Let's Work!: Mexican Folk Art Trabajos in English and Spanish

First Concepts in Mexican Folk Art #7

by Cynthia Weill, Bryant Boucher

Cynthia Weill scores again with an early concept book that bring every kind of job to life, including the work of the dedicated palm weavers of Flavio Gallardo’s workshop, whose miniature palm weavings illustrate this playful book, teaching children words for work in two languages. The weavers live in the village of Chigmecatitlán in the Mixteca part of the Mexican state of Puebla. With tremendous skill and patience, the artisans of this region practice palm weaving, a craft which came to Mexico even before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 15th century. Imagine being able to hold all of the illustrations in one book in the palms of your hands. You can do that with the tiny weavings in Let’s Work. Most pieces are no larger than a dime! Cynthia Weill una vez más triunfa con un libro de primeros conceptos que trae a toda clase de trabajo a vida, incluyendo el trabajo de los tejedores de palmas del taller de Flavio Gallardo, cuyas tejidas de palma ilustran este alegre libro, enseñándole palabras sobre el trabajo a niños, en dos idiomas. Los tejedores viven en el pueblo de Chigmecatitlán en la parte Mixteca del pueblo mexicano de Puebla. Con estupenda habilidad y paciencia, los artesanos de esta región practican el tejido de palmas, un arte que vino a México antes que siquiera vinieran los españoles en el siglo 15. Imagina poder tener en tus manos todas las ilustraciones, en un solo libro. Puedes hacer esto con los tejidos minúsculos en Vamos a Trabajar! La gran parte de las piezas no son más grande que una moneda!

Genres: Art, Picture Books, Spanish Literature, Animals, Childrens, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful and intricate palm weaving drew me into the book. What a gift! The choice of work focuses drew me in too.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This bilingual book highlights various careers to which youngsters might aspire. There are several jobs on display, some more commonplace than others. But what really makes the book stand out, of course, are the close-up photographs of tiny figures woven from palm leaves by artisans from Puebla, Mexico. I had never seen this type of folk art before but came away impressed with the details on every figure. I particularly loved the gardener tending to his flowers, the hairdresser wielding scissors on the tresses of a customer, and the fisherman or fisherwoman unfurling the sea's bounties from a net. A photograph of the individuals who created these amazing pieces is included in the back matter with a comment about how long this weaving has been in existence. Readers will be amazed to learn that the pieces are tiny, usually a little larger than a coin such as a quarter. Goodness! The time, effort, dexterity, and patience that go into these creations leave me shaking my head in astonishment and humbleness.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely baby book for bilingual babies with illustrations made of occupational options made from woven Mexican dolls

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you want to be when you grow up? This book lists the possibilities, in both Spanish and English. What makes this book so delightful, though, is the artwork. The professions are all illustrated by photos of woven dolls made by artisans in southern Mexico. The dolls are intricate and colorful. But what makes them so amazing is their size. Each doll is only about an inch tall! How can someone include so much detail on such small dolls? I love the photo inside the front cover where all the dolls are being held in a pair of open hands.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book celebrates a variety of professions as well as the remarkable palm weaving art of Puebla state in Mexico. These tiny figurines have been hand-crafted since long before the Spanish arrived in Latin America. It’s nice to see Indigenous art in books for children.

The text is bilingual; in the Spanish sentences, both masculine and feminine words for jobs are presented.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book combines various occupations, in English words, accompanied by their Spanish equivalent and wonderful Mexican folk art.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to show that kids of each gender can do various occupations. I don't like the palm leaf figures quite as much as the ceramic figures in her other books.