Count down the days to Christmas by reading a book together each day! Here are 25+ Spanish and bilingual Christmas picture books to enjoy as a family this season.
In this round-up, I’ve selected a range of our favorites – completely Spanish books and books that include both English and Spanish. Some are beautiful stories of Jesus’ birth on the very first Christmas. Others are classic secular stories of gingerbread kids, reindeer, or Santa Claus. I’ve also selected our favorites that explore popular Latin holiday traditions.
Many books were originally written in Spanish, while others were translated from English classics. I hope you’ll find a new favorite for your family this Christmas season.
Enjoy! Look for these selections to check out from your local library or to give to your kids this year – and to read for years to come. The recommended ages listed come from the book product details when I could find them available.
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Spanish Favorites
Celebra la Navidad y el Día de los Reyes Magos con Pablo y Carlitos
by Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy, illustrated by Walter Torres
Carlitos writes a letter to the Three Kings asking for lots of presents. Later, he decides to ask for a nicer present for his older brother who has been helping him learn to ride a bike. Includes information about Christmas and Three Kings’ Day. Ages 5-8.
Era La Víspera de Navidad
by Clement C. Moore, illustraed by Elena Almazova & Vitaly Shvarov
A charming story that rhymes! A Spanish version of the classic poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Ages 4–12.
La Navidad es un Regalo de Dios
by Lisa Tawn Bergren and David Hohn
Curious Little Cub and Mama discuss who really invented Christmas. Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that Jesus is the best gift of all. Preschool to grade 2.
¡Ya Llegan los Reyes Magos!
by Georgina Lazaro, illustrated by Morella Fuenmayor
A beautiful poem telling about the excitement and traditions of Three Kings’ Day – told from a child’s perspective. Three Kings’ Day is a holiday widely celebrated in the Spanish-speaking world. Ages 5-8.
El burrito de Navidad: Una tradición que celebra el verdadero significado de la Navidad
by Sarah Raymond Cunningham, illustrated by Michael K. Foster
This sweet story tells about the true meaning of Christmas – from the perspectives of those who were there: the animals like Donkey and Sheep, the angel, Joseph, and of course baby Jesus! Preschool to grade 3.
¡Llegó la Navidad, David!
by David Shannon
David’s always getting into trouble, and it’s no different at Christmas! It’s so hard to control his naughty behavior. Santa will have to decide if he’s good enough for the nice list this year. A simple favorite for preschool to grade 3.
¡Qué Montón de Tamales!
by Gary Soto, illustrated by Ed Martinez
María’s family is preparing tamales for their holiday celebration. When María accidentally loses her mother’s ring in the masa, she and her cousins try to find it by eating all of the tamales without telling the grownups. Oneof my favorites for any time of year. Preschool to grade 3.
Los Renos Rebeldes de Navidad
by Jan Brett
A classic story by Jan Brett, translated into Spanish, about Teeka and her preparationns with Santa’s reindeer. Teeka thinks she must be hard on the reindeer to get them ready for their big trip, but the reindeer won’t cooperate. I adore Jan Brett’s gorgeous artwork, and the teacher in me appreciates the wide range of vocabulary she weaves through her books. Preschool to grade 3.
El Hombrecito de Mazapán
illustrated by Gail Yerrill
A beautifully simple classic tale of the Gingerbread Man. No age range available, I’d recommend toddler to grade 2.
El Rey Prometido
by Alison Mitchell, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri
A long, long time ago God promised the world a king. But this king wouldn’t be a king like any other, He would be a new king, a savior, and our king forever. No age recommendation.
El Expreso Polar
by Chris Van Allsburg
The Spanish version of the holiday favorite, “The Polar Express.” If your kids already know and love the story in English, it might be fun to compare and learn new vocabulary using the Spanish text. Kindergarten to grade 3.
Clifford: La Primera Navidad
by Norman Bridwell
On Christmas Eve, puppy Clifford helps Emily Elizabeth and her family decorate the tree. Later, when he can’t sleep, he leaves bed to explore and gets stuck in Emily Elizabeth’s stocking. You know who will rescue him! Preschool and up.
La Navidad de Jesús: Explora el increíble plan de Dios para la Navidad
by Barbara Reaoch
This is an Advent devotional book for families to enjoy together before Christmas. It includes daily devotionals and space to record family responses. No age recommendation.
Forastero en el Bosque
by Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick
While not about Christmas, this is one of our favorite winter books that I had to include. With beautiful photography and poetic text, this story is about the animals and birds discovering a snowman in their forest after a winter snowstorm. No age recommendation.
Related post: Winter Scavenger Hunt for Kids (bilingual free printable!)
Froggy Se Viste
by Jonathan London
If your kids love Froggy books, here’s a sweet one for the winter (while not really about Christmas). Froggy has quite a job to get all of his winter gear on before he can go outside and play in the snow. Preschool to grade 1.
And a unique title for 2020…
Incluso los Renos Llevan Mascarilla
by Isla Wynter
This year everything’s a bit different – a pandemic, quarantine, and social distancing. Even Santa and his reindeer want to help keep everyone safe and healthy… by wearing their masks! No age listed.
Bilingual Favorites
A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas
by Pat Mora and Magaly Morales
Another classic book by award-winning author Pat Mora (we adore her books). This is a Latino twist on the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas” – with piñatas instead of partridges, burritos bailando (donkeys dancing), and lunitas cantando (singing moons). A favorite my kids want to read over and over! Preschool to grade 2.
‘Twas Nochebuena
by Roseanne Greenfield Thong and Sara Palacios
This story is written by another one of our favorite authors – Roseanne Greenfield Thong. It’s Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and we read about the festive traditions of a Latino family: they make tamales, hang adornos (decorations) on the walls, sing canciones (songs), and sip champurrado (hot chocolate). Mostly English with a few key words in Spanish on each page. Preschool to grade 2.
La Noche Buena: A Christmas Story
by Antonio Sacre, illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Nina visits her Cuban grandmother in Miami for Christmas, and isn’t sure she’ll enjoy the holiday. But she joins in and ends up learning all about the wonderful Christmas traditions from her father’s side of the family. Preschool to grade 3.
Un Coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén
by Lara Mercado & Armando Valdés, illustrated by Nívea Ortiz
This beautiful new book won FOUR International Latino Book Awards in 2020! It is the story of a magical coquí (a tree frog native to Puerto Rico) who traveled with the Magi to the first Christmas. The coquí’s call helps the Magi find the little Baby Jesus. In gratitude, the Kings promise to yearly visit the children of Puerto Rico, and to find them wherever they may be if they hear the coquí’s song. Preschool to grade 2.
N Is for Navidad
by Susan Middleton Elya & Merry Banks, illustrated by Joe Cepeda
We adore the way Susan Middleton Elya combines text in English and Spanish in a rhyming way! This is a beautiful alphabet story exploring Latino Christmas traditions – one for each letter A to Z. Preschool to grade 4.
The Gift of the Poinsetta / El Regalo de La Flor de Nochebuena
by Pat Mora & Charles Ramirez Berg, illustrated by Daniel Lechón
A book you can enjoy fully in either English or Spanish (and another one by Pat Mora)! This book will help kids learn about the value of giving gifts to those we love. Preschool to grade 1.
The Legend of the Poinsettia
by Tomie dePaola
This Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia flower came to be, through a little girl’s unselfish gift to Baby Jesus. In Mexico, the poinsettia is called the Flor de Nochebuena (the flower of the Holy Night/Christmas Eve). Preschool to grade 3.
The Gingerbread Man / El Hombre de Pan de Jengibre
by Catherine McCafferty, illustrated by Doug Bowles
The classic tale of the Gingerbread Man escaping from the oven – in both English and Spanish. Preschool to grade 3.
Feliz Navidad
by José Feliciano, illustrated by David Diaz
If you love José Feliciano’s classic holiday song, this book includes the lyrics and absolutely beautiful illustrations. Kindergarten to grade 4.
The Night of Las Posadas
by Tomie de Paola
In this mostly English story, we read about the procession of Las Posadas celebrated in many parts of Mexico and Spain. This is the tradition in which Mary and Joseph go from door to door seeking shelter at the inn on Christmas Eve. Preschool to grade 3.
The Christmas Tree / El Árbol de Navidad
by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Terry Ybáñez
Another beautiful book written by Alma Flor Ada, this one is a poem in English and Spanish about the tradition of the Christmas tree. No age recommendation.
What other favorite Spanish or bilingual Christmas books do you enjoy? I’d love to check them out! Let me know in the comments below and be sure to pin this post for later. Also, check out my other posts with book recommendations here.
Related posts:
- Essential Gift Guide for Bilingual Kids
- Spanish Christmas Music for Kids
- Using Daily Routines to Teach your Child a Second Language
- Spanish Pronunciation Guide: How to Read Spanish with your Kids
Happy reading,
Jenna
