Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America

Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America

A TOON Graphic

About the Book

The New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2024
ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List

“Liniers’ comics are funny and fanciful and whimsical and philosophical in the best sense.” — Matt Groening, The Simpsons

Classic Latin American folktales get an update in this new collection by celebrated author Liniers!


New York Times bestselling author and Eisner Award winner Liniers brings his exuberant cartooning style and irrepressible sense of humor to the spooky folktales of his childhood, telling three from across Latin America: the Iara, a mermaid (or a pink dolphin?) who lures young men to her underwater domain in the Amazon basin; La Lechuza, an enormous owl with the face of a woman, who terrorizes people who venture out after dark (a legend found in Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay); and La Luz Mala, a spooky, evanescent light that menaces gauchos and other travelers on the Argentine pampas. Liniers animates these thrilling tales with lighthearted twists. Combined with informative backmatter on their ecological, cultural, and historical background and a bibliography, these old stories will come alive for all young readers, from those who have grown up hearing them to those who are encountering them for the first time.
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Praise for Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America

"On the cover of NIGHT STORIES: Folktales From Latin America...by the Argentine cartoonist Ricardo Liniers Siri, known as Liniers, the 'O' in the title is cleverly replaced by a moon with a furrowed brow. Once an open vowel, once a hole in the word 'stories,' the worried moon shines on a brother and sister as they tell each other Latin American folk tales from a bunk bed set against a starry sky...The book’s introduction, by David Bowles, touches on the Aztecs’ and other Nahua people’s creation myths, reminding us that sometimes it takes five tries to get a world right. And a treasure trove of back matter in turn explains the origins of Liniers’s three 'night stories.' —The New York Times

"An appealing dose of humor, accentuated by Liniers’ artwork, full of intricate linework and muted colors [...] spine-tingling, enlightening, and fun." — Kirkus Reviews

"Three frightful folk tales...are brought to life using a whimsical cartoon style that will engage and encourage children to learn about these rich and dynamic folk tales." —School Library Journal

“[...] Delicate ink and watercolor scenes accompany humorous dialogue and text (“The monkey had very little maritime experience”), showcasing the enduring power of folktales and whetting readers’ appetites for further tellings.” — Publishers Weekly

"Creatively showcases the importance and power of telling and passing stories through generations via oral, textual, and visual narratives." — Horn Book Magazine

“He draws funny!”  — Jeff Smith, Bone

​“Liniers’ comics are funny and fanciful and whimsical and philosophical in the best sense.” — Matt Groening, The Simpsons
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TOON Latin American Folktales Series

Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America
Cuentos de noche: Relatos de Latinoamérica
Cuentos de noche: Relatos de Latinoamérica
Blancaflor, The Hero with Secret Powers: A Folktale from Latin America
Blancaflor, la heroína con poderes secretos: un cuento de Latinoamérica 
The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America
La matadragones: Cuentos de Latinoamérica

About the Author

Liniers
RICARDO LINIERS SIRI, who uses the pen name Liniers, was born in Argentina. He started his artistic career making fanzines for his friends after he realized he was not made for law school. He is the creator of four graphic novels for young readers (three of which are inspired by his daughters) for TOON Books, including his first children's comics, The Big Wet Balloon, published in 2013, and the Eisner Award-winning Good Night, Planet. Since 2002, Liniers has been writing and drawing the daily strip Macanudo, one of the most celebrated cartoon strips in South America; it has been syndicated in the US since 2018. Liniers and his family currently reside in New England, where he continues to draw Macanudo every day. More by Liniers
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About the Author

David Bowles
David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. He has written over three dozen award-winning titles, most notably They Call Me Güero and My Two Border Towns.

His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as The New York Times, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, School Library Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children’s Literature.

Additionally, David has worked on several TV/film projects, including Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network), the Moctezuma & Cortés miniseries (Amazon/Amblin) and Monsters and Mysteries in America (Discovery).

In 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters. He now serves as its vice president. In 2019, he co-founded the hashtag and activist movement #DignidadLiteraria, which has negotiated greater Latinx representation in publishing. In 2021, he helped launch Chispa, the Latinx imprint of Scout Comics, for which he serves as co-publisher. More by David Bowles
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