I’ve loved Cynthia Harmony’s books since her lyrical debut, Mi Ciudad Sings, released in 2022. I’m thrilled that Cynthia has two new books out this year: Apapacho Love (illustrated by Erika Meza, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Macmillan) and Forest en Familia (illustrated by Renata Galindo, published by Yosemite Conservancy)! Read on for my interview with Cynthia and don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the double giveaway!
Andrea: Hi and welcome to Picture Book Builders, Cynthia! I’m so excited to talk to you about your two gorgeous new books, APAPACHO LOVE and FOREST EN FAMILIA! Could you tell us a little about each book and your inspirations for them?
Cynthia: Hi Andrea, thank you so much for having me on the blog. You were so incredibly kind to blurb my debut picture book in 2022, which was an incredible honor and encouragement when I was first starting out. So I‘m overjoyed to be in conversation with you about my two latest books!
For APAPACHO LOVE I wanted the story to center around a word important in my culture from the nahuatl language that means a special kind of comforting hug. I wanted the story to feel like an apapacho in book form, showing how the special bond with our mami becomes the first step to hone the power of love in our lives.
For FOREST EN FAMILIA I revisited my own experiences exploring nature with my kids, their spontaneous wonder and joy, and my unfamiliarity as a city girl finding the connection with the great outdoors.
Andrea: I love bilingual/multilingual picture books and I keep hearing teachers say there aren’t enough of them. What made you decide to make FOREST EN FAMILIA bilingual English & Spanish, whereas APAPACHO LOVE is (mostly) in English? What are some of the challenges in getting bilingual books published?
Cynthia: I think it’s been a slow process for the industry, first realizing that there is a demand and then finding ways to reach that market. Connecting with a bigger network of bilingual librarians and teachers is still something very much in the works. All of my books have started out as English only, and fortunately a Spanish edition has been added for most of them with a simultaneous release. FOREST EN FAMILIA is my first experience where the publisher saw the potential for one bilingual edition early on.
Andrea: That’s wonderful that there are Spanish editions for most of your books! You write lyrically and integrate Spanish into your English texts seamlessly. How do you decide which Spanish words/phrases to include in the stories which are largely written in English? Do you feel like you have to keep the non-Spanish speaking readers in mind?
Cynthia: In my culture, it’s very common to have a mix of words from our native languages, especially nahuatl, and I also learned English early. I find the separation of languages when you’re bilingual to be a bit forced. Any attempt to not recognize we are mixed to our core and interconnected is forced. But back to writing…
I do keep in mind young readers that might have not been exposed to other languages yet, and understand that a book like mine might be their first experience (and how lucky we are to get this chance!). The goal is to not overwhelm or confuse, but to tickle their curiosity so they want to discover more. And because a picture book is meant to be read aloud, I strive to select words or phrases that can add musicality and rhythm.
Andrea: Both of these books are incredibly uplifting and celebrate love in its many forms. The love shared by family and the love of the natural world are just two that are featured. What do you hope young readers will take away from APAPACHO LOVE and FOREST EN FAMILIA?
Cynthia: My goal is to empower young readers to know they can create their own moments and spaces of love themselves. To know they have the ability and power to express and create a loving and safe space at any given moment, where they can invite others in too if they choose. And that looking closer, we can find that love and wonder are everywhere. A very good reminder for myself during hard times. These two books are my own apapacho to the world when we might need it most.
Andrea: Oh, I love that so much! I definitely feel warm and hugged after reading both these books! The art in both books is absolutely beautiful. What is your favorite spread from each book and why?
Cynthia: I love the first and last spread of APAPACHO LOVE, when Mami and Luna’s apapacho comes full circle. Erika Meza’s art captures that magical moment of mutual love when it feels like everything is as it should be, stepping out of time as the moon and stars surround them both in their own cozy corner of the universe.
For FOREST EN FAMILIA I have many favorites by Renata Galindo, like when they reach the peak. Another one I think is brilliant is Emilia’s close up when they first arrive at the national park, the wonder in her eyes and the sensory feel when she smells the pine trees.
Andrea: I saw that you have a few books in the pipeline – congrats!! Can you tell us a little about them and when they’ll be published?
Cynthia: Thanks! Of course it’s been a long time in the making, so I’m excited for these two books to come out next year. HASTA PRONTO IS A PROMISE is a picture book from FSG Macmillan. When the first day of school doesn’t go as planned for two best friends, Abuela’s wisdom opens the door to new possibilities. Illustrated by Andrés Landazabal it’s a very sweet, relatable and empowering book that I hope comes in handy for kids starting another school year. I still have dreams of finding my way around school when everything is different and new! And ROW, SOW, GROW: THE PAST AND FUTURE OF MEXICO’S FLOATING GARDENS is my first non-fiction picture book planned for late 2027. A book for Better Earth by Holiday House, illustrated by Laura Sandoval Herrera. It’s a first time look in a book for children at the sustainable and ecological marvels of chinampas, the floating gardens built by Nahua native wisdom, still alive today in my hometown, Mexico City.
Andrea: Wow, both of these books sound amazing — full of love for friends and family and nature (again)! I can’t wait to read them. Now I’m off to google chinampas… Thank you so much for chatting with me, Cynthia!
Cynthia: Thank you so much for having me, Andrea!
Cynthia and her publishers are generously giving away a copy of each book, and since they are published by two different houses, there will be two different winners! Leave a comment below by July 7th to enter. U.S. addresses only, please.
Cynthia Harmony is a bilingual children’s author and educational psychologist, originally from Mexico City. Her most recent titles include the bilingual FOREST EN FAMILIA- EL BOSQUE EN FAMILIA (Yosemite Conservancy, 2026), APAPACHO LOVE (FSG Macmillan, 2026) and the highly praised A FLICKER OF HOPE & UN ALETEO DE ESPERANZA (Viking, 2024) which received a NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Award and was selected as one of the best children’s books of the year by Kirkus and the American Library Association. She lives in Arizona with her family. You can find her at cynthiaharmony.com and on instagram @cynthiaharmony
Erika Meza grew up in Mexico and moved houses more often than she had birthdays. Having studied illustration in Paris, she now lives in London―her thirty-sixth address―where she paints, writes her own stories, and practices her uncanny ability to pack efficiently. Her 2023 picture book To the Other Side was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal, the Jhalak Prize, and the Inclusive Books for Children Award. You can find her at erikameza.com and on instagram @erikadraws
Renata Galindo is an art director, illustrator and writer. She is the author of three children’s books: The Cherry Thief, My New Mom and Me, and A Casa en Tres Idiomas, which have been translated into more than ten languages. Renata’s illustrations have been featured in exhibitions in Mexico, the U.S., and Italy, and she has created concept art, storyboard art, and layout design for animation, film, and television. She lives in Mexico City. You can find her at @re.galindo on instagram.
