This year, the century-old institution has compiled its first-ever annual list of the best children's books in Spanish.
The selection was curated by a committee of ten Spanish-speaking librarians from across the city's different boroughs, most of whom are from Latin American descent.
"I realized many of the books that I read as a kid were not reflective of my Latino experience," children's librarian Jessica Agudelo told the New York Times, also highlighting the importance of Spanish-language books in the development of children with Hispanic parents.
Among the ten children's books selected by the New York Public Library are "¿De dónde eres? (Where Are You From)" by Yamile Saied Méndez and illustrator Jaime Kim, in which a brown-skinned girl turns to her grandfather for help with this ever-persistent question about her origins.
Also included in the list are Isabel Quintero's "Mi papi tiene una moto (My Papi Has a Motorcycle)" with illustrations by Zeke Peña, about a young girl who rides around her multicultural neighborhood with her father; as well as Christy Hale's "Todos Iguales: Un corrido de Lemon Grove (All Equal: A Ballad of Lemon Grove)" about the little-known story of the first successful school desegregation case in the US.
As The New York Times pointed out, the New York Public Library serves more than 17 million patrons a year in the boroughs of Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx.
Although the institution does not collect demographic information, recent census data reveal that Spanish speakers represent around 29% of the city's population.
Discover the New York Public Library's full list of the best children's books in Spanish below:
- "¿De dónde eres?," by Yamile Saied Méndez, illustrated by Jaime Kim
- "Empieza por A," by Félix Jiménez Moreno, illustrated by Ona Caussa Rius
- "La joven maestra y la gran serpiente," by Irene Vasco, illustrated by Juan Palomino
- "Luisa siempre va con prisa," by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Gemma Merino
- "Mario y el agujero en el cielo: Cómo un químico salvó nuestro planeta," by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Teresa Martínez
- "Mi papi tiene una moto," by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
- "La princesa Inca," by Ana Alonso, illustrated by Jordi Vila Delclòs
- "Señorita Mariposa," by Ben Gundersheimer, illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero
- "Todos Iguales: Un corrido de Lemon Grove," by Christy Hale
- "¡Los zombis no comen verduras!," by Megan Lacera, illustrated by Jorge Lacera