Dear Primo: Una Carta Para Ti

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!

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.