In this post, we talk about children books about Portugal that we used to get our kids excited about our upcoming trip to Lisbon.
Next week we are going on a family holiday to Lisbon.
It is the kids’ first time in Portugal and they are not quite sure what to expect.
Do you they speak English in Portugal? Is it going to be very hot? We always look at our destination on a kids atlas before we go.
However, it takes more than that to give them an idea of what to expect from a place and books are a good place to start.
These are the ones that I selected, after long search, and that are available on the ever so powerful Amazon.
They all contain interesting facts about Portugal, Portugal characters or anyway cultural references that I believe will help kids make the most of their time in Portugal.
They are a good read if you are about to travel to Portugal with children and they can be used as a reference if studying the country in school, at your bedtime story time.
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Table of Contents
If you were me and lived in… Portugal
If you were me and lived in Portugal is the first book I got for the kids and a good introduction to Portugal for children.
The book is part of a series (‘If you were me and lived in… India, France, Mexico’ etc) and it is aimed at preschoolers and young learners.
It is a short book with pictures, it gathers some facts and figures about Portugal spanning from geography to food and is a good read.
What I liked the most about it was that it includes several Portuguese words (with pronunciation guide).
Something that piqued my curiosity (just to prove that children books are rarely just for kids and we should always read them together!) is the book’s claim according to which Lisbon is the oldest city in Western Europe.
I had no idea that this was the case but apparently, it dates back to many centuries before Rome was built! Did you know?
The miracle dogs of Portugal
The miracle dogs of Portugal is probably my favourite book in this list.
Rather than an educational book with facts, it is a story set in Portugal, developing against the backdrop of the city of Sagres and the powerful Atlantic ocean.
The main character of the books is 6-year-old Henry (at the end of the book we discover he is no less than Henry The Navigator) and the story talks about his cute and important relationship with the sea and a particularly eventful day on the water.
This is a good adventure book both for parents to read to children and for children to read themselves. The adventure is gripping but the tone stays light thanks to the inclusion of some friendly animals and animal talk.
Songs from a journey with a parrot
One of my strongest mental associations with Portugal is the country’s beautiful music and Songs from a journey with a parrot book and CD is the perfect kids’ introduction to it.
The book has beautiful images and is a collection of nursery rhymes and lullabies from Brazil and Portugal.
The songs are an absolute pleasure to listen to and while this is not something I can personally comment on, I read that is one of the few that allow kids to familiarise with European Portuguese accent.
This makes it particularly appealing to me, since Lisbon is where we are soon going with the children. The books has beautiful vibrant images and has the lyrics of the songs both Portuguese and English
A map and a mule
A map and a mule is a short book about the life of Queen Isabel of Portugal (set in 1271 – 1336).
The stories take inspiration from historical facts and have at their centre the idea of peace and how it can be achieved when violent conflict seems inevitable.
The book has interesting historical facts and it is particularly good for kids who are into stories of knights or are about to visit Portuguese cultural sites. The book has watercolour illustrations and a vintage map.
Amazing pictures and facts about Portugal
I’ll be honest: I am not mad about this book.
I feel the title Amazing pictures and facts about Portugal is too ambitious for what is basically a list of basic facts and figures about Portugal.
Despite this, I do include it in this list because it does work as a reference book about the country and because it comes in the kindle edition.
I downloaded it on my phone too and my kids have enjoyed reading the fact so, as long as you know what you are getting, it can be a good purchase.
Had they called it ‘a short introduction to Portugal’, I would have had no complaints! I hope you enjoyed this selection!
