Vámonos: Mexican Folk Art Transport in English and Spanish

by Cynthia Weill

Overview

Young readers will enjoy this fun and vibrant bilingual introduction to different forms of transportation. This installment in author Cynthia Weill's acclaimed Mexican Folk Art series is a colorful adventure in English and Spanish, illustrated with handmade painted sculptures.

You're invited on a trip to a special place and there are many ways to get there. You could take a bike, a bus, or even a boat! Featuring beautiful artwork handmade by local artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico, Vámonos will spark a lifelong love of languages and libraries in young readers. Grab your favorite person to read with and let's go!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947627604
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Series:	First Concepts in Mexican Folk Art
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	973,033
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Language:	Spanish
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Cynthia Weill's fascination with the crafts of Oaxaca began while she was working in Mexico as a Fulbright exchange teacher. She has published several books in the Mexican Folk Art series, which features different folk art of Oaxaca. Many of the figures showcased in this series are now part of the permanent Mesoamerican Anthropology collections at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. Cindy lives in New York City and can be found online at cynthiaweill.net.

Editorial Reviews

* "This is one extraordinary picture-book journey to the library. . . Gorgeous, unique art makes this an illustrative standout." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Transport[s] readers to an authentic and vibrant Mexican folk art world. . . A sure favorite for young transportation enthusiasts." — School Library Journal

Best Children's Books of the Year 2023 - Bank Street College of Education
Best Children's Books of the Year in Spanish 2023 - Bank Street College of Education
Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Honor 2023 - California Reading Association
Tejas Star Reading List 2023 - Texas Library Association (TLA)

From the Publisher

07/15/2022

K-Gr 3—It has been over 10 years since Weill's last "First Concepts in Mexican Folk Arts" installment. The previous books covered the ABCs, opposites, colors, and animal sounds. This book provides a transportation guide to getting to the library. As in the other books in the series, the books are illustrated with photos of vibrantly colored, detailed Oaxacan wooden carvings of animals. The spreads are in English and Spanish and transport readers to an authentic and vibrant Mexican folk art world. Children will learn new vocabulary, such as the Spanish word for skateboard (patineta), while also being introduced to incredible handmade Oaxacan art. VERDICT This title can stand alone but would be enhanced with the other titles in the collection; it's a sure favorite for young transportation enthusiasts.—Heidi Dechief

School Library Journal

★ 2022-07-13
A trip to the library via various forms of transportation.

This is one extraordinary picture-book journey to the library: by boat, by plane, even on a skateboard. Clear, simple side-by-side sentences in English and Spanish make for a digestible text for young readers of either language and even adults with a basic handle on each. What really makes this book worth picking up, however, are Piron’s photographs of wooden sculptures carved by Oaxacan craftsmen Melchor, Cruz, Pérez, and Santiago. Many spreads appear to show the same sculpture shot from two different angles, allowing the craftsmanship to be fully appreciated. Beyond the incredibly intricate carvings, the detailed paint work shows everything from titles on book spines to individual spots on dogs to the fine-line, rich floral patterns of these folk-art pieces. Readers are exposed to many different types of transportation aside from the more obvious car and bus, like the horse cart and the pedicab. The artisans depict the library as a destination for community and story, one worth traveling to by almost every mode of transportation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Gorgeous, unique art makes this an illustrative standout. (Picture book. 0-4)

Kirkus Reviews