Favorite Read Alouds
Do you ever wonder which books to include in your comprehension lesson in Kindergarten?
Welcome to my list of favorite read alouds for Bilingual Kindergarten. This is my must-read books each year. The list grows when I find new special books. All books here have affiliate links to Amazon, which means I will get a tiny percentage of the sale if you decide to buy the book. Thank you so much for your support.
Please note that if the book is available in Spanish, I will list it in Spanish first (with the link to the English edition included below). Unfortunately, not all books are available in Spanish. In that case, I will list the English edition only.
For the First Week of School
“¡Qué nervios!, el primer día de escuela“, is my preferred read aloud for the first day of school. Right after introducing rules and basic procedures, I sit the class down for their first read aloud.
It’s funny how they always think the main character is a little girl. They have a hard time believing it isn’t!
Click here to get the English edition of “First Day Jitters”
I like reading “Nuestra clase es una familia” during the second day of school.
I like how the book explains that, since we will spend so much time together, we will sort of become a family.
The students always look at me like I’m crazy, but after telling them some facts about how long we’ll be together, they start to believe it.
Click here to get the English edition of “Our Class is a Family”
“¡Mi maestra es un monstruo!” is definitely the book I like to read on the third day of school.
By then, the students begin to realize our classroom is a safe environment, and some students begin to break the rules. That means that the teacher (me) needs to start calling on them and consequences become a thing.
I read this book to let students know that if they behave, then I don’t have to call on them.
Click here to get the English edition of “My Teacher is a Monster!”
(Fun Fact: Peter Brown wrote this book. He’s the author of “Wild Robot“)
After talking about how students who don’t follow the rules get consequences, I like to read “David va a la escuela“.
David Shannon wrote and illustrated this book and apparently it’s based on his childhood. The kids love hearing that.
David does some pretty intense things, which students can clearly see as breaking the rules.
Click here to get the English edition of “David Goes to School”
I know I didn’t read the first David book first. But, after all the fun they had with the book about school, the kids enjoy the original book, “¡No, David!“, the next day!
It’s still a book about following rules and what happens if you don’t follow them. It is also a great Social Studies book for that first week of learning about rules.
This book is pretty new. I have “¡La paloma tiene que ir al cole!” in English. I bought it when it came out and it only came out in English first.
The book follows the same plot as the original (“No dejes que la paloma conduzca el autobús” — “Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”) and gives different excuses for not coming to school.
I like the kids to hear these excuses to let them know it’s not okay to miss school.
Click here to get the English edition of “The Pigeon Doesn’t Want to Go to School!”
This is the final book I use during the first weeks of school to introduce children to literature while teaching them the basics they will need to learn during the year.
The book is called “Schools Around the World“. I happen to have the Spanish edition when I teach in districts that use the HMH curriculum. Unfortunately, I can’t find it on Amazon.
This is the first non-fiction book I use to welcome students to school, making sure to point out that instead of illustrations, the book has photographs.
Books to Teach Story Elements
I believe in starting Kindergarten students by studying fiction before non-fiction. I think students need to review Story Elements and the different between these two genres for several weeks before starting non-fiction.
Then, after a few weeks of non-fiction, the spiraling can begin.
The perfect book to start teaching students about Story Elements is “Se venden gorras“. The book has a clear main character and setting. It also has a clear problem.
I do have to explain how the solution came to be for students, but they enjoy making all the signs the monkeys do throughout the story, which makes it very engaging.
I usually read each book I use for instructions three times (three days), and on each day, we learn about something different and understand it better. Day one is great for predictions. Day two is good to point out story elements. Day three can be used to model retelling the story and making personal conections.
I love that this book makes kids love books. It’s fun and interactive. I highly recommend this read aloud.
Like with all read alouds I use for instructions, I like reading “Harry, el perrito sucio” two or three days.
This is another book that works great to teach story elements. There are more characters in the story and a whole bunch of settings.
Students need to explicitly be taught what a setting is. Just saying it’s the place isn’t enough. They need to hear the examples and be asked questions.
The problem and solution in the story are also good, but may require some explanation.
Click here to get the English edition of “Harry, the Dirty Dog” here.
I love “La historia de Ferdinando“. Granted, it’s old and the theme may be a little updated.
But the black and story is simple storyline has a great message and the students get excited by what could happen to Ferdinand.
They love that he is kind and they laugh when he has his “accident”.
This problem/solution is easy to understand, as is the main character (and describing him).
Click here to get the English edition of “The Story of Ferdinand”.
This is the last book I like to use when teaching and introducing story elements.
I still remember the first time I read “¡La señorita Nelson ha desaparecido!“. I also remember going to a play about it at the Children’s Theater years ago.
There is also a cartoon made for the book, as well as several sequel books.
This book has a very interesting main character, as well as many different settings.
The problem and solution involve students who misbehave, which is also fun.
Click here to get the English edition of “Miss Nelson is Missing!“
Books to Practice Writing Reader's Response
When bilingual Kindergarten students begin to read and write, I start to shift my phonics lessons into independent comprehension lessons.
This usually happens in the spring semester. Students need stories that make them think to be able to write a response to the text.
Leo Lioni is one of my favorite authors for this. Not all of his books are appropriate (some are a little dark), but the three I mention here are gold.
“Nadarín” is my favorite and the one I always introduce first.
I like writing three reader’s responses from the same book. A personal connection, their favorite part (and why), and to write a different ending.
The story of “Nadarín” has an easy ready with a simple plot and a great message.
“Una piedra extraordinaria” is another of my favorite Leo Lioni stories.
The students can’t help but roll their eyes when the frogs insist on calling the caiman a “chicken”.
I love practicing writing a personal connection to this story, because it’s common that students copy what happens in a story and turn it into a connection.
You have no idea how many students have written: “I found a rock in my backyard and a caiman came out!”
It is a great opportunity to model what ISN’T a connection.
Click here to get the English edition of “An extraordinary rock”
“Tili y el muro” is the last of the Leo Lioni books I will recommend. There are others, but in my humble opinion, the three on this page are the best ones.
This book offers students with a problem to solve. The mice can’t seem to solve it, could the students?
Practice predictions before revealing how Tili solves her problem.
Click here to get the English edition of “Tillie and the Wall”.
“Quique duerme fuera de casa” is an old yet captivating book that prompts excellent personal connections.
Quique, the main character, is going to sleepover at his neighbor’s house, but he is hesitant about bringing his teddy bear.
His sister, a wonderful character, makes fun of him.
Quique goes back and forth his decision to bring his teddy bear until… well, you’ll have to read to find out.
Click here to get the English edition of “Ira Sleeps Over”
Fun Fact: Author Bernard Waber also wrote “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile“.
Books to Teach Making Predictions
To be honest, I don’t remember how I found this wonderful book.
There isn’t a Spanish edition, but the book “Good News, Bad News” mostly only has two phrases: Good News and Bad News, so it’s easy to translate as you read.
The book uses pictures to show good and bad things that happen to Rabbit and Mouse as they try to have a picnic together.
The book has a pattern: a good thing will follow a bad thing. So, when predicting what happens next, students use picture cues to try to figure out what’s on the next page.
Books to Teach Persuasive Writing
I discoreved this amazing book the first time I taught First Grade. Unfortunately, “I Wannna Iguana” doesn’t have a Spanish edition. It is also a long book to translate when reading it in Spanish, but… it’s worth it.
The book is about a boy who wants to adopt his neighbor’s iguana because they are moving away and the iguana has a new home.
The story is told in letters between the boy, Alex, and his mom. Alex tries to persuade his mom to let him have it and the mom counters his every argument.
It’s a fun book to teach persuasive writing with.
There are two other books in this series. I’ve never read them, but you may be interested. They are: “I Wanna New Room“, and “I Wanna Go Home“. Might be worth a look.
Mo Willems is one of my favorite children’s book authors. There is a whole section of him at the bottom of this page.
His book, “¡No dejes que la Paloma conduzca el autobús!” is a classic. There are many more Pigeon books out there (one is “La Paloma no quiere ir al cole“, which I use the first weeks of school).
In this, his original book, the Pigeon breaks the fourth wall to talk to you about letting him ride the bus while the conductor is gone. Most of the time, students will start telling him “No” to all of the arguments the Pigeon can think of to persuade you to let him.
This is another great book to teach persuasive writing with.amzn.to/3NsDcqL
Click here to get the English edition of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!”
This is one of my new books that I’ve bought to use during our persuasive writing weeks.
The book is “¡La paloma necesita un baño!“. You’d think it’s easy to make a connection with this book, yet every year, all the students deny that they don’t want to shower every night.
I highly doubt that. I always tell the story of my own children when they were little (they are older now), and our battles when it was bath time.
After hearing my stories, they succumb and accept that, yeah, they maybe are a little bit like that too when it comes time to shower or take a bath.
Click here to get the English edition of “The Pigeon Needs a Bath!”
Holiday Books
There are two books I never miss during Halloween season, and this is one of them.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a Spanish edition of “Spookley, the Square Pumpkin“, but it is so worth reading it and translating it to my class every year.
I like reading this book in the middle of the month of October, because the class will create their own pumpkin after listening to the book.
Spookly is not only a Fall/Halloween read, but it’s also a great book that talks about being different and how we all have something that makes us special.
I always read, “Zanahorias Maléficas“, on Halloween day. We read it in the morning with the light off and a flashlight. Don’t worry, it doesn’t really get that scary.
That afternoon, we’ll do our pumpkin investigation.
This book is just creepy enough, but at the same time, it shows that the carrots are the “good guys” in the end, and that makes it all better. Poor carrots!
Click here to get the English edition of “Creepy Carrots“
Fun Fact: Peter Brown, the author of “Wild Robot” and “My Teacher is a Monster” illustrated this book.
The sequel to “Zanahorias maléficas” is “Los calzoncillos maléficos“.
I personally enjoy the first book better, but the kids have a blast with the creepy underwear because, let’s face it, it’s underwear. I usually don’t read this book during Halloween. We read it the next day, but it’s just as much fun!
Click here to get the English edition of “Creepy Underwear“.
There is also a third book in the series that came out in 2022. I’ve not read it because it’s pretty new, but you may want to take a look. It’s titled “Creepy Crayon!“
This is my go-to book for the week of Thanksgiving. The book “Turkey Trouble” ties beautifully with the turkey project we send to to at home. If you are not familiar with the turkey project, it’s a project where families get to disguise a turkey. See, the turkey doesn’t want to be the Thanksgiving dinner and the kids must disguise it so we won’t know it’s a turkey.
I send the letter a week or two before the day I will read the book (which is the Monday before Thanksgiving Break. Each student writes a sentence that tells what their turkey disguise itself of, and then it fits in nicely in our bulletin board.
Unfortunately this book isn’t available in Spanish, but both “Turkey Trouble” and the sequel “Turkey Claus” are worth owning.
The week after Thanksgiving Break is always “Gingerbread Man” week.
I start the week by reading the classic “El muñeco de jengibre” to the class, reading a version of the story each day.
At the end of the week, we compare and contrast the books. Then, I bring dough and we make a “gingerbread man” which I take to the cafeteria to bake (*wink*). But of course, it escapes, and we need to find him. We go around the school for that.
We never find him, of course, because he’s now at the North Pole with Santa!
The kids have such a great time.
Click here to get the English version of the “The Gingerbread Man“.
There are other great versions about the Gingerbread Man in English that I recommend:
An addition to the list of Gingerbread Man stories is “La tortilla corredora“.
This book is in Spanish and features a tortilla, instead of a gingerbread man, which I think it’s fantastic!
There is only a Spanish version of this book. There are similar books called “The Runaway Tortilla“, in case you are looking for an English edition.
“Turkey Claus” is the sequel to “Turkey Trouble”.
The same turkey that escaped being dinner on Thanksgiving, is now at risk to become dinner on Christmas.
To solve his problem, he goes to the North Pole to look for Santa’s help.
An adorable story to read during the last week of school before Christmas break with a familiar character.
Unfortunately, there is no Spanish edition available for this book.
The second book I read that last week of school before Christmas break is always “Santa’s Stuck“.
I mean, what do you expect? After all those sweets Santa eats at every house, Santa’s bound to gain a little weight.
The kids love this story and then writing a reader’s response about it after.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a Spanish edition for this book.
The third Christmas story I read the week before Winter Break is “Mooseltoe“. Mooseltoe is the story about a dad who has everything ready for Christmas, except the Christmas Tree.
He realizes he didn’t get one on Christmas Eve, and sets off to get one—but they are all sold out!
What is he going to do?
The story has a very special ending.
Unfortunately, there is no Spanish edition for this book.
You can read “Sneezy the Snowman” the week before Winter Break or right after.
It’s more of a Winter story than a Christmas story, but it works either way.
The book is about a snowman who is always cold. He wants to get warm, but we all know what happens to snow when it warms up.
Unfortunately, this book isn’t available in Spanish.
Mo Willems: Best Children's Book Author
I just love Mo Willems and his imagination. I own a good number of books by him.
His Elephant and Piggie books are always a class favorite. Take a look at the books and see if there’s anything you like.
Elephant and Piggie Books
The award winning Elephant and Piggie books (Elefante y cerdita), are easy readers that have an easy problem/solution plot and are pretty funny. Be ready to yell and sing with the books to give kids the full experience. I love them (and I own the plushies!). I use the books as Read Alouds all the time. When we have time on Fridays, this is my to-go read aloud (yes, I own a bunch of them). When we start our non-fiction unit, we always spiral back to fiction on Fridays with an Elephant and Piggie book.
Click on the covers to find them on Amazon.
Here are the links to get the books above in English:
- I Am Invited to a Party!
- I Broke my Trunk!
- Waiting is Not Easy!
- Can I Play too?
- My Friend Is Sad
- Are You Ready to Play Outside?
- Should I share My Ice Cream?
- A Big Guy Took My Ball!
- We Are in a Book!
- There is a Bird on Your Head
- Today, I Will Fly
- I Will Take a Nap!
- Let’s Go For a Drive!
- Listen to My Trumpet!
Knuffle Bunny Books
The other series that I love is the Knuffle Bunny series (El conejito Knuffle). I have my very own Knuffle Bunny, too. I usually read these books at the end of the year. They are great for making personal connections and text-to-text connections.
Click here to get the English edition of “Knuffle Bunny“.
More Mo Willems Books
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