TOCAMOS!

An Artsy Conversation with Cynthia Weill

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!

TOCAMOS! by Cynthia Weill

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!

A Little Peek into the Creative Process

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!

​A Little Jam. . .(The Music Kind)

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.  

Teachers' Jam

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Writers' Jam

Links, More Fun, Extensions for Families and Everyone!

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!

Guest Links and Giveaway

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

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

Cynthia has generously offered a giveaway for a free copy of TOCAMOS!  To enter, simply leave a comment below no later than Wednesday, March 4 at 11:59 PM ET. You will automatically be entered by commenting and the winner will be contacted via email after the drawing.
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