Bilingual heritage storybooks
By Our Family Legend · 4 October 2026
Every Our Family Legend book is written in English beside one of 25 heritage languages, on every page. Children see the two languages together, and family members who only read English can still join in at story time.
How the books work
- One heritage language per book. Choose the language that connects your family to its roots. You can make another book in a different language whenever you like.
- Natural, not word for word. Each page is written to sound right when read aloud in both languages. Your family's names and special words stay as you say them.
- Each language in its own script. Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew read right to left. Every script is real, typeset text, never part of a picture.
- You choose the order. Put English first or your heritage language first, whichever suits the person reading.
Reading it together
- Take turns. One adult reads the English and another reads the heritage language, so the child hears both.
- Point and connect. Find a word in the picture, then find it in both languages. The glossary at the back helps with saying each one.
- Keep it fun. There's no need to translate every line. Familiar sounds and a much-loved story do the work over time.
Ideas for different families
- A parent learning again. A parent who grew up hearing the language but rarely reads it can learn alongside their child.
- A household with two cultures. Set the story in one family's homeland and tell it in the other family's language.
Your next step
Check that your language is in the collection, then read your first pages free.