Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin

by Duncan Tonatiuh

Overview

Two cousins—one in the United States and one in Mexico—learn their lives aren’t so different in Dear Primo, a charming picture book from award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh.

A Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book!

“Reinforces the sense that kids around the world are more alike than different.” —Booklist

“An excellent tool for explaining how cultures connect.” —School Library Journal

Meet Charlie and Carlitos. Charlie lives in America. Carlitos, his primo, lives in Mexico. Charlie takes the subway to school, plays basketball with his friends, and loves pizza. Carlitos rides his bicicleta to school and enjoys playing fútbol at recess, and his favorite meal is quesadillas.

Their lives appear different, but do Charlie and Carlitos have more in common than it seems?

• Learn about Carlitos and his life in rural Mexico.
• Learn what’s different about his daily life and what’s the same, compared to life in the United States.
• Learn that kids everywhere can be very alike, even if their clothes, food, and homes are very different.
• And more!

“Score! I just got a letter from my primo, my cousin. I live in America, but he lives in Mexico, where my family is from. Maybe someday we’ll meet.” Through excerpts of letters written back and forth, the two cousins learn that they have more in common than the boundaries of their lives, their communities, and their countries would suggest.

Through his artwork and story, Duncan Tonatiuh introduces young readers to a very timely idea—that community is larger than just neighborhoods and schools.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810938724
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	39,679
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Duncan Tonatiuh (toh-nah-tee-YOU) is an award-winning author-illustrator. He is both Mexican and American. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and graduated from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College in New York City. His artwork is inspired by pre-Columbian art. His aim is to create images and stories that honor the past but are relevant to today’s people, especially children. His books include A Land of Books, Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns, and Separate Is Never Equal. He currently lives in San Miguel with his family but travels in the United States often.

Editorial Reviews

Carlitos lives in Mexico and his cousin Charlie lives in an American city. Though they have never met, they compare their daily routines through letters. “Every morning I ride my bicicleta to school,” Carlitos writes. Charlie takes the subway, which he compares to “a long metal snake.” Tonatiuh draws from ancient Mexican art for his collages—always shown in profile, Carlitos and Charlie have oversize hands and feet and stylized facial features, almost like stone statues—while skyscrapers and graffiti provide modern flair. It's a subtly reflective story about friendship and commonalities. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 3—Tonatiuh compares and contrasts the daily lives of two cousins, or primos. Charlie is American, and Carlitos is Mexican. Charlie enjoys a slice of pizza after school, while Carlitos helps his mother make quesadillas. Charlie cools off in an open fire hydrant, while Carlitos jumps into a small rio. The writing is simple yet peppered with imagery that enhances it significantly: "Skyscrapers are buildings so tall they tickle the clouds" or "The subway is like a long metal snake and it travels through tunnels underground." Twenty-seven Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text, easily understood from the context and explained in a glossary. Tonatiuh's hand-drawn, then digitally colored and collaged illustrations were influenced by the art of the Mixtecs, one of the major civilizations of Mesoamerica. While the pictures are attractive and carefully composed, one small problem might be that all the faces, young or old, male or female, are identical—only their hairstyles change, and at no time do any of the characters make eye contact. This accurately reflects Mixtec tradition, but may be a bit disconcerting for children unless put into context. Otherwise, this is an excellent tool for explaining how cultures connect.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

School Library Journal

In a story based on the author's childhood experiences, two cousins, Charlie and Carlitos, exchange letters. Charlie lives in the United States; his primo Carlitos lives in Mexico. They both write about the friends, games, foods, fiestas and holidays they know. Like the characters in "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse," their lives are very different. But readers will discover that there are more than differences. There is something that unifies them: They both wish to meet each other someday. What sets this title apart are Tonatiuh's outstanding full-page illustrations, reminiscent of the aesthetic and style of the Mixtec codices. His clever use of colors, Mayan blue and Indian red for the Mexican setting and a variety of grays, blacks and browns mixed with bright colors for the U.S. urban scenes, the varying typefaces used on each side of the story and the inclusion of Spanish terms in Carlitos's letter all contribute to differentiate both cultural experiences but make them at the same time positive, attractive and special. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews