Description
Grandpa says circles are all around us.
He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. "Can you see? That's only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth."
He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.
Xelena González has roots in San Antonio, Texas, but has stretched her wings to fly all the way to Guangzhou, China, where she works as a librarian in an international school. She studied journalism at Northwestern University and library science at Texas WomanÍs University, but her true training as a storyteller has come from getting to know other living beings, including plants, animals, and people who happen to speak different languages or see the world in unusual ways. All Around Us is her first book.
Adriana M Garcia, an award-winning artist, muralist, and scenic designer was born and raised on the west-side of San Antonio. She received her BFA From Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied fine arts in Valencia, Spain.
Check out the tai chi All around Us workshop by Xelena Gonzalez!
Yuyi Morales
All Around Us begs to be shared over and over. The use of lines and strokes conveys energy, spirit, magic. And I love the way it connects us all to the idea that we come from inside, from the earth, from something gentle and primal, and that is where go back to—and we better take care of it.
Publishers Weekly
A girl and her grandfather contemplate circles, both physical and metaphorical, in this thought-provoking tale of family, community, and interconnection.
De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children
This warm, gentle story that celebrates family, culture, community and the connectedness of all things …All Around Us is a quiet, beautiful story, and is highly recommended.—Beverly Slapin
Kirkus Reviews
The author’s direct approach and light touch soften the otherwise weighty subject matter. … Life-affirming in its quiet splendor.
Lone Star Literary Life
All Around Us is all about connections, graced by ethereal images—the perfect children’s book for this season of celebrating endings and new beginnings.
School Library Journal
It’s gorgeous, quite frankly.—Elizabeth Bird
Friends Journal
All Around Us is one of those rare books that children will want to read again and again, and adults will be happy to accommodate.—Emmy Gay