My Shopping Trip: Books for Young Children

Whether at the grocery store or a big outdoor market, going shopping is a big adventure for little ones! These books capture the sights, sounds, and smells of going shopping, as well as all of the great learning that can happen at the same time!

Related resources

For related books and activity ideas, see the following:

At the Market

Boy and mother at market
By: Elena Castro
Illustrated by: Barbara M. Flores
Age Level: 0-3
Language: Spanish

A boy and his mama go shopping at an outdoor market. Find out what they buy to make a delicious breakfast. Spanish version available.

Banana for Two

Mother with baby
By: Ellen Mayer
Illustrated by: Ying-Hwa Hu
Age Level: 0-3
Language: Chinese, Hindi, Hmong, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp), Vietnamese

Mama, her toddler, and two stuffed bunnies turn a grocery store outing into an opportunity to talk, laugh, and learn a little math. As they fill their cart with items in quantities of one and two, Mama lets her baby hold them, connecting the familiar idea of one and two hands to concepts of one and two.

Bebé Goes Shopping

Illustration of mother pushing baby in grocery cart
By: Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrated by: Steven Salerno
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish vocabulary featured

It's a big day for Bebé and Mamá at the grocery store, complete with animal crackers, balloons, and many near escapes from the shopping cart! Written in rhyme, the text mixes English and Spanish words in a seamless way. The colorful and charming illustrations bring Bebé and Mamá's grocery store adventures to life on the page.

Carmen's Colors

Young girl in the market
By: Maria Diaz Strom
Age Level: 0-3
Language: Spanish

Product Description: A young girl and her mother go to the outdoor market and buy an array of colorful items, such as orange flowers and blue socks. A related activity guide is available from the publisher. Also available in Spanish.

Estela's Swap

Illustration of a young girl in the market
By: Alexis O'Neill
Illustrated by: Enrique O. Sanchez
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish

Product Description: Estela is attending her first swap meet, where she plans to sell a music box to make money for lessons with the Ballet Folklórico. When a strong wind ruins the flowers the woman across from her is selling, Estela decides to give her the music box so she can listen to cheerful music while she makes new flowers. Although Estela may not have enough money for the lessons, her heart is full. And in this charmingly illustrated story, the flower seller has a wonderful surprise for Estela.

Market Day: A Story Told with Folk Art

Colorful pattern of fabric
By: Lois Ehlert
Age Level: 3-6

It's market day! Everyone's going to the town square for a farmers market like no other — and you're invited to come along. Lois Ehlert's Market Day takes you on a colorful journey around the world in a fun story told with folk art.

Yasmin the Explorer

Illustration of a young girl running with a map flying from her hand.
By: Saadia Faruqi
Illustrated by: Hatem Aly
Age Level: 6-9

Every explorer needs a map! Baba encourages Yasmin to make one of her own. But when Yasmin loses sight of Mama at the farmer's market, can her map bring them back together?