Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA)

Bilingual English/Spanish. An instant favorite, this beautiful bilingual board book follows Maya as she discovers all the colors in her world.

Maya longs to find brilliant, beautiful color in her world. But when the wind blows, desert sand covers everything, and turns her whole neighborhood the color of dust.

With the help of a feathered friend, Maya searches high and low to find the colors in her world. And she does-in the vibrant purple of her Mama's flowers, the juicy green of a prickly cactus, the hot pink clouds at sunset, and the shiny black of her Papi's hair.

As they follow Maya's search for all the colors of the rainbow, little readers will be inspired to look around and ask themselves, where can I find the colors in my world?

Written in English and Spanish, this beautiful bilingual board book will be an instant favorite for beginning readers.

Bilingual English/Spanish. Listen... Can you hear the river calling you? Rushing and bubbling, splashing or still, the river has so much to teach us.

Whenever Maya visits the river, the river jumps up to greet her. It cools her down when the summer sun is too hot, and holds her up when she dives in. It keeps her company in the quiet of winter. The river takes care of Maya and Maya takes care of the river.

In this gentle story of love and respect for nature, Maya Christina Gonzalez combines her award-winning talents as an artist and storyteller. Young readers will be inspired by the joy and wonder of being outdoors, and learn powerful lessons about their environment and themselves.

Self-Care for Kids! This book is a call to BE, to step forward and LOVE yourself, LOVE your community, know your history and your powerful place in it and strengthen your own creative power! This book is a tool to use. I created it because I know you are an important part of our world and your strength matters.

Bullying is real, but we can change the story by changing the focus. Begin with yourself. Begin the journey of art activist. You are the artist. You are the storyteller. Be yourself. Change the world!

Playful ink and watercolor illustrations support a powerful journey that touches on bullying in the founding history of the US, how that history may still be impacting kids and families today, and ways to use creativity and self-respect in the face of negative messages for all marginalized communities. The first part of the book briefly acknowledges the United States' past and present and shows some basic forms of activism that kids engage in. The next part talks about walking away from a bully or de-escalation and focusing on how to take care of yourself and your community. Finally practical ways creativity and portraiture can be used to support self-respect and spread respect in community are explored.

Communities reflected include Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Chicanx, LGBTQ+ Americans, disabled Americans, Americans assigned female at birth and those who identify as women and girls, Palestinian Americans, Muslim and Sikh Americans, Jewish Americans and Asian Americans. The back includes related resources and art & witnessing worksheets to copy. (Hardcover includes a Reading Guide and Community Project)

This book is not a hero's tale or the journey of a brave fight. This book is for the in between moments, the middle of the night, the long afternoon: those moments when kids are haunted by what someone said to them in the hallway, a sideways stare at the store or what they heard on the news. It's about gathering strength for life's every day journey and supporting a strong full self all the time.

Acclaimed artist and award-winning children's book artist and author Maya Gonzalez draws from over 40 years working with kids to provide a place for kids to land during tough times and counteract the impact of oppression with truth and creative power.

The 3rd edition includes subtle changes to the art and text to focus on the kind of support our kids need in our current political/cultural environment as well as updated resources in the back.

An imaginary bilingual English/Spanish tale of self-discovery told by a child who grows, learns about the natural world, embraces others, and is free to become who they are meant to be--a child as unique as a tree.

What does it mean to be like a tree?
For one young child, it all begins
as a tiny seed
that is free to grow
and reach out to others
while standing strong and tall-
just like a tree in the natural world.

With this gentle and imaginative story about becoming your fullest self, Maya Gonzalez empowers young readers to dream and reach... and to be as free and unique as trees.

Self-Care for Kids! This book is a call to BE, to step forward and LOVE yourself, LOVE your community, know your history and your powerful place in it and strengthen your own creative power! This book is a tool to use. I created it because I know you are an important part of our world and your strength matters.

Bullying is real, but we can change the story by changing the focus. Begin with yourself. Begin the journey of art activist. You are the artist. You are the storyteller. Be yourself. Change the world!

Playful ink and watercolor illustrations support a powerful journey that touches on bullying in the founding history of the US, how that history may still be impacting kids and families today, and ways to use creativity and self-respect in the face of negative messages for all marginalized communities. The first part of the book briefly acknowledges the United States' past and present and shows some basic forms of activism that kids engage in. The next part talks about walking away from a bully or de-escalation and focusing on how to take care of yourself and your community. Finally practical ways creativity and portraiture can be used to support self-respect and spread respect in community are explored.

Communities reflected include Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Chicanx, LGBTQ+ Americans, disabled Americans, Americans assigned female at birth and those who identify as women and girls, Palestinian Americans, Muslim and Sikh Americans, Jewish Americans and Asian Americans. The back includes related resources and art & witnessing worksheets to copy. (Hardcover includes a Reading Guide and Community Project)

This book is not a hero's tale or the journey of a brave fight. This book is for the in between moments, the middle of the night, the long afternoon: those moments when kids are haunted by what someone said to them in the hallway, a sideways stare at the store or what they heard on the news. It's about gathering strength for life's every day journey and supporting a strong full self all the time.

Acclaimed artist and award-winning children's book artist and author Maya Gonzalez draws from over 40 years working with kids to provide a place for kids to land during tough times and counteract the impact of oppression with truth and creative power.

The 3rd edition includes subtle changes to the art and text to focus on the kind of support our kids need in our current political/cultural environment as well as updated resources in the back.

How do you daily confirm and celebrate gender fluidity when the 'he' and 'she' binary is so prevalent in EVERYTHING, everywhere, all the time ?

Pronouns serve as a familiar starting point for kids and grown-ups to expand ideas about gender and celebrate personal expression with fun imagery that provides a place to meet and play.

Award winning children's book author and artist Maya Gonzalez is joined by her partner, Matthew, in their first children's book together.

With virtually no reflection for different gender presentations in children's books available, together they created a book to do just that. They She He Me, Free to Be shows many gender presentations under each pronoun and invites even more. A go-to place to help keep the conversations alive, break down assumptions of who is she or he and expand beyond the binary to include they and more.

The back offers a playful narrative about pronouns, inviting kids to know themselves inside and out, claim the pronouns that express the spirit of who they are and respect that in others. Also included is some discussion for grown-ups on how to hold a supportive space for kids (and for themselves).

This book stands on its own, but it also serves as a great reference to expand gender in other books and media. They She He Me also pairs perfect with, The Gender Wheel, a story about Bodies and Gender for every body. Together these books offer a firm foundation of radical gender inclusion for parents, educators and caregivers to share with their kids.

Take a journey with 11 kids as they revel in the wonder and awe of nature's infinity seen in plants, animals, sea creatures, the night sky...only to be confronted by the two very small gender boxes that all of nature must squeeze into...

The Gender and Infinity Book for Kids is not your average book about gender! It's a kid's guide to BEING your fullest self using the stunning and infinite reflection of nature. Instead of defining in relation to assignments at birth, this book provides kids with an understanding of self in relation to the infinite flow of nature. When we have a felt sense of our inherent belonging to a greater story of diversity, we are better equipped to understand and see through the the boxes that limit all of us from being our true selves.

Engaging back material provides facts about body and gender diversity in nature and a holistic approach to gender that deepens the story and experience with each reading.This shift in focus toward nature first literally provides the largest foundation of support possible.

Take a journey with 11 kids as they revel in the wonder and awe of nature's infinity seen in plants, animals, sea creatures, the night sky...only to be confronted by the two very small gender boxes that all of nature must squeeze into...

The Gender and Infinity Book for Kids is not your average book about gender! It's a kid's guide to BEING your fullest self using the stunning and infinite reflection of nature. Instead of defining in relation to assignments at birth, this book provides kids with an understanding of self in relation to the infinite flow of nature. When we have a felt sense of our inherent belonging to a greater story of diversity, we are better equipped to understand and see through the the boxes that limit all of us from being our true selves.

Engaging back material provides facts about body and gender diversity in nature and a holistic approach to gender that deepens the story and experience with each reading.This shift in focus toward nature first literally provides the largest foundation of support possible.

A companion coloring book to The Gender and Infinity Book for Kids! Maya invites you to dive deeper into the story and make it your own. Bring your experience and imagination to the original sketches and color a new world that bursts OUT of the boxes that limit ALL of us.

How will YOU color infinity?

Explore the original picture book to learn more about the patterns of body and gender diversity in nature.

Sometimes you just need to color. Here's a coloring book to love and lift yourself up; a place to relax and open up. Using your hands with your heart makes you strong. And strength is what we need for the times ahead. When the going gets tough, the creative start making art

Inspired by both playful and radical 60's poster styles, activist/artist Maya Gonzalez offers 29 black and white images for you to play with and color. Strong women, femmes, and children, inspiring words, as well as nature imagery open the first in the Coloring the Revolution series.

Remember the 3 Rules #1 EVERYONE is an Artist. #2 There is never a right or wrong way to make art. #3 Art is ALWAYS an act of courage.

Appropriate for most media. 70# paper with images printed on one side allow for watercolors, markers and other materials that bleed. Leave them in the book or rip them out and color your world with them.

I cry for all of us who bear the burden of these times.

Aaaaaaaaaaaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

One day at the river changed everything.

So begins the terror from the pale ones who remake the lands and the people to suit their pale vision.
But the ghost woman and her one true love conjure a plan.

Will La Llorona's heart be strong enough to fulfill it?
More importantly, when the time comes....will the people be ready?

In times filled with terror and torment, one woman's haunting grief rises from beyond to become the people's howl in the dark. Sometimes a heartache is so great, it belongs to everyone. Sometimes a healing is so powerful it holds within it the spark to change everything....if we're ready.

A queer reclamation of the classic Mexican ghost story, La Llorona, that spans the ages and the Americas (MesoAmerica 1500 to present day San Francisco) to reunite the people with their ghosts and mend what was torn apart.

In her debut YA novella, award-winning children's book artist and author Maya Gonzalez takes readers on an emotional and layered journey that weaves history with love, spirit with flesh, and merges ancient myths with current political times. Powerful themes of love, pre-colonial queer identity, sacred feminine, loss and endurance course through the pages as the story gathers and flows and gathers again to support healing, negotiate deep ancestral trauma and ultimately, transformation. In a style akin to poetic prose with a potent cathartic undercurrent that lies shimmering just beneath the surface, Ma Llorona's reach doesn't end at the page. Like a river, she will flow into your dreams, call up your ghosts and have you howling in the night.

They called you La Llorona
And told terrible tales
But I know who you were
I know the truth
You are the woman
As big as all the stars
You are the woman
As big as all the land and sea
The river mirrors your face
The wind carries your wail
The grass and cool soil your beautiful body
When I am here
I am with you in total
You are never alone...
I know because
I am the woman
Who loves you forever
I will count every star and say I love you
A thousand times
Like our last night together, my love
I will tell the truth of your tale
A thousand times
So you remember who you once were
Your name is my name now
I am La Llorona
I cry for you
I cry for me
I cry for all of us
Who bear the burden of these times.

Focusing on the very big idea of peace, i see peace uncovers the truth about a very real and personal experience of peace and how we each can begin creating it in our own lives.

Surprise it's often not what we think.

Award-winning children's book illustrator/author and educator, Maya Gonzalez uses simple words and even more simple ink drawings to create both a universal and intimate experience of peace. Encouraging kids to allow peace to become something real and personal and possible and from there be able to talk about and work for it effectively. This peace movement begins within with the trust that the more we know peace for ourselves the more we create it. Come play with Maya and learn that peace is often closer than we think.

A great companion to When a Bully is President: Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times, i see peace extends the practice of mindfulness and self-care into the every day. An opportunity for kids to learn how to support themselves as the world continues to radically shift and change.