Hispanic Representation in Spanish-Language Picture Books

Children’s books act as mirrors and windows, giving children the opportunity to see their cultural backgrounds reflected as well as learn about cultures different from their own. Public libraries facilitate families’ access to children’s books, and their books should reflect the diversity of their public, including the growing number of Hispanic families in the U.S. The goal of this study was to examine Spanish-language children’s books in public libraries with respect to who creates and publishes the books, as well as the language and themes present in the books. We conducted a multi-dimensional analysis of 200 Spanish or Spanish-English picture books for children under five years from three library branches. This included quantitative analysis of bibliographic information (author/illustrator identities), language usage, and cultural representation, as well as a thematic analysis of storylines. The study replicated findings suggesting an underrepresentation of Hispanics in children’s literature, identifying these patterns specifically within Spanish-language picture books.