cover image Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin

Duncan Tonatiuh, . . Abrams, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8109-3872-4

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.)