ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Windsor McKay's early twentieth-century Little Nemo in Slumberland strip was hugely influential, but thanks to the ephemeral nature of newspaper printing, the gorgeous, full-color broadsides are hard to come by, and his work is subsequently not very well known. This collection of comics inspired by McKay's groundbreaking strips attempts to capture the spirit of Little Nemo, either in the fanciful content, iconic art nouveau style, or innovative use of panel layouts. Cliff Chiang's contribution turns McKay himself into the Nemo-like dreamer while quietly correcting the cartoonist's unfortunate caricature of an African. The standout is J. G. Jones' clever take, which features Nemo contemplating the vastness of the universe. His pal Flip helpfully draws a smaller panel to contain the enormity but climbs up the gutters and drags the moon in the frame after they miss the grander view. Each comic is reproduced in beautiful full color me with bright, modern palettes; others with muted, antique hues. Though this homage is intended for a youth audience, plenty here will appeal to adults, particularly those familiar with McKay's work.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

An overview of the original comic strip and an appreciation of its creator, Winsor McCay, by Art Spiegelman and Frangoise Mouly precede a collection of new adventures illustrated by a variety of acclaimed comics artists. Some are reverent, some absurd; all are lovingly produced. The volume explains McCay's and Nemo's importance in the development of graphic narratives, but its appeal to middle- and high-school readers will be limited.

School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Gr 6 Up-O'Neill, Carl, and Stevens, the owners of the Locust Moon comic shop, originally published this work as a broadsheet-size collection of 116 illustrations as an homage to Winsor McCay, creator of the 1905 "Little Nemo in Slumberland" comic strip. The illustrations presented in this volume are visual representations of each of the 30 selected illustrators' dream worlds. Each vignette is drawn in a Sunday comic format and the pictures are interesting and dynamic, matching each comic artist's style. Each spread is its own mini-story. However, because each spread is created by a different artist, the book feels disjointed. Character development does not exist, as readers are simply placed into a short-lived dream sequence. Fans of Sunday funnies may find value in the artwork, and this curated collection might pique the interest of those studying comics history and format. The foreword by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman and introduction by the editors will give much-needed context to the work as a whole. VERDICT Additional purchase for true comic aficionados only. Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford College, Weatherford, TX