The Hero Twins and the Magic of Song [Tales of the Feathered Serpent]
by David Bowles; illus. by Charlene Bowles
Middle School    Cinco Puntos/Lee & Low    80 pp.
10/24    Paper ed.  9781947627697    $15.95
Spanish ed.  9781947627703    $15.95

This follow-up to Rise of the Halfling King (rev. 11/20) tells the story—again in graphic-novel form—of Mayan demigod twins Hunahpu and Xbalanke, sons of demigods One Hunahpu and Lady Blood, a royal ruler of Xibalba (the Underworld), “the only good and lovely creature in that place.” Wooed by the trapped soul of One Hunahpu, Lady Blood leaves Xibalba to give birth in the Overworld. From the start, her sons are forced to compete with their older twin half-brothers for the attention of their grandmother, the goddess of the cornfields. With the encouragement of Lady Blood to achieve their “destiny” to rescue their father and uncle from Xibalba, the younger twins concoct a musical plan to trick their older brothers and get them out of the way for a bit. Straightforward and humorous language paired with clear, eye-catching comics-style illustrations make this an engaging retelling of a selection from the Mayan Popol Vuh. An appended author’s note further explains the origin of the story and inspiration for the series, and a list of characters in the opening pages is helpful for navigating the tale. A Spanish edition, Los héroes gemelos y la magia de la canción, will be published in spring 2025.

From the ">January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.