Xolo by Higuera, Donna Barba

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 and illustrator Mariana Ruiz Johnson comes a singular reimagining of the Aztec myth of the origin of man--and man's best friend--that is nothing short of a modern masterpiece.

Author: Donna Barba Higuera
Publisher: Levine Querido
Published: 11/04/2025
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.60lbs
Size: 8.10h x 6.30w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781646147021
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.9
Point Value: 1
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 557624 / Xolo: How One Good Dog Saved Humankind


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2025
Publishers Weekly 09/08/2025
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2025
School Library Journal 10/10/2025 pg. 1
Booklist 11/01/2025
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2026 pg. 73

About the Author
Donna Barba Higuera is an award-winning author who masterfully blends folklore with her lived experiences to create captivating stories for young readers. Growing up in the dust-filled oil fields of Central California, she spent her life weaving tales that sparked her imagination.

Now residing in the Pacific Northwest with her family and a lively menagerie of pets, Donna is the acclaimed author of picture books like El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! and The Yellow Handkerchief. Her middle-grade novels have garnered significant recognition: Lupe Wong Won't Dance received the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor and a Pura Belpré Honor, while her second novel, The Last Cuentista, was awarded both the John Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Award. The Last Cuentista was also named a Best Book of the Year by the Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME. Her newest book Xolo reimagines the Aztec myth of the origin of man-and man's best friend.

The highly anticipated third and final book in The Cuentista series, Firesnake, is slated for release in Spring 2026.

Mariana Ruiz Johnson studied fine art and illustration of books for children, and has been published as an author and illustrator on every continent. She currently lives in the outskirts of Buenos Aires with her husband and two children.