Donna Barba Higuera

Lupe Wong is of Chinese and Mexican heritage, the first string pitcher on her 7th grade baseball team, and determined to be the first woman pitcher in the major leagues. Her uncle has told her that if she gets straight As, he'll introduce her to Fu Li, a pitcher she's looked up to and of the same mixed heritage as she. But this PE quarter may throw off all her grand plans, because they're doing a unit on square dancing.

Joining Lupe are a great cast of characters, family and friends, who show more support her, misunderstand her, and have back stories in their own right that readers occasionally see through Lupe's first-person narration or in conversations with her. Lupe is young, and sometimes makes mistakes with her friends Niles and Andy, seeing things narrowly through her own point of view and using them to her own ends. And she's still mourning the passing of her father. I found myself, as an adult reader, sometimes irritated with her inability to see outside of herself, but I think a child reader would sympathize more and that it was a realistic. Lupe grows over the course of the novel: she's always fiery and taking up causes, but exactly how she does that - especially in relation to square dancing - shifts from a demand to stop it because she doesn't want to do it to a more nuanced acknowledgement of the good and the bad of it, and a desire to be more inclusive in general. show less

The Aztec god of lightning, death, and misfortune gets a much-needed reevaluation in this wonderfully rousing retelling of humanity’s origins.

After all life perishes on Earth, the gods move to revitalize the planet. Each deity claims mastery over an element. The mighty serpent god Quetzalcoatl chooses the wind; his dog-headed twin brother, Xolotl, takes lightning, hoping for a sliver of brotherly affection. “Shouldn’t my own twin notice me for once? But Quetzalcoatl never did.” show more Adopting an affectionate tone, Newbery Medalist Higuera frames the narration around Xolo’s self-effacing voice, a prolonged plea for compassion that will reverberate with readers. When the outcast god of the Underworld threatens to prevent humanity’s return, the other deities make a temporary sacrifice by hurling themselves into a volcano. Too fearful to go through with it, Xolo finds himself ostracized, but he summons the courage to resurrect humanity, with help from his brother, who gets all the glory for their joint act. Wistful in tone, this reshaped myth skillfully deconstructs its unsung hero. With great success, Higuera explores very human issues such as self-doubt, social isolation, and the nuances of community through these larger-than-life figures; her work rings out with a powerful sense of emotive resonance. Inspired by the Codex Borgia—a pre-Columbian Aztec manuscript—Ruiz Johnson’s artwork blooms with vibrant colors, imposing characters, and evocative landscapes.

A magnificent spin on a well-known Aztec legend. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Mythology. 7-10)

-Kirkus Review show less

Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: It is said the mighty feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl, helped create the earth. He is the hero who stole back the bones of humanity from the evil god of the Underworld. In his quest to bring humans to the earth, Quetzalcoatl's dog-headed twin brother, Xolotl, was present. Not much is known of Xolotl, the god of lightning, death, and misfortune. A monster.

This is what really happened.

From Newbery Medalist Donna Barba Higuera comes a singular twist on show more the Aztec myth of the origin of man—and man's best friend—illustrated throughout with stunning full-color art from Mariana Ruiz Johnson.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A wonderful read (literally...full of wonders), a corrective to the more triumphal tellings of Quetzalcoatl's origin story, and a gorgeous object to possess.

It's a long one, by page count; it isn't a text-forward read, though. It occupies a middle ground I didn't realize existed, long page count made up of a narrative told in sequential graphic art but with some text. It's a step between a picture book and a graphic novel, aimed squarely at the reluctant reader with its very interesting untold mythological tale of gods and lightning.

Here is the story's genesis explained by author and illustrator:


I was enchanted from the get-go.

I want to schmoozle his doggie-god ears!



Gods need mom-hugs, too!

The story goes on from here, obviously, but it is a real book-length affair. I had a gracious plenty of art to choose from...Levine Querido is very generous...so I've looked through it a couple times and selected a few to demonstrate the feel of the project.

I strongly recommend all grands and parents think about this as a #Booksgiving gift for their story-loving descendants; their boys who seem more reluctant to engage with text; their mythology soakers; and not least themselves. I hope and expect it will teach any of us more about the Indigenous myths our Anglophone schools ignored, as well as pop your eyes out with its beauty.





a particularly effective, emotionally resonant design job; one turns the page to get to the second illustration


text-heavy narrative; sequential-art narrative

I'd go on; I'd love all y'all to see and enjoy the entire book. It's published on 4 November 2025, and this is posted on 3 November 2025 in hopes some will find the joy of the art, the unfamiliar story, and the sheer pleasure of such a work existing will magically spring open their wallets. Order now and you can (carefully) read it yourself before gifting to the kid(s) you love enough to present it to.

Pinkie-promise not to tell. show less

Delightfully disgusting for a certain age of child. I liked that it's bilingual, that it draws from multiple cultural traditions of Boogymen, that there's a clear and complex paranormal world beside our own. I also liked how it values real challenges -- moving, new school, anxiety about bullies and friends -- and it creates a context for fear, and sleeplessness and stress. Also it's funny.