(2) 4-6 Tales of the Feathered Serpent series. Illustrated by Charlene Bowles. This follow-up to Rise of the Halfling King (rev. 11/20) tells the story -- again in graphic-novel form -- of Mayan demigod twins Hunahpu and Xbalanke, sons of demigods One Hunahpu and Lady Blood, a royal ruler of Xibalba (the Underworld), "the only good and lovely creature in that place." Wooed by the trapped soul of One Hunahpu, Lady Blood leaves Xibalba to give birth in the Overworld. From the start, her sons are forced to compete with their older twin half-brothers for the attention of their grandmother, the goddess of the cornfields. With the encouragement of Lady Blood to achieve their "destiny" to rescue their father and uncle from Xibalba, the younger twins concoct a musical plan to trick their older brothers and get them out of the way for a bit. Straightforward and humorous language paired with clear, eye-catching comics-style illustrations make this an engaging retelling of a selection from the Mayan Popol Vuh. An appended author's note further explains the origin of the story and inspiration for the series, and a list of characters in the opening pages is helpful for navigating the tale. A Spanish edition, Los héroes gemelos y la magia de la canción, will be published in spring 2025.

Reviewer: Monica de los Reyes | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA In 2019, the night before she plans to flee Mexico for the U.S. seeking safety and her father, Sitlali discovers a conch in ocean waves. Five centuries earlier, in 1521, Calizto, who is under threat from Spanish invaders in the Aztec Empire, finds the same sacred conch, associated with the goddess of the moon. Magically connected, at first through thoughts and then with physical senses increasing with the moon's waxing, the two teens separated by time form a friendship that blossoms into a smoldering, centuries-defying romance. The fantastical elements of the conch and Sitlali's ability to see spirits enhance the deeply human experiences of love and perseverance through strife but do not alleviate the historical and present-day horrors wrought on the teens by colonialism and its effects, via conquistadors and ICE. The novel's in-depth battle scenes, war strategizing, and world-building will appeal to fans of fantasy and action (though other readers may find them too numerous). Modern-day teens will recognize the trials in Sitlali's life as she tries to battle systemic injustice and to forge a relationship with the father who abandoned her years earlier. Acts of violation and brutality are excruciatingly captured, but so are scenes of tenderness and transcendence. By turns heartfelt and heart-pounding, this story will grip readers to the final pages. Front matter includes a glossary of Nahuatl terms and information on gods and legendary and historical figures.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(1) K-3 Rabbit keeps the moon shining brightly by trekking across the world to bring back aguamiel, "the precious, glowing nectar that brims in the heart of the first and holy maguey." She fills a jug with this sweet agave sap, then pours it into the moon. Rabbit's rival, Opossum, pokes a hole in the moon and steals the sap, thus unintentionally extinguishing the moonlight. Luckily, he remembers a treasure under the earth and brings back a pot of fire, "prepared by mighty gods as a gift for future humans who might shiver in the dark." He sets this pot of burning sun high in the sky, and now he and Rabbit work together as ­Guardians of Light. Stunning illustrations by acclaimed Mexican artist Álvarez feature a velvety blue-black backdrop of a sky, stars providing only pinpricks of light, while the glowing moon is depicted as a round, two-handled jar. Opossum's reddish-brown fur matches the terra cotta pot of fire he tends, and ­Rabbit's fur is the same blue-green as the magical agave plant, whose spiny leaves curl gracefully upward, like an octopus floating in the dark sea of the night sky. Bowles (translator of The ­Sea-Ringed World, rev. 3/21) developed the text for this previously wordless book originally published in Mexico as Noche antigua. His spellbinding, poetic text is lyrical but crisp. A detailed note at the back explains that the tale is an original weaving together of several stories from Mesoamerica.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA The Rio Grande's gifted young poet Güero (They Call Me Güero, rev. 11/18) continues to render the stark beauty of the Southwest border landscapes and the pain experienced by loved ones in this evocative sequel. This time, the narrative centers on the deportation of Güero's ­middle-school sweetheart Joanna's (a.k.a. Fregona's) father, Don Adán, and la Fregona's impossible courage que no se raja to protect her family. Güero's poetry bears witness to the community's grief, anger, and activism inspired by the determination to reunify Joanna's family. Readers also see the more tender moments, which lend insight into the emotional landscape of Güero's young love for Joanna as it grows in maturity. Throughout, Bowles develops the plot using multiple poetic forms--sijo, linked sestains, sonnets, sedōka, rubaiyat quatrains. He also includes Chicano caló--a linguistic form and argot of Chicanx and Mexican Southwestern people--by incorporating Güero's and his friend Bobby Lee's Korean/Spanish slang. Güero embraces this mix of tradition and contemporary youth culture by, for example, dedicating his band's rendition of the classic Norteño corrido "El Palomito" to Don Adán, who like la palomita is apart from those who yearn for his return. A glossary of terms is appended.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Erika Meza. A sleepy boy is nudged awake by his father for a routine Saturday trip, heading across the U.S.–Mexico border to "el Otro Lado." As they reach the Rio Grande, the father reminds his son of the Indigenous history of the land, now divided, the flag of each nation visible on opposite banks of the broad river. Once across, father and son visit their favorite restorán for breakfast; then, with mercado bags in hand, begin their errands, stopping by brightly colored shops (such as Tio Mateo's jewelry store) and picking up prescriptions, bottled water, T-shirts, sweets, and other items on their list. The trip culminates in a visit to their "gente"--families camping out on the side of the bridge, hoping to enter the U.S.--for whom most of the items on their list were purchased. Meza's gleaming watercolor and gouache illustrations magnify Bowles's bittersweet tone, capturing the compassion in the pair's venture and the underlying tension at the border in the expressions of soldiers and refugees. Spanglish ("troca"; "my primos") and shop signs in Spanish and English emphasize how culturally interconnected border towns are. With lyrical text (the Rio Grande is "a watery serpent that glints with the dawn"), Novelist Bowles's picture-book debut weaves weightier realities into a story of ordinary border-town life, and does so with a gentle hand. Waving goodbye to their friends, the father and son return home as the sunset washes the scenery with warm pinks, leaving no doubt that the dedicated pair will carry on their duty as long as the hopeful migrants wait. Concurrently published in Spanish as Mis dos pueblos fronterizos.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) 4-6 Tales of the Feathered Serpent series. Illustrated by Charlene Bowles. In this series starter, David Bowles, author of 2018's Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, adapts a tale from that anthology for the graphic novel form. This volume focuses on the classic legend of Sayam--the Halfling (part-human, part-alux) king of Uxmal, the ancient city of Late Classic Mayan civilization. Raised and trained by the wise healer and medicine woman Almah, Sayam is destined to overthrow Kinich Kak Ek, Uxmal's despotic king, whose tyrannical rule has wrought disharmony across the realm, driving aluxes, witches, and the healing arts of magic underground. Throughout, Bowles highlights Mayan writing and storytelling systems, embedding references to Mayan philosophy and ethics in a thrilling, fast-moving plot that sees Sayam fulfill the prophecy of his reign. Charlene Bowles's illustrations match the pacing and cadence of the narrative with varying yet well-­organized panels that build robust ­characters and convey emotions. In particular, Sayam's growing maturity, leadership, and sense of duty to his people are depicted through relatable simplicity of expression and peaceful equilibrium achieved by the cool teal-blue palette. A directory of characters precedes the story, and a concluding author's note about the aesthetics of graphic art in Mayan writing traditions articulates the importance of perpetuating Mayan epistemology and culture in modern-day storytelling.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) 4-6 Unicorn Rescue Society series. Illustrated by Hatem Aly. Created by Jesse Casey, Adam Gidwitz, and Chris Smith. Professor Fauna's jalopy airplane whisks Uchenna and Elliot (The Creature of the Pines) to Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border to help another elusive mythical creature: the chupacabras. They also discover tension in the city concerning the construction of a border wall. A fast-paced plot, plenty of laughs (including in the black-and-white illustrations), and a serious discussion about the border elevate their latest adventure.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(2) YA The dynamic complexity of the Rio Grande borderlands pulses in the poetry of twelve-year-old Güero. His forty-nine poems in diverse forms explore family, friendship, young love, and racism, with the dexterously rich linguistic tradition of Mexican cuentos and dichos always central. Bowles confidently intersperses the voices of Güero's many family members, using Texas Spanglish colloquialisms with specificity. A welcome contribution to the bildungsroman corpus of Chicana/o literature. Glos.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) YA In this dense but readable anthology of captivating tales from pre-Columbian Mexico, a variety of creation and origin myths are ordered chronologically to share a narrative history of the world from the Aztec and Maya perspectives. Background information is provided in the introduction. Add this title to collections of myths from around the world. Pronunciation guide included. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin