The Bilingual Elementary Music Room: Mariachi Books for Kids!

Books About the Mariachi Musical / Cultural Tradition in English and Spanish

Los Niños Mariachis / The Mariachi Kids will be published on October 31st, 2025

May is a month full of holidays and the busiest for Mariachi musicians, especially here in the US with the popularity of Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day. In Mexico, we also celebrate the Day of the Teacher on May 15, and the tradition is for students to bring a gift for their teacher. Being that on April 30th Mexico also celebrates the Day of the Child, and traditionally teachers bring a gift for students, this post is meant to be a gift to all mothers/guardians, children and educators in the form of cute books about Mariachi Music - the enchanting traditional sound that originated in Mexico but is now embraced around the world.

There are at least a dozen books about Mariachi for kids/teens now!

Most of these books are available at your public library, some are also available as ebooks, and some are available as read-aloud videos on YouTube. I purchased at least two of these titles from online book sellers and I highly encourage you to support small/independent book sellers.

It's also with great pride that I highlight the fact that most of these books were written by women. In the traditionally male-dominated mariachi world, women (and anyone at odds with any aspect of machista culture) have struggled for equity (i.e., opportunities to learn and make a living as a mariachi musician, representation in song lyrics and in leadership roles such as composers, arrangers or musical directors, and of course equal pay).

My hope is that you share at least one of these mariachi books with your young learners and help them achieve a meaningful learning experience. If you know of a title that should be included in this list, please leave a comment!

General Lesson Plan Suggestions

Cultural Relevance:

Include time for students to share prior knowledge about Mariachi music (instruments, attire, their role in people’s lives), Mexico/ Latin America, or if they want to share where they have seen Mariachi music being represented either in person or in the media. Thank everyone for sharing, and hopefully you can recall one of their shares when you go into a specific aspect of Mariachi that is highlighted in your lesson or in one of the books below.

Social Emotional Learning:
Mariachi music helps people express strong feelings such as love, joy, or sadness and anger. This is a good opportunity to discuss the need for all people to express themselves for the sake of our mental and emotional health. Here are specific examples:

The grito - also a great tool to encourage students to use their voice, express passion without shame or embarrassment, and a way to be a leader in the sense that one's grito helps create a space for unabashed expression.
Singing style - the mariachi voice traditionally is very operatic, a word you'll have to define. What is opera and what has made it (and mariachi) so popular?
Song content - the majority of mariachi songs whether or not they have lyrics are known for telling stories of love and loss, describing daily life, and for imitating/ celebrating nature in music and dance.

History/ Geography:

Share a map that includes Mexico and Spain to make the connection about colonization and the Spanish Language
Share a map of Spanish Speaking countries around the world
Share an image of the Mexican Flag

Music!
Sharing one of these books and also playing mariachi music for your students will help bring your lesson to life. Watching a live mariachi performance that includes folklórico dancers would add to the experience. Many school districts including LAUSD are able to hire a mariachi to perform at your school, so don’t be shy - just ask!