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Where Wonder Grows

By Xelena González
Illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia

Hardcover: $20.95

Ebook

2023 Pura Belpré Award Winner for Illustration!

When Grandma walks to her special garden, her granddaughters know to follow her there. Grandma invites the girls to explore her collection of treasures--magical rocks, crystals, seashells, and meteorites--to see what wonders they reveal. "They are alive with wisdom," Grandma says. As her granddaughters look closely, the treasures spark the girls' imaginations. They find stories in the strength of rocks shaped by volcanoes, the cleansing power of beautiful crystals, the mystery of the sea that houses shells and shapes the environment, and the long journey meteorites took to find their way to Earth. This is the power of Grandma's special garden, where wonder grows and stories blossom.

Listen to Grandma's garden of magical rocks is 'Where Wonder Grows' — an NPR interview with Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia.

Listen to Teaching Books' Meet-the-Illustrator Recording with Adriana M. Garcia.

About the Creators

Thumb_xelena_gonzalez Xelena González - Author

Xelena González practices the healing arts through writing and movement. She is a storyteller, dancer, and visiting author who centers self-love in her multi-disciplinary workshops for all ages. Her picture books include the award-winning ALL AROUND US and WHERE WONDER GROWS. A former librarian and enrolled member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, Xelena has become a sought-after speaker on topics such as radical self love, creative early literacy strategies, inhabiting story through music and movement, and reclaiming indigenous identity in Latinx communities. She still lives in San Antonio, where she grew up. Find out more at xelena.space.

Thumb_adriana_m_garcia Adriana M. Garcia

Adriana M. Garcia is a visual artist, a muralist, and an illustrator. She is the recipient of a Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for Where Wonder Grows and a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor for All Around Us, both picture books by Xelena González. Garcia has exhibited her artwork nationally and has presented at conferences, schools, and museums around the United States. She especially loves painting portraits of strong women to honor those who have come before and those who continue to lead by example. Garcia lives in San Antonio, Texas, and you can find her online at adrianamjgarcia.com.