Dear Primo (a letter to my cousin) by Duncan Tonatiuh was a wonderfully enticing children's book that conveys the two lives of young cousins who possess an endearing family, blood-line type of love for one another. The symmetrical theme (shown literally within the artwork, and metaphorically in the writing) throughout the book allows the reader to easily see the reflection between the boy's relationship through a family line while contrasting their vastly different environments. The boys express an interest and love for each other and their own home cities, while also being enthusiastically open to, hopefully someday soon, having the chance to visit each other. The artwork in this book is something beautiful to discuss in and of itself. Tonatiuh has created an incredible work through the usage of Aztec style works of art on each page. The images seem to lay flat on the page but carry so much detail in their designs. The symmetry creates such a balance shared between the pages that you can feel the pull between the cousins.
Stella Diaz Never Gives Up by Angela Dominguez is such a delightful novel about a young elementary-aged girl-leader fighting for environmental justice. The light feel and air about this book is merely masking the deep-rooted activism for change that lies within each passing chapter. I enjoyed the light-heartedness of this story that was sprinkled with hidden treasures like Stella's first time ever experiencing the ocean. The section was so short but it was so dear to me. It felt fitting for when you usually travel somewhere new and experience something so grand in your life, it feels that the trip moves so quickly. With each of the little sketches throughout the story, the reader is able to get a feel for Stella's emotions and her interests while still having the freedom to determine what each setting looks like in their mind as they read. Overall, this story is incredibly sweet and filled with family moments fit for any older elementary-aged child. This story is absolutely moving, through Stella's drive for change and environmental activist spirit.
After reading these two texts, I have been thinking about Dear Primo, Stella Diaz, and We are Water Protectors as a text set. Each of these stories features a young individual as a member of their own culture yet living in America. Each of these main characters shows a passion for longing to grow and learn about their culture while also wanting more or better for their surroundings. The young cousins in Dear Primo show a sense of longing for "the other" that is not there with them in their own "home lands." Stella Diaz consistently exudes an essence of self-consciousness and disappointment over her inability to fluently speak the tongue she considers home - Spanish. The activist and main character in We are Water Protectors proves anguish over the intruders who are destroying her native and sacred land. Each of these characters shows a sense of humanness with longings, desires, sadness, grief, love, and fears. They each highlight different aspects of growing up in a place where you find you don't belong or you have found something else does not belong. Each young child is dealing with more mature emotions as they are growing and defending their own homes.
The cultural authenticity within each of the texts Dear Primo and Stella Diaz Never Gives Up is evident. In Dear Primo, the author (Duncan Tonatiuh) has included artistic illustrations to this story that are native to Aztec Indigenous people groups. Tonatiuh was born in Mexico but is both Mexican and American. He is inspired by the artwork of the Aztecs, Mayas, and Mixtecs. The descriptions of the cousin's life in Mexico includes spanish words to describe holidays/celebrations, food, games, etc. while providing images as definitions for each of the terms. This character is also depicted in typical settings on farmlands in Mexico and the architecture of the buildings in the backgrounds of the pages represent actual architecture in Mexico. The author has also won the Pura Belpre Award for this book.
Throughout Stella Diaz Never Gives Up, Stella shows a longing to fluently speak Spanish as a means to "fit in" with her home culture and family heritage. Stella's mother consistently speaks some vocabulary terms and simple phrases to Stella throughout the book as well to help her gain confidence. Stella also visits her aunt in Mexico as a part of the story which includes some descriptions of the food they eat and the structure of their homes. The author, Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico city and grew up in Texas.
The critical issues within these books are different at their core but do share in the same values. Dear Primo addresses the grief and hardships of having family members that you love so deeply, live in a place, far away, that might feel more like home. Students can address these difficulties by thinking about their own family that might live distant from them even across the state or country. Students may even need to think about a close friendship they developed, which was forced to be continued through long distance. When reading We are Water Protectors, as a teacher I may have students reflect within themselves over a time they too had to defend a loved one or a beloved family heritage artifact. When discussing Stella Diaz Never Gives up, I would ask students to discuss an issue they have found tearing at their hearts like Stella found over the pollution in the ocean.
Some specific ways for students to make connections across these texts includes creating a chart to represent a visual for the three main characters. Each main character is fighting some sort of battle that involves their family heritage and home culture while feeling underrepresented or unheard in the space they are currently living. Students can list off the qualities of each character, compare their struggles, and find the commonalities between each of the characters -- relating them each down to being one human trying to bring justice, love, and understanding into the world around them through letters, pledges, or standing. Students can begin taking active steps by getting to know their own peers in their classrooms. Students can find out more about their classmate's backgrounds and interests then they can begin to build an intense sense of empathy for those closest to them that begin to ripple out into their own communities.
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