Bilingual Storytime Buzz

We've added more bilingual storytimes to our awesome storytime offerings this year. I know several of us have begun compliling resources and information about best practices for bilingual storytimes, and several people are implementing with success at ALD.

I'm hoping to start the conversation here as well. What are your burning questions, experiences and tips? Any good books and resources to share?

Many libraries across the country seem to customize their bilingual storytimes to meet the needs and goals of their audiences. In other words, there are lots of formats, usually with some common goals:

• Help support success in school with proficiency in the English language
• Honor the first language and culture of ESL families
• Find ways to encourage engagement and participation
• Foster literacy for the whole family
• Provide motivation and fun

More to come, but I found a bib of bilingual Spanish books to share from:


Planning, Doing, & Sustaining a Successful Bilingual Storytime Program Fall 2007 - This material has been created by Ana-Elba Pavon for the Infopeople Project [infopeople.org], supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Any use of this material should credit the author and funding source.

Books in English Sprinkled with Some Spanish


Ada, Alma Flor. I Love Saturdays y domingos. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Reders, c2002.

Dorros, Arthur. Isla. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1995.

Emberley, Rebecca. Piñata. New York: Little, Brown, 2004.

Elya, Susan Middleton. Bebé Goes Shopping. Orlando: Harcourt, 2006.

Hopkins, Jackie. The Horned Toad Prince. Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree, 2000.

Johnston, Tony. Day of the Dead. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, c1997.

Kroll, Virginia. Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada!: Let’s Celebrate Christmas. Illus. Loretta Lopez. New York: Viking A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2006.

Montes, Marisa. Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rican Folktale. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000.

Montes, Marisa. Los Gatos Black on Halloween. Illus. Yuyi Morales. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2006.

Mora, Pat. The Rainbow Tulip. New York: Viking, 1999.

Mora, Pat. Tomás and the Library Lady. New York: Knopf distributed by Random House, c1997.

Mora, Pat. Uno, dos, tres = One, two, three. New York: Clarion Books, c1996.

Morales, Yuyi. Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, c2003.

Soto, Gary. Big Bushy Mustache. New York: Knopf, c1998.

Soto, Gary. Chato and the Party Animals. Illus. Susan Guevara. New York: Putnam, 2000.

Soto, Gary. Chato Goes Cruisin’. Illus. Susan Guevara. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005.

Soto, Gary. Chato’s Kitchen. Illus. Susan Guevara. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, c1995.

Soto, Gary. My Little Car. Illus. Pam Paparone. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006.