It can be a chore searching for bilingual books, and now we all have an extra challenge…searching for virtual resources to keep our little Spanish speakers engaged! Here are few great bilingual book apps that can help you change up your storytime routine and, at the very least, entertain your kids for a few minutes.

 iPhone and iPad:

MeMeTales ($0.99)

This app is like several book apps in one! Instead of having to download individual stories, you can use MeMeTales to access many books, most in English and a few in Spanish. The coolest part is that when you sign up and enter your child’s name, he/she can earn stickers (for printing and displaying) and points for reading books. This will unlock games. It’s encouraging and easy for young children to navigate. Check out the story “La Hormiga y el Saltamontes” first!

Bean Bag Kids: Little Red Riding Hood ($0.99)

Not only are the characters incredibly cute, but this storybook app is interactive. As the narrator reads, your child can try to collect all the stars on each page and tap the Bean Bag Kids to get them to wave or laugh. The Spanish is high quality and the animation makes following along easy. If you like this bilingual rendition of a classic, check out the Bean Bag Kids: Pinocchio app for another great story.

Curly Hair, Straight Hair ($0.99 for iPhone, $3.99 for iPad)

Since multiculturalism is so inextricably tied to bilingualism, this is a nice reinforcement of the importance of accepting differences of all kinds. With simple animation and audio, it follows the adventures of all types of cabello throughout a day. The repetition and simplicity make it a great choice for little readers. It even comes with a small Spanish/English dictionary that includes all hair-related terms.

iPad Only:

Ana Lomba’s Spanish for Kids: The Little Red Hen (FREE)

This is a great choice for niños who prefer apps that look more like traditional books. “La Gallina Roja” has nice, bright colors, easy controls for volume and language, and conversational narration. Choosing “scenes” and turning pages is easy and fun.

 

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