Our Top 10 Spanish Books for Two-Year-Olds in 2020

In the spirit of end of year top 10 lists and this crazy crazy year we've experienced, we thought it'd be fun to look back at the Spanish books that got the most air time at our house. 

Here were our 2 year-old daughter's favorites! Would love to know what books your 2 and 3 year olds are loving, too!

#1: ¡Shhh! Tenemos un Plan by Chris Haughton

Chris Haughton's books are so fun for this age group. This one has been a household favorite for three reasons:

• It's super fun to read-aloud because there are lots of opportunities to go from whispers to shouts.
• Also super fun to read aloud because you can do a bunch of hand motions (like rowing a boat, feeding a birdie, and trying to catch a bird too). Our kiddos get way more into books if they have some accompanying hand motions.
• The illustrations are super unique and beautiful!

 

#2: Vamos a Cazar Un Oso by Helen Oxenbury

This is likely our littlest's favorite book to date, but we're ranking it #2 because it's really hard to find in the US at a reasonable price point. We got it many years ago on a trip to Spain at the cutest little bookstore. If you can find a used copy to get your hands on, you won't regret it! The three things we love about it:

• This is one case where I honestly believe the Spanish translation is better than the English original.
• The rhyming verses are so well done!
• Repeating verses have really helped our littles to pick-up some of the language!

 

#3: Carteras y Carteros by Caracolino and Canizales

We LOVE pretty much all sing-along books. Music has so many benefits for language learnings so these sing-along books are on repeat. 

• Super catchy tune with a QR code on the back of the book to access the song
• Get to learn a tiny bit about countries around the world
• This book has been awesome at helping our littlest to pick up a bunch of Spanish words.

#4: Vida en Marte by Jon Agee

This is my personal favorite Jon Agee book! And one that has been read and reread at our house. It's about a little boy who is convinced that there is life on Mars, and he sets out to prove it. The fun stuff:

• Little readers are let in on a secret before the little boy even discovers it.
• You can pretend to go on an expedition to Mars along with the protagonist. For extra fun, read under a blanket!
• A super clever read that parents will enjoy too.

 

#5: Un Poco Perdido by Chris Haughton

This is our second favorite book from Chris Haughton. Why we love it:

• Great opportunity to ask silly and simple questions that kids can respond to....(e.g., Is that the owl's mom? No!!! That's a frog!
• Super fun to interact with the illustrations as the owl falls from his tree. You can trace lines in the book or make bouncing noises or even pretend you're trying to catch the owl as he's falling.
• Again - super unique and beautiful illustrations!!

Chris Haughton also has a wonderful book in English called Oh No, George! We anxiously waited months to get a copy of the Spanish translation, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to our expectations. Definitely recommend this one if you're looking for fun English books! I read it as a guest reader at my son's school, and the kids LOVED it!

#6: Hola, Amigo by 123 Andrés and Sara Palacios

Another lovely sing-along book from our friends 123 Andrés. 

• Such a lovely tune to sing-along to (find the song on iTunes or YouTube)
• Beautiful illustrations that reflect diversity
• A super meaningful positive message about friendship and appreciating our differences

#7: La Jirafa Rafa by Caracolino and Canizales

This one is another sing-along book from the same series as Carteros y Carteras. Although the story doesn't make a ton of sense, the song is super catchy! We love it for:

• It's super catchy tune which is accessible via the QR code on the back of the book
• The cute illustrations
• And just the simple fact that singing along to books seems to really help our little ones learn words 

#8: Como dar de comer a tu monito

Not going to lie, I still think this book is kind of boring to read. But for some reason, our daughter really loves it, and when it comes to picking books for bedtime reading, she's [usually] in charge. The positives for us:

• Our little ones seem to love seeing their own routines reflected in books.
• It is fun to be a little more silly with this book by asking simple questions like "Are we supposed to put our spoons on our ears? Or our plates on our heads?"
• Helps remind our kids how to eat with utensils!

#9: Un beso antes de dormir

A simple but super sweet book in which all of the little animals kiss their moms good night before bed. The main reason we love this one is just that seeing our little girl kiss all the animals good night is the sweetest.

#10: Mis Primeras Canciones Tradicionales

Not yet available, but our kids have been going to town on our sample copy! We're super excited for it come out early next year! Our three favorite songs from it are:

• De colores
• Arroz con leche
• A la rueda, rueda