Ingenuity, creativity, adventure, art, literature and more are waiting if you dip into this conversation with Cynthia and me.  What appears to be a simple book is anything but that.  It is full of so many complexities. It was amazing to talk with Cynthia about the concept, process, and publishing journey of this book, which is part of a series focused on Mexican folk art and simple concepts in a bilingual format. What a lovely conversation! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

This picture book is what's known as a concept book. It introduces some musical instruments common in Mexico in both English and Spanish. While the text is certainly simple, the book is far from simplistic, with the multiple layers of the bilingual format -- each phrase is written in English, then Spanish, the musical instrument content, the beautiful wooden sculpture work by a Oaxacan artisan, which was then placed and photographed for the book, a variety of birds depicted in the sculptures, and then a little nod to girl power at the end.  Simple? In some ways.  Simplistic? No way!  A beautiful tribute to the wooden sculptors of Oaxaca while also providing some excellent content in a musical theme. So many layers. So cool!

These are Cynthia's photos of just SOME of the process the artisans went through for every single character.  What care and attention to detail!  They are amazing!

This fun little jam introduces a number of instruments in Spanish and is a great  correlative video to the book.  It extends the book's instruction as it includes a few more instruments. It's great for home or the classroom.  

YouTube playlist with interviews with Cynthia, Mexican ambient music, songs about musical instruments, rhythm practice, body percussion, and more!
Pinterest board with worksheets, study units about Mexico, songs, dances, crafts, and more!

​Cynthia's website has lots of information about the process and more!

Join Kimberly and me as we chat about working with illustrators and editors, watching a vision come to life, pouring our hearts and souls into our work, musical connections, specificity and how it leads to universality and much much more. It's a packed conversation! I hope you enjoy hearing Kimberly's journey for this beautiful book.

With beautiful lyrical text that is part song, part poem, part prayer, part love letter, part entreaty and part affirmation, Kimberly has done a lovely job of putting her love, concern, worry, belief and encouragement for her own son onto the page and generously shared it so that other mothers, other sons and other parents and children can benefit from her kind and heartfelt message.

As a musician, Kimberly often writes and performs songs that go along with her books (as you heard in the interview). This one is no exception. Click on the picture to take you directly to the place on her website where you can preview and download the song. With her strong and beautiful soprano voice, Kimberly adds another layer and gives moms a chance to share Kimberly's musical take on this message through song.

Pinterest board full of affirmations, parenting tips, and more.
YouTube playlist with music and more fun related to this beautiful book!
​Be sure to visit the link above (or go to Kimberly's website) to access the song.

Kimberly's picture is linked to her website where you'll find her socials, songs, books, educational resources and more!

The book image is linked to the Goodreads page, where you'll find links to purchase, reviews, etc.