Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Holiday Booklist
Colorín Colorado presents some bilingual holiday books to share with your family, including classic children's stories and depictions of Hispanic families' celebrations of Christmas and Las Posadas. Whether you give these as holiday gifts or find them at your local library, they will delight everyone in your family!
A Piñata in a Pine Tree
In this festive holiday book, Pat Mora blends tradition by setting her own Spanish lyrics to the popular Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Each verse describes a Latino custom, often related to the celebration of Three Kings Day: "On the second day of Christmas my amiga gave to me / dos pastelitos / and a piñata in a pine tree." Vibrant acrylic illustrations of guitarritas, luminarias, and piñatas dance with joy on the colorful pages.
An Ellis Island Christmas
When Krysia is six, her family leaves Poland for America. The journey is difficult, as is the arrival at Ellis Island when the family is separated. While the family waits for Papa, Krysia sits down by the Christmas Tree of the Great Hall at Ellis Island and watches as other fellow travelers begin to sing and dance. The mood is festive, but Krysia begins to worry — will Papa ever return? Cultural details from Polish customs passed down through the author's family enhance the touching story of one family's Ellis Island experience.
Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid
On Christmas Eve, Vicent discovers that his uncle, Tio Pancho, is actually Santa's Mexican cousin! Santa needs his help delivering presents along the border with Mexico and wants to know if Pancho is up for the challenge. His mariachi outfit may be too tight and his guitar may be missing a few strings, but with a little magic and a team of lucha libre burros, Pancho is ready to save Christmas. The colorful illustrations and hilarious adventures of Charro Claus will have a special resonance with children who call the border home.
Going Home
Mama and Papa are excited to take a break from working in the fields and go home, but Carlos and his sisters are not sure how they feel about traveling to Mexico. Soon after arriving, however, they meet their loving extended family, and the children begin to understand what it meant for their parents to leave home in order to offer the family a better future. David Diaz's stunning illustrations layered on top of photos of Mexican folk art bring Eve Bunting's beautiful story to life.
Grandma's Gift
It's Christmastime, and Eric has a special assignment — he has to write a report about a new painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Eric's grandmother makes a deal with him: if he will help her make traditional Puerto Rican pasteles, she will take him to the museum. Together they leave the familiar neighborhoods of Spanish Harlem and venture out to the Met, where Eric encounters a painting that changes his life. A note from author and illustrator Eric Velasquez provides some background to this quiet yet profound story from his childhood. Winner of the 2011 Pura Belpré Illustration Award.
Hanukkah: A Counting Book in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish
The Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, celebrates the rededication of the Jewish temple after a group of ancient heroes defended their right to worship as they wished. This handsome little counting book honors the most joyful of Jewish holidays, and teaches readers how to count from one to eight in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
The classic tale of the Grinch is now more than 50 years old. But that's just why it's a classic: Seuss' grumpy stealer of Christmas is as fresh today as it was when first published in the mid 20th century.
La Nochebuena South of the Border
In this bilingual version of "The Night Before Christmas," Santa Claus is Papá Noel and his reindeer are eight burros pulling a cart.
Las Posadas: An Hispanic Christmas Celebration
This photo-essays explores the preparations for the celebration of Las Posadas taking place within a Hispanic community in New Mexico, including the food, folk art, and music associated with the holiday. Text in English. Spanish-language recipe for biscochitos included.
N Is for Navidad / La N es de Navidad
Join a joyous Latino celebration of Christmas from A to Z (angel to zapatos), enjoying the sights and symbols of the holiday. The book features a bilingual poem in English and Spanish. Additional explanations and Spanish holiday words conclude this energetic book with colorful and vibrant illustrations.
The Christmas Gift/El regalo de Navidad
"A few days before Christmas, Panchito's family decided it was time to move again." So begins the Christmas tale of a young boy whose migrant family is struggling to make ends meet. Based on the childhood experiences of author Francisco Jim&ecuate;nez, the beautiful story and paintings capture Panchito's loneliness, as well as his parents' devotion to their children and each other.
The Gifts of Kwanzaa
"Habari gani? What news?" Synthia Saint James presents the language and origins of Kwanzaa with enticing writing and bold pictures that honor the people and colors of Africa.
The Legend of the Poinsettia/La Leyenda de la Flor Nochebuena
In this retelling of a beloved Mexican folktale, Tomie dePaola presents Lucinda, a young girl who is helping her mother weave a new blanket for Baby Jesus to be used in the Christmas procession to the church. When her mother falls ill, however, Lucinda tries to continue weaving and is distraught when the blanket's threads get tangled. She is sure that she has ruined the celebration — until a Christmas miracle brings forth the flaming red-star flowers that we still enjoy each December. Beautiful artwork will enthrall readers.
The Polar Express
A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus. This holiday classic earned a Caldecott Medal.
The Road to Santiago
It's Christmas Eve as Alfredito and his parents head for the train station to visit their relatives in Santiago. But this year, the trains are not running because the government is fighting a war against the rebels, and Alfredito worries that they'll miss the family's traditional Christmas celebration. When Alfredito's father enlists the help of a farmer, the family embarks on a great adventure that the young boy will never forget. Brighly-colored illustrations depict scenes and styles from 1950s-era Cuba.
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos
This is the story of librarian Pura Belpré, told through the eyes of two young children who are introduced to the library and its treasures just before Christmas. Lulu Delacre's lovely illustrations evoke New York City at the time of the Great Depression, as well as the close-knit and vibrant Puerto Rican community that was thriving in El Barrio during this time. Bilingual Spanish-English text.
The Tomten
From Swedish folklore comes the story of the tomten, a little gnome who watches over us while we sleep. Read this heartwarming version, from the author of Pippi Longstocking, and celebrate a time-honored tradition for the Winter Solstice.
Tree of Cranes
The narrator recalls his first Christmas in Japan and why his mother decorated a tree with a thousand paper cranes as she relives her holidays in California. Based on a family story, Say's illustrations evoke a holiday in two cultures.
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