Traces the parallel stories of two cousins including Charlie from America and Carlitos from Mexico, describing the very different elements of their homes and the common feelings they share, in a tale complemented by a glossary of beginner's Spanish words. A first book. 10,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)
Traces the parallel stories of two cousins, Charlie from America and Carlitos from Mexico, describing their very different homes and the common feelings they share, complemented by a glossary of Spanish words. - (Baker & Taylor)
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. - (
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)
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. - (Grand Central Pub)
Duncan Tonatiuh was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende. His books, including Diego Rivera, Dear Primo, and Separate Is Never Equal, have received many awards over the years. He currently lives in San Miguel with his wife and children but travels to the US often.
- (
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)
Booklist Reviews
This spin on the traditional tale of a city mouse and a country mouse explores the lives of Charlie, in urban America, and his cousin Carlitos, who lives in Mexico's countryside. As the two boys write snail-mail back and forth, they describe their respective homes (an apartment for Charlie, a farm for Carlitos), methods of transportation, favorite sports, food, and cultural traditions. The alternating letters are printed in distinct fonts, and Carlitos' messages integrate Spanish words, which are then helpfully duplicated next to a corresponding image and included with pronunciations in the appended glossary. The digitally enhanced collage illustrations are based on traditional Mixtec art, and show the characters posed in profile in simply composed scenes. This useful method of comparing and contrasting can serve as a fine general introduction to contemporary rural life in Mexico, while it also demonstrates the fun of having a pen pal and reinforces the sense that kids around the world are more alike than different. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.
Horn Book Guide Reviews
Two cousins, one in Mexico and the other in America, write letters to each other about their everyday lives. Facing pages demonstrate how their cultural differences are far less important than their commonalities. Take the boys' favorite foods, for example: it's quesadillas for Carlitos and pizza for Charlie. Side-by-side illustrations show similar images: both boys seated, with food in hand. A clever, well-executed conceit. Copyright 2010 Horn Book Guide Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
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) Copyright Kirkus 2010 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly 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.)
[Page 52]. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal Reviews
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
[Page 134]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
