Opposites and More: Books for Young Children

These books help young children learn big concepts, like opposites and repetition, in a wide range of settings — from a collection of Mexican folk art to an urban neighborhood.

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Babies in the Park: Autumn Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons
Age Level: 0-3

An endearing board book with adorable babies on the go during the fall season. Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Babies in the Park: Spring Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons
Age Level: 0-3

What will babies find in the park on a beautiful spring day? This series features diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Babies in the Park: Summer Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons
Age Level: 0-3

Whether they are chasing butterflies or playing in the sun, these babies are having an exciting day at the park! Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Babies in the Park: Winter Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons

Spirited, rhyming text and colorful, graphic art reveal an energetic cast of babies having an action-packed day of play in the park on a cheerful winter day. Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Cerca / Close

Drawing of a smiling girl in front of green hills with flowers.
Illustrated by: Blanca Gómez
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Mi cuarto está cerca de la cocina. My bedroom is close to the kitchen.

As she walks from her kitchen through a daisy-filled yard to the house next door, a little girl notices things that are close to each other — just as the little boy she goes to visit is close to her.

Clean Up, Up, Up!

Father helping his son put books away
Illustrated by: Ying-Hwa Hu
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish

It is cleanup time, and Daddy and his little one are putting away books, blocks, teddy bears, and train cars, and preparing for dinner — all while having fun with math! As Daddy talks with his toddler, he uses spatial-relationship math words and phrases like up, down, inside, outside, next to, and under to reinforce his young learner’s understanding. When it is dinnertime, the little one proudly demonstrates an understanding of down when helping to set the table and up while enjoying the first delicious bite! Spanish version available.

Family Poems for Every Day of the Week/Poemas familiares para cada día de la semana

Family Poems for Every Day of the Week
Illustrated by: Maya Christina Gonzalez
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Children spend Sunday visiting their grandparents, play with school friends on Monday, daydream on Tuesday, eat popcorn at the local market on Wednesday, and more, until we arrive at Saturday, when they get to play nonstop all day. Along the way, we also learn how the names of the seven days came to be. Partly based on the real life experiences of Alarcón's own family, this festive, celebratory collection of poems highlights the daily life of children while also honoring the experiences of the poet's Latino family in the United States.

Lejos / Far

Lejos/Far
Illustrated by: Blanca Gómez
Age Level: 0-3
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Some things are close — cerca. Others are far — lejos. With sweet simplicity, this charming dual-language board book and its companion volume, Cerca/Close, engage young children.

El árbol de limones está lejos de mi casa. The lemon tree is far from my house.

The little boy’s house is far from the city, and the city is far from the ocean. What about the mountains in the distance, or the clouds in the sky, or the sun that shines over the boy as he walks?

Little Kids First Big Book of Why (National Geographic Kids)

Pictures of natural objects
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish

What makes a car go? How does mushy dough become a crispy cookie? What does the doctor see in my throat? Linking to a popular feature in the super successful National Geographic Little Kids magazine, this book brings the browsable fun of the bestselling National Geographic Kids Almanac to a new audience: preschoolers! Using an interactive question-and-answer format and content grounded in a child's immediate world, the Big Book of Why delivers lively information, hands-on games, simple recipes, crafts, and more.

Little Sunny Sunshine / Sol Solecito

Age Level: 3-6

Sing, laugh, and play along with this interactive, bilingual board book that's inspired by a traditional Colombian folk song. Each day of the week, Piggy loves to play outside with little sunny sunshine/sol solecito, and he loves admiring the moon when the day is done.

Marta! Big & Small

Little girl dancing near elephant
By: Jen Arena
Illustrated by: Angela Dominguez
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Marta is una niña, an ordinary girl . . . with some extraordinary animal friends! As Marta explores the jungle, she knows she's bigger than a bug, smaller than an elephant, and faster than a turtle. But then she meets the snake, who thinks Marta is sabrosa―tasty, very tasty! But Marta is ingeniosa, a very clever girl, and she outsmarts the snake with hilarious results. With simple Spanish and a glossary at the end, this fun read-aloud picture book, Marta! Big and Small, teaches little ones to identify opposites and animals and learn new words.

Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish

Folk art statues of animals
Age Level: 0-3

Product Description: Cynthia Weill's book of Mexican folk art teaches kids about opposites in Spanish and English! These whimsical little animals from Oaxaca, carved and painted by hand, make learning about opposites fun. Up and down, tall and short, left and right — all inside a beautiful book.

Quinito, Day and Night

Illustration of young boy in both day and night
Illustrated by: José Ramírez
Language: English, Spanish, Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Author Ina Cumpiano and illustrator José Ramírez have teamed up once again to bring young readers an engaging story about young Quinito, his family, and his daily activities. The bilingual story shows how opposites (early/late, sunny/rainy, messy/neat) play an important part of Quinito's life through charming text and vibrant illustrations. Ideal for young children learning new English and Spanish vocabulary.