles en voz alta with your pequeñitos, neighbors, sobrinos, comadres, and even the carnicero, if they aren’t too busy!
The following titles have been hand-picked because they’re fun to read aloud, impart lessons good for little ones, and reflect how Latinxs communicate en dos idiomas, Spanglish and all.
Además de ser divertido, leer en voz alta juntos proporciona muchos beneficios cognitivos. Leer en voz alta afila las habilidades de atención porque los jóvenes van escuchando las inflexiones de tu voz, observando los dibujos del libro, y descifrando el texto. Mientras leen, están combinando estos elementos para formar un entendimiento del cuento, de los personajes, y como el libro se relaciona con ellos, su mundo y otros libros que han leído. El ejercicio mental de leer en voz alta juntos prepara a los niñas para tener éxito cuando les toca trabajo más complejo en la escuela, ¡y en la vida también!
Si los beneficios cognitivos no son suficientes, porque la mayoría de los libros a continuación incluyen dos idiomas, estos libros también proveen los beneficios del bilingüismo. Los estudios demuestran que los niños que saben hablar, leer, y pensar en dos idiomas resuelven problemas más efectivamente, porque pueden ver los problemas desde diferentes perspectivas. Los estudios también han indicado que los niños bilingües suelen tener más empatía, porque tener dos idiomas los deja ponerse en el lugar de otro más fácilmente.
Los libros, como todo en la vida, se disfrutan mejor en comunidad entonces asegúrate de leer estos libros en voz alta con tus pequeñitos, vecinos, sobrinos, comadres, ¡y hasta con el carnicero!
Nos hemos tomado la libertad de seleccionar algunos de nuestros títulos favoritos. Los libros a continuación han sido elegidos porque son divertidos de leer en voz alta, enseñan lecciones importantes, y reflejan cómo los Latinos se comunican en dos idiomas.
Great Read-Alouds for Children / Excelentes libros juveniles para leer en voz alta
El pobre Noa solamente quiere jugar con su osito de peluche, Teddy, ¡pero Teddy siempre está muy cansado! Acompaña a Teddy en su vigilancia nocturna para enterarte exactamente porque no se puede mantener despierto durante el día. Las encantadoras ilustraciones en cartulina y crayones de Marcelo Verdad seguramente harán que visites de nuevo tu imaginación infantil - y también que saques a los materiales de arte para dibujar. El peor Teddy del mundo está lleno de momentos cómicos seguros de causar risa, ¡especialmente el episodio gracioso con el matamoscas!
Poor Noa just wants to play with his stuffed animal, Teddy—but Teddy is always too tired! Join Teddy on his night time vigil to find out why he can’t stay awake during the day when Noa wants to play. Marcelo Verdad’s charming construction paper and crayon illustrations are sure to make everyone revisit their childhood imagination and break out the art supplies. El peor Teddy del mundo is full of laugh out loud moments, I had to put it down when I got to the hilarious episode between the Tooth Fairy and a matamoscas!
Francisco’s birthday brings lots of lessons in this family-centered story from Antonio Sacre. Birthday preparations are underway and almost complete, but Francisco has to fetch mangoes from the mango tree down the street—a task easier said than done! Along the way, his papá, Tío Tito, abuela, and Tía Clara drop nuggets of wisdom in the form of dichos, or proverbs, that will be sure to generate nostalgia for adults and plenty of new insight for little ones.
Mirelle Ortega writes a heartfelt love letter to her family and her tierra with Magic: Once Upon A Faraway Land. She describes her homeland in Veracruz, which, through mano de obra, is infused into her family’s life and later into her writing and art. Ortega’s warm and organic illustrations highlight the vibrant colors of el campo and the cariño her community shares.
We all know Grammy-award winning group Ozomatli for their music that blends a wide array of genres, but now they’ve taken on making music and books for the toughest crowd imaginable ¡los chiquillos!
Their hit Ozokidz song finds its way to picture book form with Moose on the Loose, playfully illustrated by Germán Blanco. A camping trip full of fishing, hiking, swimming, rafting, cooking, and biking turns into a raucous game of cat and mouse when the campers discover that there’s a moose on the loose!
Another hit for award-winning author and storyteller Antonio Sacre! Learn how Mr. Magoo El Señor Magoo El Goo Antonio Bernardo Sacre Papito Coquito Futinquito El Capitán de los Mosquitos got his name in this charming and hilarious (and maybe semi-autobiographical?) story. Sacre humorously shows how our names and identities are closely tied to those we love, and those who love us. My Name Is Cool imparts to children of all ages how we can proudly carry home wherever we go, even in something as simple as a nickname.
Be sure to read this tongue-twister of a book aloud because as the names start to add up, so do the laughs!
Karla Valenti triunfa con este cuento perfecto para las fiestas navideñas que trata de una pastelería en la cual un toque de magia logra salvar la Nochebuena. Las ilustraciones de Elisa Chavarri brillan, y le dan al cuento una calidad de casa de muñecas perfecto para el cuento de magia que ilustran.
Al final, Valenti comparte que la inspiración para crear este libro viene de la pastelería familiar, y hasta incluye fotos de las figuras de azúcar preciosas que elaboraba su abuelita. ¡Este libro es una dulzura navideña perfecta para juntar a la familia antes de abrir los regalos!
Max and Kenji go from friendship to feud when they can’t agree on whether lucha libre or sumo is the superior sport until they realize they can have the best of both in this multicultural wrestling mash-up by Joe Cepeda. Readers can learn how friendship and mutual respect create amazing new things by fusing cultures. The story ends with a “sumo libre” move that will surely twist the entire families’ tongues in complexity! Don’t forget to check out the endpapers of the book, where you can learn about different sumo and lucha techniques, complete with illustrations!
Jesús Trejo delivers a charming, semi-autobiographical story of working alongside his papá, a landscaper. Little Jesús is put in charge of the water jug, which also serves as a magical clock that tracks their progress on their jornada—but things go awry when Little Jesús gives water to a dog in a sweater, cats and even a flock of peacocks!
Eliza Kinkz’s illustrations are dynamic and full of child-like energy, with lots of fun things to spot in the background as the story progresses. Don’t miss out on this crowd-pleaser and the second installment of Little Jesús’ adventures: Mamá's magnificent dancing plantitas.