Popo the Xolo

An accompanied journey ends in rest and remembrance in Lopez’s arresting debut, which, in English and Spanish, blends Indigenous Mexican myth with a story of loss. Popo, Nana’s tiny Xoloitzcuintle, “is the best apapachador, always looking for cuddles,” which the two share during evenings in front of the TV. Sitting in her chair, “Popo keeps Nana warm and helps heal her aches.” Nana is surrounded by the love of family, but after a long day, it’s Popo’s bark that awakens her as she finds herself standing in a river, tired and lost. The two next pass through strange landscapes, Nana reliving memories (“her favorite novelas, the smell of her pan dulce and cafecito”) as Popo urges her along toward a home that is “different somehow.” Matias’s jewel-toned cut-paper and wash-style digital illustrations leap off the page with a vivid light-and-shadow dimensionality suggestive of puppetry, making for a luminous tale of comfort. Back matter discusses the Nine Levels of Mictlān and more. Ages 6–9. (Aug.)