Author Spotlight: Duncan Tonatiuh

Name: Duncan Tonatiuh

Book: The Princess and the Warrior

What is your ethnicity? Latinx

Where are you from? Were you exposed to other cultures?

I was born in Mexico City. My mother is Mexican and my father is American. I grew up in a city called San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico but I came to the U.S. when I was a teenager. I went to a high school in Massachusetts and to a University in New York City. I am both Mexican and American and I feel at home in both countries.

How did you get your start as a children’s author?

I focused on illustration and writing in college. A professor at my university really liked my artwork. She had illustrated some children’s books and introduced me to an editor she was friends with. The editor liked my artwork and told me that if he received a manuscript that suited my style he would give me a call. I told him I was interested in writing also. He gave me his email and told me some basic things about picture books like that they are usually 32 pages long and that it is a good idea to make the protagonist a child or an animal so that young readers can identify with him.

Some months later I had an idea for a book about two cousins that write letters to each other; one lived in a rural community in Mexico and the other one in an urban center in the U.S. I had to revise the manuscript many times but eventually it became my first book Dear Primo; A Letter to My Cousin.

What was the inspiration for writing your book?

I have written and illustrated six picture books. My latest book is called The Princess and the Warrior. It is my own version of a famous legend that explains the origin of two volcanoes located in central Mexico named Iztaccíhuatl, the sleeping woman, and Popocatépetl, the smoky mountain. The story may remind readers of Romeo and Juliet, but it is set in the Pre-Columbian world.

Is there anything from you personal life that influenced the characters in the book?

When I began working on the book I thought of reinterpreting a classic tale. I tried re-writing Puss and Boots, but instead of boots the cat wore sneakers. Then I tried Hansel and Gretel, but instead of Hansel his name was Juan. Except for a few details, my attempts were not particularly original or interesting. I tried reinterpreting Sleeping Beauty next. That made me remember the sleeping woman, la mujer dormida, and the legend of the volcanoes.

I am very glad I recalled that story. I had read it as kid in my school’s textbook. I kept trying to re-write stories that come from the European tradition. I’m glad I was able to recall and share a story that comes from my own Mexican background instead.

Why do you think exposure to other cultures is important for young children?

When children are exposed to other cultures they are less likely to be afraid of people that are different than them when they are adults. If children read and become familiar with different kinds of people they will realize that we are all human regardless of skin color, ethnic or national background, physical limitations, religious beliefs or sexual preferences. We all care about similar things, like family and friends, and often face similar challenges in life.

What do you want children to get from reading this book?

I hope children will enjoy the book and find it entertaining and interesting. I want them to learn a little bit about the past and the way people in the Américas lived before the European conquest. Unfortunately there is a limited number of books that celebrate Latinx culture. I hope Mexican-American and Latinx children will feel proud of their rich and beautiful culture when they read the Princess and the Warrior.

Say hello @duncantonatiuh or visit his website and facebook .