Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin

K-Gr 3Tonatiuh 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 identicalonly 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" Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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 collagesalways shown in profile, Carlitos and Charlie have oversize hands and feet and stylized facial features, almost like stone statueswhile skyscrapers and graffiti provide modern flair. It's a subtly reflective story about friendship and commonalities. Ages 48. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.