(2) K-3 Two siblings should be going to sleep, but one of them asks the other, "Can you tell me a story? A SCARY one." That opens the door to three folktales featuring Liniers's distinctive comic-panel treatment. In "The Mermaid and the Pink Dolphin," a captain and his pet monkey navigating the Amazon River are drawn to the singing of the Iara (river mermaid). Following the Iara's tunes takes the captain on a mysterious expedition. "The Owl of Doom" tells of a witch-owl with a woman's face and its call of death. The people live in fear until a child summons the power of music. In "The Evil Light," gauchos riding their horses through the pampas are approaching the sunset hour -- a time the evil light appears and they will have to confront their fears. The siblings' interjections throughout add humor, and the India ink and watercolor illustrations bring the right touch of the macabre to these tales. A useful and informative introduction by David Bowles provides historical and political context, and notes about the mythological creatures and a bibliography are appended. This volume creatively showcases the importance and power of telling and passing stories through generations via oral, textual, and visual narratives. Concurrently published in Spanish as Cuentos de noche: Relatos de Latinoameric.

Reviewer: Sujei Lugo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(1) K-3 Liniers (The Big Wet Balloon, rev. 9/13; Good Night, Planet, rev. 1/18) presents a charming celebration of nature, siblinghood, and imaginative play. As three sisters play together on a mysterious island (their backyard), they encounter a plane crash, a tiny gorilla, talking flowers, a dragon, and more. The dragon isn't vanquished until the magic of play is ­broken by a voice calling the girls in for dinner. ("Only ­reality can kill a dragon.") As the children run inside, visuals of their scattered playthings reveal the everyday toys and crafts that inspired their creative ideas. A smiley-faced flower in the final spread hints to readers that there might be more mystery in the world than we suspect. Liniers has a strong command of ink and watercolors, as well as of the comics medium, effectively employing panel sizes, close-ups, and layouts to build suspense and pace readers through the thrilling but never-too-scary adventures. Short sentences, repetition, and numbered pages offer additional support for beginning readers, à la Abby Hanlon's Dory ­Fantasmagory (2014). The sibling relationship is delineated with care and realism; the sisters enjoy the freedom of storytelling and look to one another for guidance as they build on--and sometimes disagree with--various narrative ideas. ("Giraffes don't growl! And we already have a tiny animal.") Endpapers show the characters featured amongst wildflowers in what resembles a spread from a field guide.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) 4-6 Translated by Mara Faye Lethem. The Argentinian cartoonist's comic strips are turned into a book full of witty one-liners, reflective moments, and imaginary friends, set in a world that's fantastical but not entirely happy. There is no plot, only recurring characters--most notably Martin and his giant blue imaginary friend Olga, who helps Martin as he studies, eats vegetables, and plays (alone). Liniers's simple aesthetic is vitalized by beautiful but muted coloring.

Reviewer: Jessica Costello

(2) K-3 In Argentinean cartoonist Liniers's child-friendly early-reader comic, a little girl's stuffed-animal companion, Planet, comes to life at night. Planet roughhouses with the family dog, grabs cookies in the kitchen, and at the urging of a mouse heads outside to see the "biggest cookie ever"--the moon. Liniers's thin, sketchy ink lines are complemented by a beautiful watercolor palette that adds depth and mass to his forms. Also available in Spanish.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(1) 1-3 Henrietta's mom gives her colored pencils, and she creates a thrilling story about a girl named Emily and the monster who comes out of her wardrobe. Emily's adventure is drawn with colored pencils--brightly colored, messy, dramatic scrawls; contrastingly neat, contained panels in pen-and-ink and watercolor show Henrietta drawing the story and commenting on its progress. Liniers paces both elements superbly. Concurrently published in Spanish.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(3) K-3 In this Spanish-language (text not evaluated) edition, Enriqueta's mom gives her colored pencils, and she creates a thrilling story about a girl named Emilia and the monster who comes out of her wardrobe. Emilia's adventure is drawn with colored pencils--brightly colored, messy, dramatic scrawls; contrastingly neat, contained panels in pen-and-ink and watercolor show Enriqueta drawing and commenting on the story's progress. Concurrently published in English.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 In this latest collection of comic strips, wise characters teach readers about humanity through quiet observations, absurd dreams, and hilarious situations. For instance, Henrietta reflects about "choosing good traveling companions" for life's journey, while Charlie struggles to gauge the emotions in his mom's Botox-filled face; Liniers himself joins the rotating cast. The whole is silly, contemplative, and life-affirming.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(2) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Every night a boy's ceiling becomes a black void. Down floats a succession of bizarre creatures; finally comes something dark and shapeless, announcing, "I am what there is before there is anything there." This is a scary story indeed--with unflinching ink and wash illustrations--but kids who suffer through similarly tortured bedtimes may find validation in Argentinian cartoonist Liniers's bravely existential picture book.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) 4-6 Translated by Mara Faye Lethem. This collection of comics is by turns contemplative and slapstick. Characters such as a girl and her cat, Fellini; Oliverio the Olive; and Z-25, the Sensitive Robot, float in and out of the pages, putting on performances that range from Godotlike to foolish and seemingly pointless. The cartoonist uses a light touch in rendering his drawings, which make observations about life that are worth savoring.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(1) K-3 Toon Book series. Matilda teaches her little sister Clemmie how to catch raindrops on her tongue, jump in puddles, and search for worms, as pictured in the panels of this early-reader comic. Amidst her excitement, Matilda releases Clemmie's precious red birthday balloon into the sky. It's a tender, accurate depiction of sister dynamics, and Liniers's multihued cartoon drawings capture the siblings' distinct, expressive personalities.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013