Best Children's Central & South America Books of 2026

Disney Encanto The Ultimate Sticker Book is a delightful and entertaining movie tie-in book for children. With more than 100 stickers, children aged 5-7 will have hours of fun stickering activities that will keep them entertained. This ultimate sticker book features beautiful images and artwork from Disney's new movie Encanto, where they will meet a magical family living in a magical home. The book introduces all the key characters, including Mirabel Madrigal and her family, and allows kids to relive the wonder of Disney's newest movie. Overall, it is an excellent book that is perfect for young children who love stickers, Disney movies, and magical adventures.

Alma and How She Got Her Name is a heartwarming children's book that tells the story of a young girl who feels burdened by her long name. She turns to her father, who shares with her the stories of the people she was named after, including her book-loving grandmother and artist grandfather. The illustrations, created using print transfers with graphite and colored pencils, are beautifully done, with a limited palette of black, charcoal gray, and blushes of color. This 2019 Caldecott Honor Book is an excellent choice for parents who want to teach their children about family history and the importance of names.

Miss Quinces: A Graphic Novel by Kat Fajardo is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about a girl named Sue who is forced to celebrate her quinceañera in Honduras during her summer break. Sue just wants to spend time reading and making comics at sleepaway camp with her friends, but instead, she finds herself navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition. The book features deft graphic-novel paneling, expressive use of line, and a color palette of cool blues and pinks that convey the complexity and full range of Sue's feelings in important moments and more mundane ones. Overall, Miss Quinces is a charming and unique addition to the world of coming-of-age graphic novels.

The Book of Questions, written by Pablo Neruda and illustrated by Paloma Valdivia, is a bilingual Spanish-English edition of 70 unanswerable, fantastical questions that invite readers to be curious and embrace what we cannot know. With lyrical, strange, surreal, spiritual, historical, and political questions, this book foregrounds the natural world and engages with human freedom in the deepest way. The illustrations by Valdivia add a double visuality to the already visual questions, making them more palpable and resonant. Overall, this book is a beautiful and unique addition to any children's fantasy and magic book collection.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music is a children's musical biography book published by Harcourt Brace and Company. The book is based on the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers. The story is about her dream to play the drums and the obstacles she had to overcome to make it happen. The book has received positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. It is a valuable addition to the growing library of stories about strong Latina women.

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste is a thrilling adventure filled with Caribbean folklore. Corinne, a brave young girl, must use her courage and learn to use ancient magic to stop Severine, who plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Baptiste does an excellent job of weaving in themes of fairness, justice, and retribution while keeping the story action-packed and filled with scary elements that will satisfy fans of spooky supernatural stories. The book stands out for its unique setting and exploration of colonization and rebellion, making it a refreshing addition to the fantasy genre.

A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters by Duncan Tonatiuh is a 2023 Pura Belpré Youth Illustration Honor Book that sheds light on the significance of Aztec manuscripts and culture. The book tells the story of a young Aztec girl who explains to her little brother how her parents create beautiful painted manuscripts, or codices, to document their people's way of life, history, science, tributes, and sacred rituals. Tonatiuh's lyrical prose and pre-Columbian codices-inspired illustrations celebrate Mesoamerican ingenuity and the universal power of books. This book is a perfect addition to any children's ancient civilization fiction book collection.

Islandborn is a beautiful picture book that tells the story of Lola, a girl who can't remember the country she came from. With the help of her family and friends, she embarks on a journey to learn about her roots and discovers the magic of memory and imagination. Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz, this book celebrates diversity and the power of storytelling. The illustrations are stunning and the story is both heartwarming and educational. Islandborn is a must-read for children and adults alike, as it reminds us of the importance of knowing where we come from and the beauty of different cultures.

Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoiris is a heartwarming children's book about perseverance, creativity, and the ancient Mayan art of weaving. Ixchel, a young girl from Guatemala, wants to learn how to weave on backstrap looms like her mother and grandmother, but there is not enough extra thread for her to practice with. Determined to help her family earn money for her education, Ixchel collects and weaves colorful plastic bags into a fabric that looks like a beautiful rainbow. This book is a great way to introduce children to indigenous Guatemalan culture and the importance of recycling. The English and Spanish texts make it a perfect tool for bilingual education.

Zonia's Rain Forest is a beautifully illustrated children's book that follows the adventures of a young girl named Zonia in the Amazon rainforest. Juana Martinez-Neal's stunning artwork, created on paper made from banana bark, brings the lush greenery and wildlife of the rainforest to life. The story emphasizes Zonia's connection to her home and the importance of protecting it from deforestation. The book also includes back matter with information on the Asháninka community, the Amazon rainforest, and its wildlife. This book is a great addition to any child's library, offering both a fun story and a valuable lesson on environmental conservation.