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Duncan Tonatiuh with his work, Image from Radix Media

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Tonatiuh was born in 1984 in Mexico City to an American father and a Mexican mother and was raised in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. As a teenager they moved to the USA where Tonatiuh would attend high school in Massachusetts. He would later graduated from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College in New York City.

How his childhood, life, and education shaped his decisions as an illustrator:
Ever since he was a child he enjoyed drawing as in elementary school he was drawn to anime and comic books. He would also create his own superheroes and write and illustrate their stories. In his Massachusetts high school is where he became interested in the world of painting and mimic painters such as van Gogh and Egon Schiele. Though he was raised in Mexico, he did not become interested in native Mexican art, that he draws inspiration in his books, until college.

Being raised in Mexico and then coming to the USA he later  missed the culture and was interested in how issues for Mexican people effected those on both sides of the border. In an interview with Lantz Arroyo for Radix Media, Tonatiuh recalls how he found his stylist voice. While volunteering at a worker’s center called NMASS (National Mobilization Against Sweat Shops), he met and became friends with someone who brought him into the world of 'Mixtec'; an indigenous group from the south of Mexico and there is a large Mixtec community in New York City. He researched into Mixtec and found reproductions of ancient Mixtec codex and was drawn in by the geometry, flatness, and repetition of color. "I decided that for my thesis I would make a modern day codex of my friends journey. I’ve been drawing in that style since". Seeing a lack of diversity in children's books as well, Tonatiuh has made it a mission to create books where Latinx children can see themselves and their culture reflected. It is his hopes that others can connect with the books to help see that we are all more alike then different regardless of factors beyond control.

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Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras was awarded a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books and a Sibert Medal in 2015. Tonatiuh is also a receiver of the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards for Picture Book in 2015 for Separate is Never equal: Sylvia Méndez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation.

He was also awarded the Pura Belpré Medal for his illustration works in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 as well as for his author work in 2020.

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Amazon Reviews:
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale

Kirkus Reviews

GoodReads Reviews

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How does the texture and style motivate the target population?   

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How does the texture and style motivate the target population?   

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Tonatiuh's distinctive artistic style is influenced by ancient Mexican art. Most notably, Mixtec codex, the ancient art and scripts that he discovered while in college in NYC.
The Mixtec was one of the major civilizations of Mesoamerica in pre-Colombian times. Today, indigenous groups in southern parts of Mexico are known as Mixtecos.
The style the common theme among Tonatiuh's work is that they deal with Mexican culture in some way.

Younger readers who are familiar with the style or culture will be drawn to the text while other students will feel connection to the bright texture and use of texture. The textures in his work come from photographs he has taken himself, images from the internet, or scans of his own. The character's ideas and stories are brought to life through the visual illustrations and sense of our own life the recognizable textures. Older readers will takeaway the powerful social and political message his books bring to the forefront. Though the messages of his books are brought to the surface by a young child character, the delivery is impactful thanks to his string illustrations. Immigrants who speak Spanish and are English New Language Learners would benefit from Tonatiuh's work as well to find a sense of home and connection to literacy.

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Twitter- @duncantonatiuh
Website- duncantonatiuh.com
Facebook- DuncanTonatiuharte

Find in Libraries, bookstores, etc. under:
Author and Illustrator- Duncan Tonatiuh

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Duncan Tonatiuh showing his process of creation

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What textures does he use? What illustrative style is common across multiple picture books of this illustrator?

Tonatiuh draws his illustration on paper first to create an image he likes before going over it with pen. Once traced it is transferred by scan to his computer and lines are cleaned up. To add texture to his images he uses the photoshop app on his computer and choices a color or texture from his files that he is either scanned in, photographed, or found on the internet. He created the characters hair, skin, and clothing using these textures to fill in their appropriate spot. This process is also used for different parts of the book as well. Under Tonatiuh's website under 'images' it shows how these textures bring images more life to his images. This process is the same for all of his books and the characters in every book have the same body space, ear shape, and simplistic layout.

In Funny Bones Tonatiuh used colorful background paper, decorative borders, and typography from the time to emulate Artist José Guadalupe Posada as the story is of his work.
"Idea was to have a common thread throughout my illustrations and also to help those pages resemble the pages with Posada's artwork."- Duncan Tonatiuh

Why might children and young adults be drawn to their work?
Tonatiuh's work uses bright and powerful imagery consistent throughout his work. His illustrations are heavily inspired by Mixtec codex bringing Spanish to readers and engaging dual-language speakers. A heavy influence of Mexican culture is brought through the pages as Tonatiuh brings his own experiences being raised in Mexico into his work as well as experiences with those of Mexican ancestry in the USA. The storylines from bring forth lived experiences, as he uses these resources and identities of immigrants around him. His works are a voice for those not as fortunate as him. Tonatiuh feels a responsibility to talk about issues of social justice in his books such as the dangers migrants face in Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote and about segregation in Separate Is Never Equal.

"I am both Mexican and American. I have two passports and I can enter and exit both countries whenever I choose to. I have friends who are not so fortunate and who came to the U.S. because they could not find good jobs back home."- Duncan Tonatiuh

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"Separate is Never Equal" by Duncan Tonatiuh read aloud

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1) Teaching the Text - Separate is Never Equal

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1) Teaching the Text - Separate is Never Equal

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How would you teach this text to students in a particular age population of your choice?
Elementary students in grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th would be reading and analyzing Tonatiuh's messages of culture and inclusion based on his author work and illustrations. I would introduce the students to the vocabulary words of immigration, culture, desegregation, and inclusion. Students would create a journal entry where they would discuss their families past locations, their customs, holidays celebrated, and where they family is located around the world. Depending on the population location and diversity of the class, students have similar answers. I would have students share their sheets with the class and we would create our own map of ways we are similar and different based on what was written. Students who are immigrants would have an open floor to express their ideas about their process with immigration if they feel comfortable. After, I would introduce our author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh and his background of being both a Mexican and United States citizen. As students participate and include their ideas, I would play Mixtec - Love Song recorded at Xonacatlan Guerrero State Native Americans and

Cancion Mixteca(Mixtec Song)-José López Alavés in the background.

What pedagogical strategies would you implement to support students as they read and made meaning of the picture book?
After the activity above, I would display the vocabulary words immigration, culture, desegregation, and inclusion. Seeing as a class we discussed these with our own family identities, I would create a new page for us to put information we learn about our characters.
During the reading, I would use Jones’s Framework of deconstruction, reconstruction, and social action (Clarke & Whitney, 2009). Deconstructing the issues of power, perspective, and positioning of the characters in the text by having a character sheet that we add to as a class with the dynamics that unfold. These people in power would be the white people, authority figures not letting the Mendez family in their white school, the legal authorities. Using reconstruction, I would have the students keep a journal to write down their thoughts about what is happening to the Mendez family and how they feel the story will continue to unfold with desegregation. The chart created for our characters would be added to after significant events in the book.
To end the reading I would have student's watch a Question & Answer video Duncan Tonatiuh did.

What other print texts might you pair with this picture book in teaching it?
I would pair Dreamers by Yuyi Morales and The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali (Contributor), Hatem Aly (Illustrator). Dreamers is an inspiring tale of a Mexican immigrant mother moving to the Unites States in 1994, who learned English by reading in public libraries, and telling her story of how and why she came to the United States. The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family tells the tale of two sisters who wear a hijab of beautiful blue fabric to their first day of school. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, the main character Faizah finds new ways to be strong.
Both books are written by immigrants to the USA and bring in the issues of social justice, stereotypes, prejudices, and culture. Reading these books students can add to our large cultural compare and contrast chart for our class and the books.

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"Separate is Never Equal" by Duncan Tonatiuh

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2) Teaching the Text- Dear Primo A Letter to My Cousin

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2) Teaching the Text- Dear Primo A Letter to My Cousin

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How would you teach this text to students in a particular age population of your choice?
This would be the second week with the Elementary students in grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th would be reading and analyzing Tonatiuh's messages of culture and inclusion based on his author work and illustrations. As a class we would recap what we learned about our author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh, as well as our vocabulary words. This book compares the United States customs of one cousin to the Mexican customs of the other through letters to each other. Spanish words are scattered among the English text, providing a way to introduce the language and culture of Mexico to young children in a more current feel approach. This text includes the inferring from the illustrations placed throughout the page by Tonatiuh so I would have students guess what they deliver the theme and message of the story is based solely on the book cover. Students would share their ideas in an open discussion before the YouTube video linked above would play.

What pedagogical strategies would you implement to support students as they read and made meaning of the picture book?
After I have played the digital read-aloud of Dear Primo that includes music to bring feeling into the story imbedded into it. I would play it again on silent to have the students focus on the illustrations, pausing for about 45 seconds on each so they would be displayed on the SmartBoard, Projector, or Screen.
To get students in the mindset of the Charlie and Carlitos, I would have the students work with a partner and create a letter to them both about their own cultures, activities, and daily life. The students will write to them as if they are family with both Charlie and Carlitos. These letters bring awareness and comprehension to the students on the lives of the characters. It also brings in the past book and how we compared multiple cultures and ways of life.

What other print texts might you pair with this picture book in teaching it?
I would use the book My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald and illustrator Freya Blackwood to compare, as well as the previous book we learned from Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh. My Two Blankets tells a story of Cartwheel who moved to a place that is strange to her and she no longer feels like herself. The story is a heart-warming tale of how people can live together despite coming from the most diverse backgrounds: one of hardship, deprivation and want, the other a world of peace, abundance and prosperity. This and the books discussed before tie into the very real emotion of feeling left out, learning about new ways, and keeping your culture.

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How might you use multiple modalities (children’s interactive websites, television and film, children’s podcast, photographs, and/or music)? 

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How might you use multiple modalities (children’s interactive websites, television and film, children’s podcast, photographs, and/or music)? 

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Information on Mexican Immigration will be printed out from the Library of Congress and read to students as well. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/mexican/

During first activity with Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation, I would play Mixtec - Love Song recorded at Xonacatlan Guerrero State Native Americans and

Cancion Mixteca(Mixtec Song)-José López Alavés in the background.

For the second text, I would play a digital read-aloud of Dear Primo that includes music to bring feeling into the story imbedded into it.

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An illustration from Duncan Tonatiuh's book, "Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation."

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Why might this illustrators work be relevant in the literacy classroom?

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Why might this illustrators work be relevant in the literacy classroom?

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Tonatiuh believes he has a responsibility to talk about issues of social justice in his books due to his immigration past and ability to work within the USA. Recently media and politics holds a lot of animosity towards immigrants. Many are quick to point out the law breaking of undocumented immigrants entering the United States from the borders. Tonatiuh wishes to show these many, the exploitation that the undocumented experience and how unauthorized immigrants work in some of the most grueling jobs like farming and construction. Americans often benefit from these immigrants hard labor, whether they recognize it or not.

"“Hopefully in my books they see themselves and some of their reality reflected. I hope they see familiar objects, learn about their history and traditions, and feel proud.”- Duncan Tonatiuh

His other works also reflect on immigrant children, families, and culture. His hope is for Latinx children to see they matter and that their stories are important. For non-Latinxs children and students, Tonatiuh hopes that they can connect with the books as well and that it helps all see we are more alike than different regardless of our race, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference or physical abilities.