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Duncan Tonatiuh
Duncan Tonatiuh receives a 2018 Americas Award from the Library of Congress.
Duncan Tonatiuh receives a 2018 Americas Award from the Library of Congress.
Born 1984 (age 40–41)
Mexico City, Mexico
Occupation
  • Writer
  • illustrator
Language
  • English
  • Spanish
Nationality
  • Mexican
  • American
Alma mater Parsons School of Design (B.F.A.)
Eugene Lang College (B.A.)
Genre Children's literature
Years active 2010–present
Notable works Separate Is Never Equal (2014)

Duncan Tonatiuh is a Mexican-American writer and artist. He was born in 1984. He has written and illustrated many books for kids that have won awards. His drawings look like ancient art from before Europeans came to the Americas. His stories often talk about what it's like to be Latino. They cover topics like fairness, art, history, and moving to a new country. He also speaks up for workers' rights.

Early Life

Duncan Tonatiuh was born in Mexico City in 1984. His dad was American, and his mom was Mexican. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. As a teenager, he moved to the United States. He finished high school in Massachusetts. When he was a kid, comics and anime made him want to write and draw his own superhero tales. In high school, he started liking painting. He found ideas in the art of Vincent van Gogh and Egon Schiele.

His Career as a Writer and Artist

In 2008, Duncan Tonatiuh earned two degrees from colleges in New York City. While in college, he became very interested in Mixtec artwork. This art style comes from an ancient culture in Mexico. He especially liked Mixtec codex, which are old picture books. His final project for college, called Journey of a Mixteco, won an award. It was then put online for others to see.

Right after college, a book company hired him. He published his first book, Dear Primo, in 2010. Duncan Tonatiuh now spends his time between Mexico and the U.S. He visits schools, libraries, and bookstores to talk about his books. He is also an activist who supports workers' rights.

Books by Duncan Tonatiuh

Duncan Tonatiuh has written and illustrated many books. Here are some of his well-known works:

  • Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin (2010) is about two cousins. One lives in the United States, and the other lives in Mexico. The book shows how their lives are both different and similar. It helps readers see that even with different lives, people can be very much alike.
  • Diego Rivera: His World and Ours (2011) tells the story of Diego Rivera. He was a very famous painter. The book explains his journey to becoming a world-renowned artist. Tonatiuh also asks young readers to imagine what Diego Rivera would be like if he were alive today.
  • Pancho Rabbit and Coyote (2013) is a story about a young rabbit named Pancho. He is waiting for his Papa to come home. His Papa went north to work in fields and earn money for their family. Pancho gets tired of waiting and decides to find his father. He takes his Papa's favorite food with him. On his journey, he meets a coyote who offers to travel with him if Pancho shares his food. This book helps show the challenges families face when trying to find a better life. A composer named Anthony Davis started working on an opera based on this book in 2024.
  • Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight (2014) tells an important true story. About ten years before the famous Brown v. Board of Education case, a girl named Sylvia Mendez was not allowed to go to a "Whites only" school in California. Her parents and the Hispanic community worked together. They filed a lawsuit in federal court. Their efforts helped end school segregation in California.
  • Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras (2015) explains how calaveras (skeletons) became popular. These skeletons are shown doing everyday things and celebrating. José Guadalupe Posada drew political cartoons. He did this because people did not have freedom to speak their minds. His calavera drawings are best known for Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead.
  • In Salsa (2015), Duncan Tonatiuh worked with Jorge Argueta and Elisa Amando. They created an easy and tasty recipe for salsa. The book describes the ingredients like tomatoes as drums and onions as trumpets.
  • The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes (2016) is a story about Princess Izta. Many people wanted to marry her. A warrior named Popoca promised to love her truly. Princess Izta fell in love with him. To marry her, Popoca had to defeat their enemy, Jaguar Claw. But a trick was played. Princess Izta was told Popoca had died, even though he was alive and about to win. Princess Izta then fell into a deep sleep that no one could break. This story explains how two volcanoes were formed: Iztaccíhuatl (who sleeps) and Popocatépetl (who tries to wake her with ash and smoke).

Awards and Recognition

Duncan Tonatiuh's books have won many important awards. These awards recognize his great writing and illustrations.

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Méndez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras

Salsa: Un poema para cocinar / A Cooking Poem

Esquivel: Space-Age Sound Artist

The Princess and the Warrior

Danza!: Amalia Hernández and el Ballet Folklórico de México

Undocumented: A Worker's Fight

Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth

Child of the Flower-Song People

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Duncan Tonatiuh para niños

  • José de la Luz Sáenz
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