Multiwavelength observations of the low-metallicity blue compact dwarf galaxy SBS 0335-052

New infrared and millimeter observations from Keck, Palomar, ISO, and OVRO and archival data from the NRAO(6) VLA and IRAS are presented for the low-m etallicity blue compact dwarf galaxy SBS 0335-052. Mid-infrared imaging sho ws this young star-forming system is compact (0."31; 80 pc) at 12.5 mum. Th e large Br gamma equivalent width (235 Angstrom) measured from integral fie ld spectroscopy is indicative of a similar to5 Myr starburst. The central s ource appears to be optically thin in emission, containing both a warm (sim ilar to 80 K) and a hot (similar to 210 K) dust component, and the overall interstellar radiation field is quite intense, about 10,000 times the inten sity in the solar neighborhood. CO emission is not detected, though the gal axy shows an extremely high global H I gas-to-dust mass ratio, high even fo r blue compact dwarfs. Finally, the galaxy's ratio of mid-infrared-to-optic al and mid-to-near-infrared luminosities are quite high, whereas its far-in frared-to-radio and far-infrared-to-optical flux ratios are surprisingly si milar to what is seen in normal star-forming galaxies. The relatively high bolometric infrared-to-radio ratio is more easily understood in the context of such a young system with negligible nonthermal radio continuum emission . These new lines of evidence may outline features common to primordial gal axies found at high redshift.