Adorable bilingual board books for young children can be found from several publishers. “La Llorona” by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein (Lil’ Libros, 2015) is a board book based on the scary legend of La Llorona, “one of the oldest folktales ever told.” It’s a counting book that counts backwards from ten to one. Perfect for Halloween or anytime, it’s perfectly appropriate for even the youngest child. It’s not really scary; even the ghosts looks benign.
“A Color of His Own” by Leo Lionni (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016) is the wonderful children’s tale of a chameleon who wanted a color of his own. Each page tells the story in English with the Spanish translation below it. The illustrations are Lionni’s wonderful watery watercolors, and the moral is one that children love: things are better when they are shared.
“Frida” by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein is a colorful board book that is a tribute to famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It’s a counting book with bright colors and counting phrases in English and Spanish. The number 1 is “One blue house” in English and “Una casa azul” in Spanish. That is a reference to the home where Kahlo lived her whole life,La Casa Azul. (Whether you read it to your small child in English or Spanish, he or she will enjoy the artwork and the colors. (Lil’ Libros, 2014)
“Guadalupe” is another board book published by Lil’ Libros. It is written and illustrated by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein. This one is filled with “first words,” like village (pueblo), sandals (sandalias), garden (jardín), and hills (cerros). The illustrations are simple, but colorful, and even for families who aren’t religious, telling the story of the Virgin de Guadalupe is cultural as well as religious.