Colorin Colorado: Helping children read... and succeed!

Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.


A bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners
A selection of books by

Alma Flor Ada

Colorín Colorado recommends the following books by Alma Flor Ada.

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English
Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English
By: Alma Flor Ada
Illustrated by: Simon Silva
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Using the alphabet as a pattern, paintings and brief poems explore rural life in Mexico presented first in Spanish and followed by English. From A to Z, brilliant illustrations and fluid poems evoke the plants, and more and the emotional impact on the lives of farm workers.

I Love Saturdays y domingos
I Love Saturdays y domingos
By: Alma Flor Ada
Illustrated by: Elvia Savidier
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

A girl visits both sets of grandparents on weekends. On Saturdays, she speaks English with Grandpa and Grandma, while on Sundays, los domingos, she speaks Spanish with Abeulito and Abeulita. The format provides a glimpse at the subtle differences between cultures and highlights their similarities, one of which is each set of grandparents' love for their granddaughter. Spanish words are interspersed in the fluid text.

Mamá Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury/Mamá Goose: Un Tesoro de Rimas Infantiles
Mamá Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury/Mamá Goose: Un Tesoro de Rimas Infantiles
By: Alma Flor Ada
Age Level: 0-3
Reading Level: Pre-Reader

This book is a collection of Spanish-language lullabies, finger games, nursery rhymes, jump-rope songs, riddles, birthday songs, and more. It compiles songs from different Spanish-speaking countries. The English translations keep the essence of the native language, and grab the reader using captivating terminology.

Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes
Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes
By: Alma Flor Ada & Isabel Campoy
Illustrated by: Vivi Escriva
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Rhymes from Spanish speaking countries are presented in Spanish and recreated in English to form a bilingual collection, with attention to the sounds and patterns of both languages. Vivid illustrations complete this appealing book.

Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection
Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection
By: Isabel Campoy & Alma Flor Ada
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

"Stories have delighted both children and adults for as long as there have been families and communities on Earth." So begins the informative introduction to the dozen takes which are presented here to charm another generation, ideal for reading independently or sharing aloud.

Under the Royal Palms:  A Childhood in Cuba (Bajo las palmas reales)
Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba (Bajo las palmas reales)
By: Alma Flor Ada
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

In writing about her childhood growing up in Camaguey, Cuba, the author evokes all the senses. Readers will smell jasmine, coffee, and grandmother's perfume. They will see the bats flying overhead and hear adults talk. When parents and other adults read this memoir with children, they may start to share their own family stories.

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