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. Kindergarten-Grade 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 Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Grades 1-3. --Andrew Medlar 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.