The World Cup 2014 starts tomorrow! Like in many latino households, my kids and I will be watching and cheering for our favorite teams. Fútbol has always been a part of my life and even though my Puerto Rican husband is not a huge fan, I want my kids to enjoy the next few weeks like I used to as a child back in Peru.
I'll never forget the 1986 World Cup, for example, when Argentina won and my family and I took to the streets to celebrate. Although we're not Argentinian, we lived there for a couple of years and have always felt a strong connection to the beautiful country. Plus, when a team from another country from Latin America wins, most Latin Americans rejoice!
Read more ¿Qué más?: World Cup 2014: 7 Things that will make you sound like an expert
So to get your kids excited, here are eight bilingual books about soccer we've been reading at home.
Pelé, King of Soccer/El rey del fútbol
Your kids will learn how a poor boy from Brazil became soccer's most renowned living legend. Monica Brown does a great job telling Pelé's amazing story and the illustrations are beautiful and lively too!
Soccermania/Futbolmanía
Anything and everything your kids need to know about soccer. From its early beginnings to fun facts that will make them sound like experts.
Bobby and the Soccer Ball/Bobby y el balón de fútbol
I've written about these books published by Heritage Language before because we truly love them at home. With this book, your little ones will be introduced to sports vocabulary in Spanish, which is great! Plus, the book comes with an audio CD that your kids will love!
The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game/Los Osos Berenstain juegan limpio
The Berenstain Bears learn all about playing fair and about how winning should NOT be the only goal when playing soccer or any other sport.
The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game/Los Osos Berenstain juegan limpio $4.49
Let's Play Fútbol and Football!/¡Juguemos al fútbol y al football!
I never understood why American football is called that if the only one who uses his feet is the kicker… Wish they'd had this book when I was growing up trying to understand why fútbol had to be called soccer here.
Let's Play Fútbol and Football!/¡Juguemos al fútbol y al football! $12.76
Let's Play Soccer!/¡Vamos a jugar al fútbol!
Perfect for preschooler who'll learn the basics of soccer, from the equipment needed to the rules.
I Kick the Ball/Pateo el balón
A cute book about a boy called Toñito who dreams, breathes, eats soccer…
Soccer Counts!/¡El fútbol cuenta!
Kids learn about soccer while they learn how to count to 15 with the help of simple rhymes.
