cover image Let’s Work

Let’s Work

Cynthia Weill, photographs by Bryant Boucher. Cinco Puntos, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-947627-15-4

Tiny palm weavings created by the master artisans of Chigmecatitlán in Puebla, Mexico, are the stars of this career-themed dual-language book. Though the close-up photographs by Boucher don’t capture the amazing scale of these creations—according to an end note, most are just larger than a coin—their nubby details, such as a woven stethoscope, a teacher’s patterned skirt, and the ruffles of a ballerina’s tutu, charm in their specificity. Each miniature is placed on a plain, vibrantly colored page bordered by block-print-style motifs. An eclectic array of careers—balloon seller, electrician, clown, librarian, hair dresser, equestrian—are presented, one per page, in both Spanish and English, creating an engaging opportunity for young readers to build vocabulary in two languages while encountering a unique craft practice that has endured since the 15th century. Ages up to 3. [em](June) [/em]