Celebrate Earth Day with These Five Spanish Read Alouds

 Celebrate Earth Day with powerful messages from five Spanish read alouds. Find out how both little ones and grown-ups can protect animals and nurture all kinds of vegetation. Teach a receptive audience how teamwork and thinking outside-the-box can make the planet a better place, both for people and the millions of living beings we share it with. Help them reflect and think critically with read alouds that show solutions, and provide a moral on our need for environmental stewardship. 

Rana de tres ojos is an authentic text by Olga de Dios. You may be familiar with Monstruo rosa by the same author. Three-eyed rana (frog) sees a problem: her neighborhood is getting more and more polluted. She figures out the reason why, and enlists the help of all of her friends and neighbors to make a change. We love how this book sends a strong message of empowerment through teamwork and communication. Kids should feel like they can make a difference too! Recommended for Grades K-2. 

El jardín curioso is about a young boy who breaks barriers simply by taking care of a tiny garden that he nurtures and grows till it greenifies the urban landscape around him. It’s a reminder that we can all do our part by being consistent in our efforts, and dedicated to the pursuit of a greener world. Like Florette, it shows how the acts of one person can influence so many others. Florette is perfect for Pre-K and kindergarten. The illustrations and text in El jardín curioso are a little meatier, and recommended for Grades 1 through 4. 

In El último árbol, Madrid-born author Maria Quintana Silva, tells a beautiful story about the importance, care, and preservation of trees, and the small steps we can all take to care for the planet. The last tree in the forest has decided to uproot and leave. What can a young boy do to bring it back, and protect the animals and ecosystem that depend on it? Great material for reflection for Grades 2-5. 

La jaula is mind-bending for those of us who have confined domesticated animals in cages, and it’s no wonder it has won multiple awards (​​Premio White Ravens 2019, Premio Fundación Cuatrogatos 2019, Los mejores del Banco del libro 2019). Are cages really for animals? A lesson learned on animals in captivity. This title will lead to deep discussions in Grades 2-5. 

Our last book is probably our most surprising. This title conveys a similar message to that of La jaula, and the best way to describe ¡Libres, al fin! is with a video. While zoos and aquariums are great to learn about animals, what would their lives be like in the wild? Check it out with this compelling flap book! 

Together we can inspire future generations to protect and preserve the natural beauty that is our planet.

Your partners in dual language learning, 

Marie Bouteillon and Sofi Rice