Find children’s books in Portuguese

Wondering about how to find appropriate books for your child’s age, or confused with search terms?

Most books in Portuguese are printed in paperback (brochura), not hardcover (capa dura or cartonado). Don’t be afraid of paperback (or you will miss out on significant literature in Portuguese!). Paperback does not mean the book is necessarily flimsy — check the paper thickness and binding quality.

Children learn fast, and they eventually learn how to handle books with care as you teach them. That said, you do need to watch closely infants who are still developing fine motor skills to turn pages. That is why picture books (livros ilustrados) are usually written for someone older to read with a child. You can hold the book, point at the pictures, and slowly teach them how to manipulate it gently.

For a touch experience, look for sensory book (livro sensorial), felt book (livro de feltro/tecido/pano), or board book (livro cartonado). Usually, you will get a sturdier book if you look simply for a baby book (livro para bebês).

Many books in Portuguese are recommended per age (0-2, 7-10), not per genre (picture books, chapter books). Each child has their own timing for developmental milestones, as well as personal preferences, so use these as a starting point.

Here is some vocabulary mostly based on the Brazilian book market:

• Usually, chapter books will be under series (séries) or collections (singular: coleção, plural: coleções).
• Middle grade may be under infanto-juvenil (a broad Juvenile category).
• Young adult is generally under juvenil.
• Comic books are histórias em quadrinho (HQs), gibis, or in other Portuguese-speaking countries, “bandas desenhadas“.
• For poetry, look for poesia infantil or poemas infantis.
• For anthologies, look for coletânea or antologia (for example, coletânea de poemas).
• Livros com ilustração are usually not picture books — they are books that contain illustrations, but the text can stand on its own.

Questions about other terms (or suggestions)? Write me!

Nowadays, it is easy to self-publish, and you will often find books online under an author’s name, or even a company. Many self-published books are fantastic! However, some of them are not responsibly written, illustrated, revised, or printed. Here are some tips to filter for quality books:

• Is the publishing company (editora) well-known? You can look for their website to learn more.
• Does the book credit an illustrator (ilustração / ilustrações / ilustrador / ilustradora / ilustradores)? If not, does the author bio mention they have also illustrated it?
• Does the book credit a reviewer (revisão / revisor / revisora / revisores) or editor (editor / editora / editores)?
  • Note: baby books and picture books may not have a copyright page with detailed information. This is not necessarily a red flag.
• Is there a preview of the book anywhere? Is the text legible over illustrations? Are the illustrations consistent across pages?

book catalogs or recommendations

If you want to get the latest and greatest books in Portuguese, you can follow accredited publishers, publishing catalogs, or blogs. Here are my suggestions:

• Brazilian Publishers catalogs (in English)
• Book lists from Clube Quindim (em português / in Portuguese)
• Publishing houses (editoras) and imprints (selos):
  • Companhia das Letras
    • Brinque-Book
    • Companhia das Letrinhas
    • Pequena Zahar
  • Catapulta
    • Catapulta Junior
  • Melhoramentos
  • Note that these are personal favorites, far from a complete list. The publisher websites usually do not ship directly to the U.S., so keep reading the next sections to find out how to get them.

Public libraries

There are many ways to access books via public libraries! Don’t be shy: ask your librarian for options. They will love to help you.

• Most public libraries have a “World Languages” section where you can find physical books in Portuguese.
• There are many digital ebooks and audiobooks available through Libby and Hoopla, apps that may be free to use with your library card.
• In states like Massachusetts, libraries share resources. That means your library may not have many books in Portuguese, but other libraries do, so you can request them and pick them up at your local library. Some libraries even arrange home deliveries for patrons who are homebound, permanently or temporarily.
• You can also request books at your local library. They won’t always be able to fulfill the request, but it is worth asking. Two added benefits: you can get professional advice from your librarian, and if they add the book to their collection, other patrons can also enjoy it!

Any librarian will be happy to help you search, but if you’d rather look yourself, here are some catalogs:

• Central and Western Massachusetts C/W MARS consortium: libraries in over 150 cities/towns in Central and Western Massachusetts (please check their website for an updated list)
• Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC): libraries in Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Boxford, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Essex, Georgetown, Groton, Groveland, Hamilton-Wenham, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Littleton, Lowell, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, North Reading, Rockport, Rowley, Salisbury, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Tyngsborough, West Newbury, Westford, Wilmington (please check their website for an updated list)
• Minuteman Library Network: libraries in Acton, Arlington, Ashland, Bedford, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Concord, Dedham, Dover, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Lexington, Lincoln, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Millis, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norwood, Sherborn, Somerville, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Winchester, Woburn (please check their website for an updated list)
• Metro Boston Library Network (MBLN): libraries in Boston, Chelsea, Malden (please check their website for an updated list)
• North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE): libraries in Beverly, Danvers, Everett, Gloucester, Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Melrose, Nahant, Peabody, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Stoneham, Swampscott, Wakefield, Winthrop (please check their website for an updated list)
• Southeastern MA — SAILS Library Network: libraries in Acushnet, Assonet, Attleboro, Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dartmouth, Dighton, East Bridgewater, East Freetown, Easton, Fairhaven, Fall River, Foxborough, Halifax, Hanson, Lakeville, Mansfield, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, New Bedford, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Norton, Pembroke, Plainville, Plympton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, Wareham, West Bridgewater, Westport, Wrentham – (please check their website for an updated list)
  • Did you know that New Bedford has a whole branch named “Casa da Saudade“? It holds a special collection of Lusophone materials acquired over the years through donations from patrons, as well as government and cultural institutions.
• Commonwealth catalog (ComCat): allows library users to locate and request library materials from all across the state

Mail library: Nossos Brazileirinhos

(Children’s literature)

Nossos Brazileirinhos is a library by mail. Every month, you get an envelope in the mail: you get this month’s books, and use the same envelope to return last month’s books. It’s an excellent choice if you don’t want to accumulate books at home, and they circulate older books as well (not just recent publications).

I have subscribed to their services for over 1 year. Their selection was great, the books were in perfect state, and they include an envelope with 2 activities related to the books — ready to play!

If you are looking for a gift, or to grow your collection, here are my vendor recommendations (mostly for the US region):

Catavento Books

(Children’s literature)

Catavento Books is both a publisher and a distributor. I have subscribed to their subscription club for over one year, getting 3 books a month. They arrive in a carefully packaged box, each book wrapped individually. Their selection has been excellent. (Note: their subscription club has been paused as of June 2026.)

Besides their subscription, I occasionally look at their catalog and order specific books. They are always delivered timely and with the same quality.

If you decide to order from there, you can use my referral link to get a $5 discount and I get a $5 bonus: www.cataventobooks.com/referral/bTR6mMXGd07B?utm_source=referral_program

BuoBooks

BuoBooks sends books in Portuguese not only to the US, but all over the world. It prints books at the destination country rather than importing them, so they are more eco-friendly — but their formats are also more limited. For example, you won’t find board books. It is still a wonderful, large catalog.

Tips for sourcing books in bulk (as a librarian, educator, or organization):

BuoBooks

See above for BuoBooks information.

Brazilian Book Distributor

Brazilian Book Distributor is the wholesale branch of Catavento Books. Their website explains the advantages they offer for bulk purchases, as opposed to their consumer-focused website. At the time of this writing (May 2026), for a low minimum of $100 per order, you get free shipping to the US and a price-match guarantee. But most importantly, you can request books by ISBN, even if they are not in their at-hand catalog.

smokley

Smokley provides materials for school curricula to integrate Portuguese as a Heritage Language and support translanguaging practices. Rather than focusing only on the most recently published books, they offer curated lists and catalogs that include culturally relevant classics, teacher recommendations, and curriculum-adherent materials.

Do you have other recommendations to share? Write me at gabi@gabisilvisilva.com