This month of cultural celebration spans September 15th through October 15th every year. I've compiled a list of some of my favorite brand new (published in 2025) picture books written by Hispanic and Latine authors. ¡A leer!
This hilarious counting picture book is about a large family preparing for a dinner of menudo, a delicious Mexican soup made of beef tripe and hominy. Everyone is excitedly buzzing about the family's house. Tios and abuelitos gather and fill the house with laughter as the table is set, and the food is lovingly prepared. Primos (cousins) and the dog are joyfully running around the house, when suddenly, a child trips and Abuelito Esteban’s special menudo bowl shatters on the ground, spilling the soup all over! The whole family scurries together to ensure that the soup is cleaned up, and a fresh batch is made! I loved the expressive artwork by Erika Meza, one of my favorite illustrators!
Pedrito lives in coastal Puerto Rico with his mom and older brother, while his dad works in the mainland U.S. When a hurricane rips through their town, Pedrito faces fear, loss, and the whirlwind of emotions that follow: rescuing a dog from the rubble, dreaming of a wolf chasing him, mourning the dog’s return to its owner, and missing his father all the more. But then there’s music! His brother strumming “Preciosa,” a folk song that becomes more than melody: a lifeline. The community coming together, song by song, helps Pedrito rebuild hope, reconnect with what it means to belong, and even carry a piece of Puerto Rico with him when he later joins his father and the rest of the family. There's an adorable surprise toward the end of the story, but I won't spoil anything!
In this vibrant picture book, a young girl travels to her father’s homeland and suddenly finds herself in a sea of cousins and relatives who feel both familiar and foreign. Her Spanish isn’t very fluent, but Alcántara shows readers how soccer games, shared meals, and inside jokes can bridge any language gap. Tíos and Primos celebrates cross-cultural family ties, which is perfect for children who straddle two worlds or are meeting extended relatives for the first time!
This bilingual celebration of a story flips seamlessly between English and Spanish, also reflecting the daily reality of bicultural children! I Am/Yo Soy portrays identity as complexly layered and whole—spanning food, music, holidays, and sports. Mirelle Ortega’s vibrant art carries the rhythm of this confidence-building read-aloud that reminds children during Hispanic Heritage Month that they never have to choose just one of their cultures to celebrate!
Esmerelda's family is moving to the U.S. for the first time, and what should feel like “home” instead feels overwhelming. Author Ramirez doesn’t shy away from the mix of excitement, loneliness, and curiosity that comes with immigration, but she also shows how new places can also open doors to belonging. Welcome Home Esmerelda is a beautiful story that makes space for honest conversations about resilience, adaptation, and what it means to build a home wherever you are, from the ground up!
Blending present-day family life with Indigenous Mexican tradition, this story introduces Popo, the mystical Xoloitzcuintli dog who guides souls into the afterlife in Aztec cosmologies. When Nana begins to show signs of aging, her grandchildren learn that love and heritage continue long after our bodies grow tired. Both tender and steeped in deep traditions of cultural storytelling, Popo the Xolo is a profound choice for Hispanic Heritage Month—especially for families wanting to explore intergenerational bonds and the beauty and resilience of Indigenous roots. It could even serve as a playful introduction to the concepts of aging and death, which can be challenging for young children to wrap their heads around!
I am forever in awe of the priceless gifts that people from around the world bring to this country: artistically, culturally, energetically, and beyond! We live in a time full of such special works of art like these children's books, which continue to share with us about what it truly means to be human. All of these books celebrate the rich cultural nuances of Hispanic culture in the U.S. Here's wishing everyone a joyful Hispanic Heritage Month!
