- Picture Books
- Ages 6–10
- Mythology
Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc
Book 5 of 5 in Brownstone's Mythical CollectionView the full series
A visually sumptuous Mesoamerican-myth adventure with a sharper emotional edge than the earlier Brownstone books. Best for readers who enjoy mythic quests, treasure, moral choices and richly detailed artwork.
- Best for6–10
- FormatPicture
- Length64 pp
- Read aloud~13 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Literary
Tone
- Adventurous
- Exciting
- Thought provoking
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The fifth Brownstone adventure introduces Luna Brownstone, described by Flying Eye as the most devious Brownstone of all. After tragedy strikes her family, Luna decides to look out only for herself, running away in search of riches to steal. Her journey takes her to a village suffering from drought, where she hears rumours of a palace filled with treasure belonging to the rain god Tlaloc. When a young girl called Atzi volunteers to take an offering to save her village, Luna plans to befriend her, steal her map and find the palace first. But the journey forces Luna into real companionship, danger and a decision about what matters more than gold. Like the rest of Brownstone's Mythical Collection, it combines lavish illustrated storytelling with mythological adventure, but this one carries a slightly more morally complex and emotionally weighty story about grief, selfishness, kindness and change.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 6–10
- Read aloud · 5–9
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: grief.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Mythology
- Tlaloc
- Visual readers
- Gift book
- Moral growth
Avoid if
- Recent family tragedy too sensitive
- Prefers simple bedtime books
- Prefers low peril
Particularly good for children who are…
- Bereavement
- Making friends
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Gorgeously illustrated myth-adventures from around the world — a brilliant gateway to myths and legends and strong read-alouds with clear quests to retell.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is Luna's selfishness — the most devious Brownstone after a family tragedy deciding to look out only for herself, planning to befriend a village girl and steal her map to the rain god's palace, the journey forcing her into actual companionship and a real choice. The fifth Brownstone with the sharpest emotional edge.
- Adventure and freedom
- Surviving danger
- Trickery and cleverness
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The fifth Brownstone's Mythical Collection — Mesoamerican mythology, morally more complex than the earlier volumes, grief and selfishness and change at the centre. Same lavish illustration; slightly heavier emotional weight.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Educational for adult too
- Great writing
In the series
Brownstone's Mythical Collection.
5 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Joe Todd-Stanton.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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