Popo the Xolo

by Paloma Angelina Lopez, Abraham Matias (Illustrator)

Overview

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 Mictlān 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 Mictlān 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623544577
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

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

Editorial Reviews

♦ An abuela crosses from life to death with the help of her loyal pooch.
Popo, a Xoloitzcuintle (a Mexican hairless dog with great significance in many Indigenous cultures), spends his evenings sitting on Nana’s lap as she watches her novelas, soothing her aches with his tiny, warm body. Nana spends her days cooking, cleaning the floors, and tending to her familia. One night, Nana sits on her comfy chair for the last time; accompanied by Popo, she soon steps into the Aztec underworld, Mictlān, where the dead must journey across nine levels to reach eternal rest. Rich in otherworldly blends of purples, pinks, and sun-kissed hues, Matias’ striking paper-cut artwork depicts Nana’s passing in a series of stunning double-page spreads, softening the heavy subject matter. Lopez’s gentle text pulls at the heartstrings in subtle streaks, punctuated by the phrase “Keep going. ¡VÁMONOS!,” accompanying Popo’s barks of encouragement to his beloved owner. Nana wades through a river, climbs hills, glides across an obsidian path, battles snowy winds, evades arrow-throwing monkeys, and more as she recalls memories both good and bad. Her journey ends back at her casita, where her familia holds on to their shared remembrances. Nana now moves on (“Her aches have disappeared”), and Popo remains with her familia. Lopez deftly lands on a bittersweet note, a message of love that transcends life and death.
Gently magnificent.
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Nana loves her family and her beloved dog, Popo. In the evenings, Popo keeps Nana warm as she settles down to watch her favorite telenovelas. This evening, Nana is tired and falls asleep. She wakes and finds herself crossing a river, Popo leading the way. Nana is tired and it is difficult as she and Popo continue their journey, passing through mountains, stone paths, snow, and more, but with each step Nana begins to feel stronger. Popo barks encouragement, tugging at Nana’s skirt. When Nana and Popo arrive home, she no longer feels pain, and Nana feels the love of her family, and the love they have for Popo. This lovely picture book shares a family's love for their beloved nana, and her journey as she passes away, traveling through the levels of Mictlān with her important guide, a xoloitzcuintle dog. Text and illustrations show the obstacles Nana faces, with vibrant, luminous colors bringing to life this otherworldy place, and paper cut-out art making the ­characters seems so much closer to readers. The text in both the English and Spanish ­versions shows character dialogue in speech bubbles, with page text describing Nana’s activities, her love for her family, and the levels of Mictlān. A touching depiction of this important belief in the afterlife, as well as a reminder of the good it does to keep loved ones alive through ­memory. ­VERDICT This picture book focusing on the passing of a loved one and their journey through Mictlān is an excellent addition to children’s picture book collections, and a solid choice to discuss loss and to share on Day of the Dead.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2025-05-03
An abuela crosses from life to death with the help of her loyal pooch.

Popo, a Xoloitzcuintle (a Mexican hairless dog with great significance in many Indigenous cultures), spends his evenings sitting on Nana’s lap as she watches her novelas, soothing her aches with his tiny, warm body. Nana spends her days cooking, cleaning the floors, and tending to her familia. One night, Nana sits on her comfy chair for the last time; accompanied by Popo, she soon steps into the Aztec underworld, Mictlān, where the dead must journey across nine levels to reach eternal rest. Rich in otherworldly blends of purples, pinks, and sun-kissed hues, Matias’ striking paper-cut artwork depicts Nana’s passing in a series of stunning double-page spreads, softening the heavy subject matter. Lopez’s gentle text pulls at the heartstrings in subtle streaks, punctuated by the phrase “Keep going. ¡VÁMONOS!,” accompanying Popo’s barks of encouragement to his beloved owner. Nana wades through a river, climbs hills, glides across an obsidian path, battles snowy winds, evades arrow-throwing monkeys, and more as she recalls memories both good and bad. Her journey ends back at her casita, where her familia holds on to their shared remembrances. Nana now moves on (“Her aches have disappeared”), and Popo remains with her familia. Lopez deftly lands on a bittersweet note, a message of love that transcends life and death.

Gently magnificent. (information on the nine levels of Mictlān and on the Xoloitzcuintle, a note on loss, glossary)(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews