Starred Review A framed set of colored pencils opens this latest volume by beloved Argentinian cartoonist Liniers. Symbolic of limitless childhood imagination, the pencils are an image that's warmly inviting, vibrating with giddy promise, and particularly appropriate to the artist's clever story in a spirited, creative, and freewheeling style. Following those pristine pencils is a dual narrative: young Henrietta narrates her creative process alongside the story she creates, the tale of a three-headed monster looking for a third hat, who recruits Henrietta in the search through her labyrinthine wardrobe. Liniers' panels alternate between his nostalgic, clear-lined cartooning and Henrietta's wild, purely imaginative, heavy crayon scrawls in bold primary colors. Henrietta serves as both artist and audience, as she comments on her writing and reacts with over-the-top emotion to the scares in her own plot. It's a charming, funny device that integrates the two stories into a cohesive work and uniquely embraces its audience. More solidly linear than his strip Macanudo, Liniers' playful graphic novel is an ideally accessible alchemy of engaging, energetic storytelling and a fresh artistic perspective. A wonderful choice for both strong early readers and for grown-ups to share with younger children.

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.