Xelena González – författare

A beautifully-illustrated 54-card oracle deck that reimagines the iconic game of Lotería by using the traditional symbols for divination, reflection, and healing. La Rosa. La Muerte. El Nopal. These are just a few of the 54 iconic symbols that appear in the beloved card game Lotería, also known as Mexican Bingo. Since reaching modern-day Mexico in 1779, the deck has seen many artful incarnations, and across Latinx cultures, it has served the multilayered purpose of practicing the Spanish language, bringing loved ones together, and of course, trying our luck.But Lotería Remedios enters the cards into the canon of cartomancy: it uses the traditional symbols for divination, reflection, and self-healing. Here author Xelena González, a member of the Tap Pillar Coahuiltecan Nation, is continuing the work of her great-grandmother, a curandera sought-after and highly respected for her abilities. Through beautiful illustrations and lyrical written remedios, La Sirena (The Mermaid) becomes an invitation to view your own magic and beauty. La Bandera (The Flag) suggests the need to wave your flag high, so that you may discover who is ready to join your cause. And the much-loved La Luna (The Moon) encourage you to look within, and understand that night will always find its morning, that the tide always changes.

A 2026 Tomás Rivera Children's Book Award winnerAn ALSC Notable Children's Books selectionNew York Public Library's Best Books of 2025"Kewageshig’s (Anishinaabe) warm, richly hued images celebrating the art styles and cultural symbols of Native communities are paired with gentle, firm verse, resulting in a work that’s both a lullaby and a rallying cry" – Kirkus Reviews A powerful and hopeful ode to Indigenous children.Indigenous. Native. On this land, you may roam.Child of the sun, on this land, you are home.Of the Sun is an uplifting and mighty poem that wraps the Indigenous children of the Americas in reassuring words filled with hope for a brighter future and reminders of their bond and importance to the land. Each page fills them with pride and awe of their cultural heritage and invites them to unite and inspire change in the world.Paired with powerful art reflecting cultures of various Indigenous Nations and Tribes, the poem offers all readers a sense of the history and majesty of the land we live on and how we can better care for ourselves and the world when we recognize our connection to the land and to each other.Written by Xelena González, poet and activist in the Native and Latinx communities, and an enrolled member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan NationBold illustrations by prominent Anishinaabe illustrator Emily Kewageshig depict landscapes across the Americas and children from many backgroundsEndnotes provide more information on Native and Indigenous unity and activism in younger generations

A 2026 Tomás Rivera Children's Book Award winnerAn ALSC Notable Children's Books selectionNew York Public Library's Best Books of 2025"Kewageshig’s (Anishinaabe) warm, richly hued images celebrating the art styles and cultural symbols of Native communities are paired with gentle, firm verse, resulting in a work that’s both a lullaby and a rallying cry" – Kirkus Reviews A powerful and hopeful ode to Indigenous children.Indigenous. Native. On this land, you may roam.Child of the sun, on this land, you are home.Of the Sun is an uplifting and mighty poem that wraps the Indigenous children of the Americas in reassuring words filled with hope for a brighter future and reminders of their bond and importance to the land. Each page fills them with pride and awe of their cultural heritage and invites them to unite and inspire change in the world.Paired with powerful art reflecting cultures of various Indigenous Nations and Tribes, the poem offers all readers a sense of the history and majesty of the land we live on and how we can better care for ourselves and the world when we recognize our connection to the land and to each other.Written by Xelena González, poet and activist in the Native and Latinx communities, and an enrolled member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan NationBold illustrations by prominent Anishinaabe illustrator Emily Kewageshig depict landscapes across the Americas and children from many backgroundsEndnotes provide more information on Native and Indigenous unity and activism in younger generations