Inside: 12 Zoo Animal Books in Spanish for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners and beginner Spanish learners of all ages.
Welcome back to Bilingual Beginnings, amigos. Today is the first Library Lunes of 2021!
I have absolutely enjoyed this Library Lunes series, where one Monday of every month, I offer a thematic compilation of bilingual picture books or books in Spanish for kids.
Not only has it grown our in-home library, but it has opened us up to some incredible collaborations with new and outstanding children’s authors in Spanish!
This month, I had the pleasure working with Victor Dias de Oliveira, author of A Wild Day at the Zoo, which is translated into numerous languages and is part of the multi-award-winning children’s picture book series “Little Polyglot Adventures”.
He gave us a copy of A Wild Day at the Zoo. Lennox adored seeing all zoo animals, and he had lots of laughs from all of the chaos created by Kiki, the chicken.
Muito obrigado pelo livro senhor Dias de Olivera.
His book inspired our theme for this month’s Library Lunes: zoo animals.
These books are perfect for the classroom and the home. For inspiration on how to read to your bilingual child in the minority language, click here.
I hope you enjoy this list of 12 zoo animal picture books! Comment at the end, letting me know which one(s) you think your little one will enjoy. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for daily bilingual beginnings!
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*Zoo Animal Bilingual books that are in Spanish & English
1. Alboroto en el zoológico
By: Sophie Valentine
Alboroto en el zoológico is the perfect zoo book for young readers in Spanish, with easy-to-read text and beautiful illustrations. Take a trip to the zoo and learn what sound each animal makes!
2. Buenas noches, Gorila
By: Peggy Rathmann
Ages 1-3
Who doesn’t remember Goodnight, Gorilla, a bedtime classic?
Read alongside your child in Spanish with these beautiful illustrations, as the gatekeeper tells all of the animals ‘goodnight’ and sends them off to ZzZ land. Or does he?
This is a great beginner book for children that are just starting to read as well! It is limited in words and there are lots of repitions!
Want more zoo animal resources in Spanish? Check out these Zoo Animal Printable Worksheets in Spanish for Preschoolers
3. ¿Nos ayudas?
By: Grete Garrido
A beautiful zoo book in Spanish teaches children about each animal’s fascinating differences, how each animal adds to the great circle of life, and ways in which humans can help protect the animals by taking care of our earth.
4. ¡Cuenta los animales!
by: Libros para más pequeños
Ages 2-5
Your child or student will have so much fun with this I Spy-like book. Can you help them count all of the lions or find all of the peaks?
5. Un Día Salvaje en el Zoológico
By: Victor Dias de Oliveira Santos
Ages 3-8
Un Día Salvaje en el Zoológico is the perfect zoo book for multicultural families. Follow the polyglot siblings Dylan and Isabella, and their pet chicken, Kiki, through their adventurous day at the zoo. What will happen when Kiki, the chicken, gets left unattended? You will have to find out!
Learn Spanish with Un Día Salvaje en el Zoológico and learn six new words in different languages through the polyglot siblings!
This book is a bit more advanced, and I would recommend it for elementary school-aged children, but as I do with Lennox with many books we have, I paraphrase and invite him to tell his version of the story. You can check out other ways I read to Lennox in the minority language here.
Related: How to Read to Your Bilingual Toddler in the Minority Language
6. Un zoológico en casa
By: Sergio Andricain
Ages 6-8
Have you ever seen a zoo animal and want to take it home with you? If so, you will relate with Sergio Adricain’s didactic story, which will show the complications of bringing zoo animals home while teaching the importance of pets.
7. Dos en el zoológico *
By: Danna Smith
Ages 0-3
Learn the numbers with a bilingual colorful counting adventure story at the zoo!
8. ¿Dónde está mi pequeña elefante? *
By: Ingo Blum
Ages 2-6
Have you ever lost your elephant? Is it even possible to loose an animal so big? It shouldn’t be hard to find one in this cute bilingual story where kids can learn about different places, objects, and simple questions and answers.
9. Si yo fuera una jirafa
By: Ana Galán
Ages 3-5
Si yo fuera una jirafa is a thought-provoking picture book in Spanish that will open your child’s curiosity about self-discovery and wild animals.
Read more: 17 Ocean Books in Spanish for Kids
10. La cebra Camila
By: Marisa Nüñez
Ages 5-8
In this adorable picture book, Camila, the zebra’s stripes are blown away by a gush of wind. How will she get them back, and who will help her?
11. Mi Primer Carnaval de los animales
By: Severine Cordier
Go on a musical Carnaval ride with animals in this fun, cultural book in Spanish!
More book lists in Spanish:
- 30+ Best Summer Books in Spanish for Children
- 15 Spanish Fall Books To Read This Otoño
- 24 Winter Books in Spanish
- 27 + Best Books for Earth Day in Spanish for Kids
- 18 Spring Picture Books in Spanish for Kids
- 25 Spanish Picture Books To Read This Christmas
- 18 + Traditional Fairy Tales Books in Spanish For Children
- 23 Spanish Children’s Picture Books To Learn the Alphabet
- 30 + Books in Spanish About Emotions
- 17 Ocean Books in Spanish for Kids
- 20 Back-to-School Picture Books in Spanish
- 23 Picture Books About Colors in Spanish
- 30 Spanish Books About Space in Spanish for Kids
12. La jirafa que le tenia miedo a las alturas
By: David A. Ufer
Ages 4-7
A giraffe, scared of heights? Is such a thing possible? Help giraffe face his fear of heights with his two animal friends who have their own fears to overcome.
13. Cómo esconder a una girafa
By: Michelle Robinson
Gee golly, giraffes, sure are hard to hide. Where would you hide a giraffe?
Other posts you might enjoy:
- Sensory Animal Washing Station
- 30 + Spanish Picture Books To Teach Kids About Emotions
- How to Read to Bilingual Children

