Of the Sun

Of the Sun is a powerful ode to the Indigenous children of the world that ignites awe and pride in their cultural heritage, while giving all readers a sense of the history and majesty of the land we live on. Child of the sun, you’ve been blessed since birth. Your skin is akin to our brown Mother Earth. A 2026 Tomás Rivera Children's Book Award winner An ALSC Notable Children's Books selection New 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 Nation Bold illustrations by prominent Anishinaabe illustrator Emily Kewageshig depict landscapes across the Americas and children from many backgrounds Endnotes provide more information on Native and Indigenous unity and activism in younger generations