POPO THE XOLO

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.