Description
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
Prizes
- A 2026 Tomás Rivera Children's Book Award winnerJoint winner 2026
- New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids of 2025Commended 2025
- An ALSC Notable Children's Books selectionCommended 2026
Review Quotes
"A solid addition to every collection, expanding on texts by Indigenous authors" – School Library Journal
"A luminous song, poem, promise
of cultures and connection,
of kinship and caring,
for Indigenous children across the continent."
- Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of JINGLE DANCER
"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
New York Public Library's Best Books of 2025
"Of The Sun is a loving homage to the Indigenous peoples of this land—both in González’s beautiful, lyrical poem and Kewageshig’s warm, vibrant Anishinaabe-styled artwork. A wonderful read aloud you must add to bookshelves at home, at school, and in community!" - Traci Sorell, award-winning author of We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga and At The Mountain’s Base
Biographical note
Emily Kewageshig is an Anishinaabe artist and visual storyteller whose work captures the interconnection of life forms using both traditional and contemporary materials and methods. She creates artwork that highlights Indigenous knowledge and culture. Emily is a mother of two, and comes from Saugeen First Nation in Ontario, Canada.
