Cynthia Weill

Books by This Author

ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish

Photo of Oaxacan wood carving of cheetah
Age Level: 0-3, 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

In this brightly colored book, the alphabet is presented in both Spanish and English, and includes the four additional letters — and whimsical animals — that make the Spanish alphabet so much fun.  Two brothers who are famous folk artists from Oaxaca, Mexico carved the wonderful animal figures that illustrate each letter in ABeCedarios.

Animal Talk: Mexican Folk Art Animal Sounds in English and Spanish

Folk art sculpture of bird
Illustrated by: Rubi Fuentes, Efrain Broa
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Did you know that animals that live in one country don't always talk the same language as animals from somewhere else? Take a rooster, for instance. In English-speaking countries, he says cock-a-doodle-doo when he has a notion to announce himself or to greet the dawn. But in Spanish-speaking countries, he says ki-kiri-ki.

Colores de la Vida: Mexican Folk Art Colors in English and Spanish

Age Level: 0-3

Product Description: Little kids love colors, they love animals, and they love the sounds of words. Especially new words. Colores de la Vida, the third in the highly successful series First Concepts in Mexican Folk Art, combines all these elements to teach early learners about color. Leggy red giraffes, pink cows, purple rabbits — the Oaxacan folk artists who contributed to this book unleashed their imaginations and went wild with color. Young children will delight in the bright colors of the Oaxacan rainbow while folk art collectors will marvel at the whimsical handcrafts.

Count Me In! A Parade of Mexican Folk Art

Ceramic folk art from Mexico
Illustrated by: The Aquilar Sisters
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Join the parade and count from one to ten in Spanish and in English. Numbers and a one-sentence description of the ceramic figures in regional dress from Oaxaca, Mexico are presented in both languages, punctuated by lively folk art figures.

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

Sculptures of taxis
Age Level: 0-3, 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

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 with a long and rich history in Mexico.

Mi Familia Calaca: A Mexican Folk Art Family in English and Spanish

Photo of skeleton statues
Illustrated by: Jesús Canseco Zarate
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Welcome to the family! It's just like yours: father, mother, sister, brother, abuelita, gato, even a great-great grandmother. Well, but there's something just a little bit different about this particular family. Maybe it's those clothes they wear . . . just a little bit fashion backward. And the colors! So vibrant and . . . lively. Maybe that's what it is. They are just so full of life while looking almost other worldly.

Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish

Folk art statues of animals
Age Level: 0-3

Product Description: Cynthia Weill's book of Mexican folk art teaches kids about opposites in Spanish and English! These whimsical little animals from Oaxaca, carved and painted by hand, make learning about opposites fun. Up and down, tall and short, left and right — all inside a beautiful book.