Foreign Language Children's Books
- Search Strategies
- Other Locations for Finding Children's Lit
- Directories
- General Bibliographies
- Language Specific Bibliographies
- Journals
- Web Resources
French, Spanish, German, Catalan, Navajo... While the majority of the School Collection's children's books are written in English, many of the 80,000 children's books currently in the cataloged collection are not. Unless you know the specific title of a book, these foreign language books can often be difficult to find. This guide offers several search strategies for finding foreign language titles at the University of Illinois and elsewhere. Since these materials are in many different libraries, the location is noted under each call number. Generally speaking, the foreign language materials that the Education and Social Science library has in its collection are located in Education Storage, which is not accessible for patrons to browse.
Search Strategies
Subject Search
One way to find books written in a particular foreign language (Spanish, French, Japanese, etc.) is to do a subject search, by language, on the online catalog. This type of search will bring up some recent (post-1984 titles), but not all. Unfortunately, subject headings are not consistently assigned to foreign language children's books.
Also, because many of the foreign language books in the School Collection were acquired prior to 1984 (and the arrival of the online catalog), many books are not assigned subject headings in the computer. Many of these older foreign language books can be found by doing shelf list or title searches, explained later in this guide.
This guide is limited to search strategies for youth fiction and non-fiction written in foreign languages, rather than dictionaries or books on how to speak/write/read a foreign language. Use any or all of the following subject headings when searching for fiction or non-fiction written in a foreign language:
- If you were looking for a book in Spanish, try Spanish language materials
- If you were looking for a bilingual book, Spanish and English, try Spanish language materials-bilingual
- If you were looking for a children's book in Spanish, try Spanish language materials-juvenile literature
- If you were looking for textbooks to assist children learning Spanish, try Spanish language-readers
If searching for a foreign language book on a specific subject, add the appropriate subject heading to the foreign language search string. For example, if looking for a Spanish language book on cats, use the following subject searches:
- Cats – Spanish language materials
- Cats – Spanish language materials – Juvenile fiction
- Cats – Spanish language materials -- Fiction
Shelf List Search
Sometimes, when you do not have a specific title, the only way to find foreign language fiction (published prior to 1984) in the School Collection is to do a shelf list search on the online catalog.
First, determine the appropriate Dewey Decimal classification for the language you are looking for (see list below). On the online catalog, choose the option allowing you to search by call number, followed by the option for searching the shelf list. Type in the general call number you wish to search. (Remember to preface your call number with an "S.")
In the list below, there are the beginnings of call numbers assigned to some foreign language children's books in the School Collection. These numbers could also be used to search the general library's collection (including the Asian and Modern Languages libraries) by leaving the "S." off of the number. Remember that a numeric search will not unearth recent foreign language fiction in the School Collection, as much of it has been classified as fiction under the author's last name.
| S.830 | German |
| S.839.31 | Dutch |
| S.839.7 | Swedish |
| S.839.81 | Danish |
| S.839.82 | Norwegian |
| S.840 | French |
| S.849.9 | Catalan |
| S.850 | Italian |
| S.860 | Spanish |
| S.870 | Latin |
| S.889 | Modern Greek |
| S.891.7 | Russian |
| S.891.85 | Polish |
| S.896 | African languages |
| S.897 | North American native languages |
| S.899.92 | Basque |
Title Search
It is also possible to access foreign language children's books by doing a title search on the online catalog. Several libraries at the University of Illinois have reference works that provide titles. Described below, these reference books, primarily bibliographies, arrange titles in various ways: by culture, country of publication, language, subject, award-winners, etc.
Other Locations
- The Asian Library (325 Main Library, 333-1501) has children's books written in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, as well as some Indic, Vietnamese, and Thai languages.
- The Modern Languages and Linguistics Library (425 Main Library, 333-0076) has some foreign language bibliographies focusing on children's literature. A small collection of foreign language children's books once located in the Modern Languages Library is now in the Stacks.
- The Slavic and East European Library (225 Main Library, 333-1349) occasionally receives gift collections containing children's materials written in Russian and other Slavic languages. Once cataloged, these materials are sent to the Main Bookstacks. The Slavic Library does have a small (uncataloged) collection of children's books in some of the Central Asian languages (Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik).
If the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign does not have the type of book you are looking for, remember that another library in Illinois might. Ask a reference assistant if you need help searching other libraries on the online catalog. Or, search WorldCat, a database in OCLC FirstSearch, for holdings at libraries in other states, and request the book through Interlibrary Loan (128 Main Library, 333-1958).
The Champaign Public Library (505 S. Randolph, 356-3980) and the Urbana Free Library (201 S. Race Street, 367-4069) also collect foreign language children's books. Both libraries shelve these books with their non-fiction books, under the appropriate Dewey Decimal classification (according to language).
Directories
| S.028.8088 Sp312 1995 (S-Collection Reference) |
Jones, Dolores Blythe. Special Collections in Children's
Literature: An International Directory. 1995. Provides information on special collections of children's literature; 300 of which are located in the United States and 119 in forty other countries. A subject index lists collections with strengths in foreign language children's books, as well as those with strengths in specific foreign languages and language groups. |
| 026.4 D628 (MDR, STX, LSX) |
Manoogian, Sylva N. and Natalia B. Bezugloff. Directory of
Language Collections in North American Public Libraries. 1986. Identifies 1,767 collections in 66 modern world languages in the United States and Canada. The directory is arranged both alphabetically by language, and by state. The state listings give more detailed information about the libraries, including the size of their foreign language collection (Small, 100-499 volumes; Medium, 500-1,499; Large, 1,500+) and the availability of juvenile materials. |
General Bibliographies
| 026.11 A5121c (STX) |
American Library Association. Children's Books from Twelve
Countries. 1930. Short annotations of foreign language books from Czecho-Slovakia, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, and America |
| S.011.62 B471 (EDK Storage) |
Asian Cultural Center for UNESCO. Bibliography: Children's
Books from Asia. 1980. An annotated bibliography of 523 illustrated foreign language children's books from 15 countries in Asia, including Bangladesh, Burma, People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Title and illustrator indexes. |
| 011.62 B4712 (STX) |
Bibliography of Children's Books Published in India. 1983. Extensive list of books published in India prior to 1982. Arranged by language and age level. Transliterates titles in twelve Indian languages: Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. |
| S.027.62505 JO (S-Collection Journals) |
"Bilingual Books for Children: Prepared by the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 International Relations Committees." Journal of Youth Services in Libraries, 14(2): 32-37. This list is a bibliography of books currently available with bilingual text, published between 1995 and 1999 or currently in print. Books chosen for this list met the following criteria: (1) the books should be suitable for children up to age fourteen, (2) represent a complete translation, and (3) contain high literary quality in each language. |
| Q.011.62 D923g (Library & Information Science Library) |
Dunwell, Anna. Guide to the 400 Best Children's Multicultural Books. 1993. Arranged by cultural group. Titles include short annotations, publication information, age/grade level, subject designation, awards won. Glossary, resource list. Subject index lists 18 "Bilingual Books" (Korean, Spanish, Khmer, Vietnamese) and 23 "Books in Languages Other Than English" (all Spanish). |
| S.011.62 V567 (EDK Storage) |
Hayden, Carla D. Venture Into Cultures: A Resource Book of
Multicultural Materials and Programs. 1982. Contains culture-specific programming ideas and bibliographies. While most books are English-language titles, this resource also includes books in Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Persian. Title index by culture. |
| S.016.8108 H366t (S-Collection Reference) |
Helbig, Alethea K. and Agnes Regan Perkins. This Land is
Our Land: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. 1994. Includes annotations of some bilingual materials published between 1985-1993 (Hopi, Khmer, Spanish, etc.). Access titles through index, e.g., "Bilingual Books, Hopi and English." |
| 011.62 In8h (LSR) |
International Board on Books for Young People. Hans
Christian Andersen Awards, IBBY Honour List. 1980. Lists the winners of the international Hans Christian Andersen medals from 1956 to 1980, many of which are written in foreign languages. Also provides the honour lists, for text and illustration, from which the medalists are chosen. Each citation includes country name, author and other publication information. |
| 011.62 In8h 1986 |
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). IBBY
Honour List. 1986. Annotates examples of outstanding children's books from IBBY member countries, many of which are written in languages other than English. Arranged by excellency in text, illustration, and translation. |
| S.011.62 M615o (S-Collection Reference) |
Miller-Lachmann, Lyn. Our Family, Our Friends, Our World:
An Annotated Guide to Significant Multicultural Books for Children and Teenagers.
1992. Provides substantial annotations of some bilingual materials in French, Spanish, Japanese, Kiswahili, Russian, etc. Access titles through Subject Index, e.g., "French language—Bilingual materials."
|
| S.010 In8p (EDK Storage) |
Preisgekrönte Kinderbücher : Ein Katalog der
Internationalen Jugendbibliothek über 67 Preise =Children's Prize Books. 1969. Commentary written in German and English. Provides title, author, and publication information for the recipients of 67 national and international children's book awards from 24 different countries. Also describes and designates criteria for awards. |
| S.011.62079 C437 (CBR) |
Children's Prize Books: An International Listing of
193 Children's Literature Prizes = Preisgekrönte Kinderbücher: ein internationales Verzeichnis von 193 Kinderbüchpreisen. 1983. Revised and enlarged edition of the previous title. |
| 372.405 RE |
Schon, Isabella. (2001) "Los Ninos y el Mundo: Children's Books in Spanish From Around the World." The Reading Teacher, 54(7): 692-698. Revised and enlarged edition of the previous title. |
Language Specific Bibliographies
The following titles are written in English, with the exception of a few bibliographies of Spanish language materials. The University of Illinois Library also holds many bibliographies written in other foreign languages, which can be found by doing a subject search on the online catalog (e.g., "Children's literature, Russian—Bibliography).
For older titles, you may also try a title keyword search on the online catalog (e.g. use the Russian or French words for "children's literature" and "bibliography" in a title search). Or, try a subject search in the card catalog (2nd Floor, Main Library).
Chinese
| S.895.109 F239c (EDK storage) |
Farquhar, Mary. Children's literature in China: from Lu Xun to Mao Zedong. 1999. Discusses children’s books published in China for the first half of the 20th century. Includes bibliography and index. |
| S.895.109 Sco83c (EDK) |
Scott, Dorothea Hayward. Chinese Popular Literature and
the Child. 1980. Discusses the historical tradition from which twentieth-century Chinese children's literature arose, naming important titles and authors (in transliterated Chinese) in the text. Majority of titles published before 1970. Includes bibliography and index. |
French
| S.011.62 C16 |
Gagnon, Andre and Ann Gagnon. Canadian Books for Young
People = Livres canadiens pour la jeunesse. 1978 (storage). 1980 (storage). 1988
(S-Collection Reference). Selective, annotated bibliography of both English and French language titles published in Canada. Arranged by broad subject categories. Also includes reference books, publishers' series, award books and professional media. Author and title indexes. |
German
| Freund, Winfried. Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendliteratur der Gegenwart = German Literature for Children and Young
People Today. 1987. Essays on contemporary German literature for youth. Contains bibliography of books discussed in text; titles have publication dates in the 1960s through 1980s. |
Hebrew
| Q.028.5492 W921 (STX) |
The World Club for Hebrew Libraries. Reshimat Sefarim Le-Sifriyot Ivriyot = List of Books for Standard Hebrew Libraries. Jerusalem, 1957. Written in English and Hebrew. Although this source lists primarily non-juvenile titles written in Hebrew, pages 40-44 offer bibliographic citations of over 250 Hebrew children's books. |
Japanese
| S.011.62 J27 1987 (S-Collection Reference) |
Japanese Board on Books for Young People. Japanese
Children's Books of International Interest. 1987. Annotated bibliography of 126 Japanese children's books, arranged by type (picture books, longer fiction, non-fiction, etc.) Also includes list of awards, index of prize winning books, index of Japanese titles (transliterated), index of English titles, index of authors/illustrators. |
| 016.8956 L616j (LSX) |
Shima, Tayo. Japanese Children's Books at the Library of
Congress: A Bibliography of Books from the Postwar Years, 1946-1985. 1987. Annotated bibliography of 304 Japanese children's books and periodicals held by the Library of Congress. Most were published between 1946-1985, although reprints of earlier works are also included. Arranged chronologically, each entry includes the title in Japanese characters, transliterated Japanese, and English translation. Award winners and intended age of audience are noted. Author, artist and transliterated Japanese title indexes. |
Spanish
| 028.53 R618g (STX) |
Castelo, Hernan Rodriguez. Grandes libros para todos: 700
Obras de narrativa para lectura de niños y jóvenes, guía por edades. 1980. Written in Spanish. Short annotations of 700 books for young people, written in or translated into Spanish. Includes a special section devoted to Bolivian children's books. Arranged by theme or genre within audience age levels. Author and title indexes. |
| 011.62 D152b (STX) |
Dale, Doris Cruger. Bilingual Books in Spanish and English
for Children. 1985. Annotates bilingual Spanish-English children's books, arranged by decade of publication, from 1940 to 1985. Also discusses strategies for finding bilingual titles, and includes citations of relevant bibliographies and journal articles. Indexed by Name, Title and Series, Subject (English), Subject (Spanish). |
| 026.11 S761c (STX) |
Direccion general de archivos y bibliotecas (Madrid). Catalogo
critico de libros para niños. 1954. Introduction and annotations written in Spanish. Extensive list of children's books published from 1945 to the publication of this volume. Includes primarily Spanish titles, although also has some English, French, and Italian titles. Arranged by age and by broad subject categories. Author and title indexes. |
| S.016.62 M325m (S-Collection Reference) |
Marantz, Sylvia and Kenneth Marantz. Multicultural Picture
Books: Art for Understanding Others. 1994. "Section 6: The Caribbean and Latin America" provides annotations of approximately ten bilingual Spanish/English picture book titles. |
| 011.62097295 P653 (STX) |
Piñeiro de Rivera, Flor. Un siglo de literatura infantil
puertorriquena = A Century of Puerto Rican Children's Literature. 1987. Written in Spanish and English. This history of Puerto Rican children's literature (1876-1978) also includes a "catalog" of Spanish language books, arranged both by author and by title. |
| 016.8608 Sch65b (LSX) |
Schon, Isabel. Basic Collection of Children's Books in
Spanish. 1986. Recommends books for schools and public libraries serving Spanish-speaking children from preschool to sixth grade. Annotated titles include reference books, non-fiction (arranged by Dewey Decimal classification), fiction, easy books, and professional books. Author, title, and subject indexes. |
| S.010 Sch65b (Juvenile Reference) |
Schon, Isabel. A Bicultural Heritage: Themes for the
Exploration of Mexican and Mexican-American Culture in Books. 1978. Although this book focuses on English-language titles with Mexican and Mexican-American themes, the author includes two bibliographic essays featuring Spanish-language titles from Spain and Mexico. See Appendices B and C. |
| S.016.86 Sch65b (1978, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1993) |
Schon, Isabel. Books in Spanish for Children and Young
Adults : An Annotated Guide = Libros infantiles y juveniles en espanol : una guia anotada.
Books in Spanish for children preschool to high school age. Titles are listed as outstanding, marginal, not recommended, or caveat emptor. Annotations arranged by country of publication (Argentina, Mexico, Spain, etc.) and broad subject category. Author and title indexes. |
| S.860.9 C767 (S-Collection Reference) |
Schon, Isabel. Contemporary Spanish-Speaking Writers and
Illustrators for Children and Young Adults: A Biographical Dictionary. 1994. Listing of over 200 Spanish-speaking authors in Latin America, the United States, and Spain who write for youth. Each entry contains biographical information and a list of books written and/or illustrated. Indexed. |
| S.011.62 Sch65r (S-Collection Reference) |
Schon, Isabel. Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults, 1991-1995. 1997. The books selected in this volume are intended to support the informational, educational, recreational, and personal needs of Spanish speakers from preschool through twelfth grade. The titles of these books, published between 1991-1995, have been translated and annotations are added to assist the non-Spanish speaker. Includes author, title, and subject indexes. |
| 011.62 Sch65r 2000 (Library & Information Science Library) |
Schon, Isabel. Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults, 1996-1999. 2000. The books selected in this volume are intended to support the informational, educational, recreational, and personal needs of Spanish speakers from preschool through twelfth grade. The titles of these books, published between 1996-1999, have been translated and annotations are added to assist the non-Spanish speaker. Includes author, title, and subject indexes. |
| 011.62 Sch65r 2004 (Library & Information Science Library) |
Schon, Isabel. Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults, 2000-2004. 2004. The books selected in this volume are intended to support the informational, educational, recreational, and personal needs of Spanish speakers from preschool through twelfth grade. The titles of these books, published between 2000-2004, have been translated and annotations are added to assist the non-Spanish speaker. Includes author, title, and subject indexes. |
Journals
Often, bibliographies of foreign language or bilingual children's books can be found in journals. Search the ERIC or Library Literature databases to find specific articles or bibliographies. Combine subject descriptors such as "children's literature" and "bibliography," and "bilingual" or "foreign language." Or, browse the journals listed below.
| 026.105 BOB |
Bookbird Quarterly journal issued by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Contains articles on children's books published in countries around the world. Each issue includes a review column, "International Children's Books of Note." |
| 028.05 AM |
Booklist Monthly reviewing journal that includes a regular column on recently published Spanish language books for children. Occasionally includes annotations of books in other foreign languages, although they tend to be adult titles, rather than children's. |
| 028.1CR Library and Information Science Library |
Criticas: an English Speaker's Guide to the Latest Spanish Titles Quarterly journal containing book reviews on titles published in Spanish. |
| S.028.505 HO |
Horn Book Magazine Bi-monthly journal containing articles and book reviews. Many issues include a review column called "Noteworthy Children's Books in Spanish." |
| S.016.80989282 H783 |
The Horn Book Guide to Children's Young Adult Books. Bi-annual journal providing brief reviews of children's books. Arranged by broad subject category. Each issue includes selected foreign language books published in the United States, primarily spanish language books. |
| 026.05 JU LSX has 1960 - present |
School Library Journal Monthly journal containing articles and book reviews. Reviews of Spanish language children's books appear every other issue. |
Web Resources
Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents
Written in English and Spanish. An extensive database of contemporary Spanish language children's books. The site is searchable by author, title, subject, publisher and country of publication, copyright date, translator, age level, etc. Provides links to related foreign language sites.
