Popo the Xolo
By (Author) Paloma Angelina Lopez
By (author) Abraham Matias
Charlesbridge Publishing,U.S.
Imagine Publishing, Inc
17th September 2025
United States
Children
Fiction
Hardback
40
Width 254mm, Height 203mm
An emotionally resonant and visually stirring picture book about life, death, and celebrating those we love. Ideal for kids with big questions, dealing with grief, and experiencing loss. Inspired by the 9 levels of Mictlan and the role Xolo dogs play by guiding those who have passed on in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico. An emotionally resonant and visually stirring picture book about life, death, and celebrating those we love. Ideal for kids with big questions, dealing with grief, and experiencing loss. Inspired by the 9 levels of Mictlan and the role Xolo dogs play by guiding those who have passed on in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico. Nana is surrounded by family and takes joy in her many grandchildren. She's also tired and feels pain. Soon she begins her transition from life into death, accompanied by her beloved Xolo dog, Popo. Together they go on Nana's journey, and by the end of the story, Nana's family celebrates the many years of love they shared with her. And a grandchild will now care for Popo. Beautifully told by debut author Paloma Angelina Lopez and featuring stunning blend of colored art by Mexican illustrator, Abraham Matias, Popo the Xolo helps kids understand how loved ones live on in our memories. An unforgettable picture book that's grounded in the importance of the 9 levels of Mictlan and the role Xolo (show-low) dogs play in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico. Popo the Xolo is available in both English and Spanish language editions.
Paloma Angelina Lopez is a mother, student, and creative living in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico. Her maternal grandmother's family comes from Jalisco and Guanajuato and her father's family is from Zacatecas and Sinaloa. Paloma married into a Cherokee family that is heavily involved in language and culture, and she works as a full-time Cherokee language learner. She hopes to become an educator and author in the Cherokee language. This is her debut children's book. She hopes to publish more children's literature inspired by her culture and upbringing. Abraham Matias is an illustrator, designer, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He spent his childhood in Mexico making his own toys and miniature sets and drawing stories. Abraham works with paper-cut puppets staged and photographed inside a toy theater to create 3D, handcrafted, dreamlike scenes. https-//abrahammatias.com