I think we can all agree that you can never share too many picture books. They are a great and engaging way to teach students about the world around them. I recently compiled a list of 16 Hispanic Heritage Month Picture Books of notable Hispanics we can share with our students. I have found 18 more to share with students and have compiled them here.
(This blog contains Amazon Affiliate links, which means that Amazon throws a few pennies my way if you purchase something through that link at no additional cost to you.)
You can click on any of the images below to find the book mentioned on Amazon.
Book 17: Pablo Picasso (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists)
This book includes important information and anecdotes about Pablo Picasso. It also includes full-color reproductions of his actual paintings.
Book 18: A Girl Named Rosita: The Story of Rita Moreno
Anika Aldamuy Denise tells the story of Rita Moreno, born Rosa Dolores Alverio in Puerto Rico. As a young girl, she enjoyed dancing and singing and becomes a famous actress.
Book 19: Danza!: Amalia Hernandez and El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
This picture book tells the story of Amalia Hernandez who planned to be a schoolteacher like her mom, but one day on vacation with her parents, she saw some dancers in a town square and immediately wanted to be a dancer. She creates her own dance company and becomes world renowned.
Book 20: Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers
This book by Sarah Warren tells the story of Dolores Huerta who becomes an activist for migrant workers after she is concerned about her students (children of migrants) who have trouble learning because they are not fed or rested.
Book 21: Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre
Anika Aldamuy Denise tells the story of Pura Belpre, a librarian and storyteller, through beautiful text and eye catching images.
Book 22: Dreamers
Yuyi Morales tells her story of being a migrant. She explains how libraries helped her through her the challenging years.
Book 23: Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
This book by Duncan Tonatium tells the story of Sylvia Mendez’ family who fought for her right to attend her neighborhood school.
Book 24: Jose! Born to Dance: The Story of Jose Limon
Susanna Reich tells the story of Jose Limon, who did not know what he wanted to be as an adult. One day, a friend takes him to a dance concert and there he realizes he wants to be a dancer.
Book 25: You Should Meet Lin-Manuel Miranda
This small chapter book tells the story of the life of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the winner of a Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize.
Book 26: My Name is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Monica Brown writes a bilingual story about Gabriel Garcia Marquez using figurative language, descriptive words, and vivid verbs and adjectives.
Book 27: Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia
This book tells the story of a Colombian named Luis who had so many books in his house that he decided to create a traveling library using two donkeys.
Book 28: Soldier for Equality: Jose de la Luz Saenz and the Great War
Duncan Tonatiuh tells the story of Jose de la Luz Saenz, an American of Mexican heritage who fought prejudices throughout his life.
Book 29: Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras
This book tells the story of how calaveras came to be. They were a creation by a Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada. It describes the processes he used to create them as well.
Book 30: Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist
Esquivel tells the story of Juan Garcia Esquivel who grew up to the sounds of Mariachi bands and created space-age lounge music.
Book 31: Sharuko: El Arqueologo Peruano Julio C. Tello/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello
This book explains how Julio C. Tello found artifacts as a young boy and how it impacted his future.
Book 32: Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack
In this book, Sandra Nickel tells the story behind the world’s favorite snack…nachos! It explains how Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya invented this snack.
Book 33: Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Sound of the World
This book tells about the life of Carlos Santana and how he was inspired to be successful musician.
Book 34: Digging for Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built
In this book, Angela Burke Kunkel tells the story of Jose Alberto Gutierrez, a garbage man who would collect discarded books and would open up the door to his collection to share with children in the neighborhood.
I hope this post provides you with a variety of biographical picture books that you can share with your students. If you have any other suggestions of Hispanic Heritage Month Books for elementary students, feel free to leave them below in the comments. We’d love to check them out.
