125 Amazing Children’s Books About Puerto Rico

When my child was born, I had a goal in mind: to find as many children’s books about Puerto Rico so I can share them with him.  Little by little, I started building up my child’s home library. Some of the books listed here we own, others are on my wish list.    Of the books that we do own, you’ll see an additional post on how we used it such as an activity or craft or a review on the book.

Since there are so many books on this list,  I broke them down into ten sections with a header so you can learn about Puerto Rico through these books: notable figures, Taíno heritage, flora and fauna, popular culture, African heritage, Christmas, folk tales, geography, picture books, chapter books, and fiction.  I added Comics, too!

I hope you enjoy this list!  If there’s a children’s book that is not listed here please share it in the comments below so I can add it. ¡Gracias!

This post contains affiliate links if you click on the link, and if you make a purchase I will receive a small monetary compensation. Thank you!

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico: Notable Figures 

1. The Life/La vida de Walter Mercado (Lil’ Libros)
2. The Life/La vida de Pura (Lil’ Libros)
3. Ellas historias de mujeres
4. Sembrando historias Pura Belpré
5. Jose Pinta la Virgen (Spanish Edition)
6. Julia de Burgos: Cuándo los grandes eran pequeños
7. Sonia Sotomayor: Turning Pages: My Life Story
8. Felisa y el Magico Coqui (Spanish Edition)  / My review 
9. Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx / La juez que crecio en el Bronx
10. Pride of Puerto Rico: The Life of Roberto Clemente
11. Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo (Pura Belpre Honor Books – Illustration Honor) / My book review and activity 
12. The Legend of Roberto Cofresí

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico:  Indigenous Taínos 

1. The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico
2. Atariba & Niguayona: A Story from the Taino People of Puerto Rico (Tales of the Americas =) (English and Spanish Edition)
3. El areyto de la pluma (Las historias de Atabey y Yayael) 
4. Los cuentos de mi abuela guayacana
5. Tai y el bosque tropical
6. Mi isla y yo / My Island and I: La naturaleza de Puerto Rico / The Nature of Puerto Rico / Review and activity 
   • Need some ideas for extension activities on the Taínos? Click here.

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico: African Heritage and People 

1. Arrancando mitos de raíz: Guía para una enseñanza antirracista de la herencia africana en PR
2. Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba (Spanish Edition)
3. Al ritmo de Petra 
4. Red Comb
5. Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library
6. The Life/La vida de Basquiat (Lil’ Libros)
7. Pitu le baila al mar (Spanish Edition)
8. Las Reyas Magas
9. Pelo Bueno
10. Grandma’s Records
11. Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural / Sofi y el mágico mural musical
12. Capitán Cataño y las trenzas mágicas
13. Mejorar la raza 
14. Hispanic Star: Roberto Clemente 
15. Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates
16. Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat 

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico: Flora and Fauna 

Coquí books

1. El coquí que quería ser pájaro
2. La leyenda del coquí
3. Good Night, Mama! Good Night, Coquí!
4. Kiki Kokí: La Leyenda Encantada del Coquí (Kiki Kokí: The Enchanted Legend of the Coquí Frog) (Spanish Edition) / Review and activity
5. Everywhere Coquis! / En dondequiera coquies (English and Spanish Edition) / Review and activity
6. The Coqui and The Iguana
7. ¿Dónde está el coquí?
8. There’s a Coqui in My Shoe (English Edition) 
9. Coquíes endondequiera / Coquis everywhere
10. Roqui’s Pandero Beat
11. Un coquí de Boriquén con los Reyes a Belén
12. Un coquí de Boriquén canta allí y acá también
13. Polín el coquí que se negó a morir
14. Coquí in the City 
15. Los coquíes aún cantan: Un cuento sobre hogar, esperanza y reconstrucción

Puerto Rican Parrot

1. Coco the Puerto Rican Parrot 
2. Coco la cotorra puertorriqueña
3. Parrots Over Puerto Rico (Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Winner)
4. The Parrot Club / Club Cotorra  / My review plus activity 
5. Hola Puerto Rico / Hello Puerto Rico
6. Pedro the Puerto Rican Parrot 

Flora and Fauna

1. Por ahí viene el huracán
2. Beba and Little Sister Island/Beba y la Isla Nena
3. Hay magia en la canaria
4. El Flamboyán Amarillo (Spanish Edition)
5. 12 Árboles Amigos: juegos y retos etnobotánicos para Borikén / 12 Tree Friends: ethnobotanical games and challenges for all ages
6. The Legend of the Hummingbird: A Tale from Puerto Rico 
7. En El Bosque Seco de Guanica (Coleccion San Pedrito) (Coleccion San Pedrito) (Spanish Edition) 
8. En las cavernas de camuy/ At the Camuy Caves: Teron y su maravilloso mundo subterraneao/ Teron and His Wonderful Subterranean World (Spanish Edition)
9. Sueño en el yunque (Colección San Pedrito)
10. Mi Isla y yo / My Island and I / Review and activity 
11. Micaela y la ballena
12. En la Bahía de Jobos: Celita y el mangle zapatero
13. Antonio, el manatí de aquí
14. The Tree of Hope 

1. Puerto Rico: Its own Land! 
2. San Juan Lil’ Libros 
3. Puerto Rico Isla del Encanto – Activity Book
4. El ABC Del Viejo San Juan/ the ABC of Old San Juan
5. Molly and the Magic Suitcase: Molly Goes to Puerto Rico
6. De La A a la Z Puerto Rico / Puerto Rico A to Z 
7. ABC De Puerto Rico/ABC Of Puerto Rico (Spanish Edition)
8. Los Números De Ponce in Number
9. Children’s Travel Activity Book & Journal: My Trip to Puerto Rico
10. On this beautiful island
11. Isle of Enchantment
12. Luisito’s island – You can get a copy of the book for $5.00 plus $2.00 shipping anywhere in the U.S and Puerto Rico. To request a copy of Luisito’s Island/ La Isla de Luisito, email Maritere at Mrbellas(@) gmail.com  

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico: Picture Books

1. Across the Bay 
2. Abuelita’s American Dream: A Puerto Rican Migrant’s Story
3. La yola puertorriqueña (Bilingüe)
4. Tengo un secreto / I have a secret
5. ¿Qué crees? (Coleccion Nueve pececitos, Serie Igualitos) (Spanish Edition) 
6. Max: Que hago sin mi tableta (Spanish Edition)
7. Juan & Chico’s Wintry Puerto Rico Adventure
8. Sopa de Hortalizas (Coleccion Dos Lenguas) (Spanish Edition) 
9. Abuelita’s Paradise
10. No estás
11. Good Night Puerto Rico (Good Night Our World)
12. Tulipán: the Puerto Rican Giraffe

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico: Chapter Books

1. My Name Is Maria Isabel
2. Rafi and Rosi (Spanish edition): Rafi y Rosi (I Can Read Book 3)
3. Rafi and Rosi: Carnival! (Spanish edition) (Rafi y Rosi)
4. Rafi and Rosi Music!

Children’s Books About Puerto Rico: Fiction & Comics 

1. Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster
2. Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico
3. La Borinqueña
4. Cómics ICPE
5. Cómics Tato y Kenepo  –  I  bought these directly from the author. You can find him at https://www.facebook.com/tatoykenepo/

 

When I started this list in 2016, I barely had 20 books listed.  While the list has grown considerably, the truth is that we need more children’s book about Puerto Rico.  Books about all aspects of Puerto Rican culture, heritage and especially books about our history.  I scour the internet looking for books, and I find lots of them on social media.  If you have a favorite children’s book about Puerto Rico, please let me know in the comments and I will update this list. 

 

 

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