Learning a second language is harder the older you are, so why not start your kids off on the right foot with fun books that can help them hone their Spanish skills? The kind people over at Candlewick Press sent us a few of their Spanish children’s books for review, and we’ve picked three of our must-haves for each level of a young child’s development. They’re all great for young readers (2-5 years old), and they’re sure to get your little ones excited about Spanish. Check them out…
For the new little reader: Las fresas son rojas by Petr Horáček. This colorful block book is great for new readers – we love the design of the book, and think your little reader will too! Learn about the color of various fruit as you flip the pages, and discover a surprise at the end when all of the pages fit together to form a rainbow of color in the ensiled de frutas. This is a fantastic book to read aloud, and it’s tactile pages make it fun for little fingers to grab on to.
For the intermediate little reader: Las manos by Cheryl Willis Hudson. Show your child all that little 
hands can do with this sweet rhyming book that centers around eye-catching photographs (taken by John-Francis Bourke) of diverse little ones exploring their world – “hands on.” We love the singsong prose and colorful pages, and we’re sure that any young reader will too.
For the advanced little reader: Viente caimans grades en media de la calle by Mark Lee (illustrations by Kurt Cyrus). Every child loves trucks, and this extremely fun book centers around an ice-cream truck that breaks down on a little boy’s street. The ensuing chaos entails a massive backup of trucks of all sizes and functions, which provides your reader with a fun chance to drool over – and count – a wide-array of trucks. The Horn Book praised this one as, 
“A lively picture book multitasking as a counting book, a truck book, and an ice-cream wish-fulfillment story.”
With plenty of words, this is a great choice for little readers who are already beginning to read-aloud to themselves. But, the detailed illustrations also make this a great book to read to your young ones as well.
You can’t go wrong with any of these titles, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get reading!
