Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell; Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Suggested Grade Level: K-2

Summary: A duck lives on a farm with a very lazy farmer! While the farmer lays in bed, the duck does all of the work. One day, the other animals decide to help. 

Connections: How would you include this text in your classroom? This book could be used in your class when learning about farms, literacy concepts and more!

Available in  English, Spanish

also Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kurdish, and more.
 Click here to find this book on Amazon!

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! by Pat Mora

This book include breathtaking illustrations and captivating Haiku poems! Really a great find for your classroom, for all ages. 

Suggested Grade Level: K-5 (Reading level: 3)

Summary: This book is a collection of Haiku poems about fourteen foods native to the Americas including cranberries, pears, blueberries, papayas and more. The pages describe the food's history  origin and interesting facts while celebrating it's diversity of food languages and cultures in the Americas.

Connections: This book really is a great find- and there are many things you can do with it in your classroom! I included a number of links that describe lessons you can plan, using this book!

• Teacher's Guide
• Lesson plans and more resources 
• Blog Post with Craft Ideas

Available in  English, Spanish
Click here to find this book on Amazon!

I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada

Suggested Grade Level: K-3

Summary: In this story, the girl visits her grandparents and experiences two cultures. She spends her weekends  with her grandma and grandpa as well as her abuelita and abuelito. On Saturdays she visits her grandma and grandpa who have European-American heritage. On Domingos, she visits her abuelito y abuelita, who are Mexican-American. 

Connections: This book would be wonderful to use to discuss heritage and cultures. There are a number of lessons you could plan and incorporate this book in them! Here is a link to scholastic's website which created a "Teacher's Guide" to using this particular book! Click here for the link.

Available in  English, Spanish

Click here to find this book on Amazon!

Bebé Goes Shopping by Susan Middleton Elyagm

I have seen this book many times at the Children's museum, library, classrooms etc. Finally picked it up!

Suggested Grade Level: K-2

Summary: A baby goes shipping with his mother, but the day results in chaos. The shopping trip is detailed int he story through rhyming and Spanish words. 

Connections:  This book makes something very ordinary, like shopping with your mother into an adventure! It could be used for a number of reasons in the classroom as it includes spanish vocabulary words, and rhyming. 

Available in English and Spanish

Click here to find this book on Amazon!

Icy Watermelon/Sandia Fria by Mary Sue Galindo

Another great bilingual book about a close family... and delicious watermelon! 

Suggested Grade Level: K-3

Summary: A family spends a Sunday enjoying all the blessings the have in life and eating Mama's ice-cold watermelon. Grandpa tells everyone the story of his father  and mother met and  how they grew watermelons. 

Connections: This could be used in a lesson in which students discuss family traditions.

Available in  English, Spanish

Click here to find this book on Amazon!

Jill and the Beanstalk by Manju Gregory illustrated by David Anstead

I am a sucker for variations of classic tales! Especially when we see a strong girl who saves the day. This is another book that is available in a number of languages. The illustrations are fun and so is the writing! Check it out!

Suggested Grade Level: K-4

Summary: In this story, Jill has to save her family from an evil giant. Along the way Jill meets a number of characters from common nursery rhymes including Little Bo Peep. 

Connections:  Some of your students may be unfamiliar with nursery rhymes. This book could be used to introduce nursery rhymes. It could also be used to define setting, characters, plot, resolution and other story elements. Do you have any suggestions?

Available in English and Spanish

Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, Farsi, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Panjabi, Polish, Portugese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese

Click here to find this book on Amazon!

Buri and the Marrow by Henriette Barkow; Illustrated by Lizzie Finlay

Another great book that is available in multiple languages! This book is based on a famous Bengali story and is a great addition to a multicultural library.

Suggested Grade Level: K-3

Summary: An old woman is walking through a forest to meet her daughter when she meets a fox, a tiger and a lion. All three want to eat the old woman, Buri but she tells them they will have to wait until she comes back when she's nice and fat! However, her daughter thinks of a plan to help save her mother but worries she won't outsmart the fox.

Connections: Another book that can be used in a lesson to learn about other cultures or folktales/fables. Any other ideas on how to include this book in a lesson?

Available in  English, Spanish
Albanian, Arabic,  Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Panjabi, Polish, Somali, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese

Click here to find this book on Amazon!

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Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask "A Bilingual Cuento" Written and Illustrated by Xavier Garza

Really interesting book- the illustrations and the writing are great! I was excited to find this book and see codeswitching right there in the title!  Could be really interesting for some readers- and it even includes a brief history of Mexican wrestling inside. Another great find for your classroom. 

Suggested Grade Level: 2-5

Summary: Carlitos, Carlitos' father and his uncle go to Mexico City to see lucha libre which is professional wrestling. Wrestlers are either los rudos bad guys or los tecnicos the good guys. This book follows Carlitos through his time at the arena and watching El Cucuy, the Vampire, the Evil Caveman, the Masked Rooster, the Mighty Bull and his hero: the Man in the Silver Mask. The best part? The book hints of the true identity of the Man in the Silver Mask. The book hints that the true identity of the Man of the Silver Mask to be someone very close to Carlitos after all!

Connections: This book could also be used to learn a little bit about Mexican culture! You could also explore good vs evil with this book. I found a blog that discusses someways you can use this book in the classroom! Click here for the link! If you have any other ideas, comment below!

Available in  English and Spanish 

Click here to find this book on Amazon!

MaÑana, Iguana by Anne Whitford Paul

I found this book at the public library last week in the picture book section. I picked it out for the bilingual first grade student I work with in reading. It seems to be an adaptation from the Little Red Hen and can be very relatable for your student! I really enjoyed the codeswitching in the book and Spanish glossary. Super cute book, I recommend you check this one out!

Suggested Grade Level: K-2

Summary: Iguana is planning to have a fiesta. All of his friends including Gonejo the rabbit, Tortuga the tortoise and Gulebra the snake want to come but they don't want to help Iguana with the planning! 

Connections: The book lists a number of things the Iguana has to do before the party. You could use this in a lesson about planning or responsibility. Great book for codeswitching and other literacy elements! Do you have any suggestions?

Click here to find this book on Amazon!