Our goal at OK Banana is to offer you the broadest selection of quality children’s books in as many languages as possible from around the globe. We are continually expanding our reach into new languages, and keeping up with the trends to bring the best books to your doorstep. They’re just a few clicks away!
Browsing our Selection
For those who just want to look around, we have made browsing both easy and fun. From our homepage, you have two choices:
Browse by Language: Click on the book spine with the name of the language you want. You will be taken to the page for that language. Once there, you can group the books in two ways in order to look through them.
- SEARCH BY AGE GROUP:
Here, books are categorized by the age group or school age group for which they were written. While we hand-select each book for our collections, we use the age level recommendations suggested by the publishers.
- SEARCH BY SKILL LEVEL:
Here, books are categorized by the skill level required to read or enjoy the book. We have created four skill level categories.
1. Show Me.
The beginner stage. These books are designed for babies and very young children who are just being exposed to language in general. They are also appropriate for older children and people who are just beginning to learn a foreign language. Books in this category include alphabet and phonics books, board books, word and rhyming books, and very simple stories.
2. Help Me.
The intermediate stage. These books are for emergent readers who have a basic understanding of the alphabet and phonological concepts in their given language. These readers can read and pronounce more words and grasp more sentences and concepts in the language. Books in this category include stories with more complex sentence structure, more lines of text per page, and more depth on familiar topics. For young children, these books depend less on pictures and repetitive patterns. These are books that parent/caregiver and child can read together.
3. Watch Me.
The advanced stage. Readers in this category can read and comprehend more complex text in the language, and are able to use the language effectively and freely in everyday life. Readers at this stage have a richer vocabulary and are able to proficiently express ideas, opinions, and arguments in their given language. Books in this category have more pages, longer sentences, more text on the page, and more formal, descriptive language. These are books that a confident reader should be able to read independently.
4. Let Me.
The mastery stage. These books are for fluent readers who are reading less to learn the language and more for knowledge, pleasure, or to familiarize themselves with the literary canon in the language. These readers can express themselves in their language in a clear way, and express nuance in their speech. Books in this category have more text, less familiar and more complex topics, a challenging vocabulary, varied writing styles, and more description. Books fit for a bookworm!
Browse by Country:
OK Banana strives to provide a selection of books that is as diverse as the world itself. Click a country on the map to have the option to choose books from that country. We offer the option to group by country for two reasons.
First, languages vary from country to country, and sometimes from region to region within that country. The same words in a language may have different meanings depending on the region or country. By providing a way to browse by country, we make it easier for you to ensure that you can obtain a book with your desired dialect.
Second, even countries that speak the same language (for example, Spanish) have different and varied cultures, customs, and traditions. You may wish to find a book that not only teaches a language, but imparts or illustrates aspects of a specific region or country’s culture.
Searching for a Book:
If you like, you can also search the selections in a targeted manner. We offer two ways to do that.
General Search: Every page contains a search box near the top. If you know the book you want, just type it in and see if we have it!
Book Finder: For a more advanced search, try our Book Finder tool. Populate the fields for each question, and then click Go! The page will return a selection of books that meet your criteria.