LINIERS. Good Night, Planet. illus. by Liniers. 36p. Toon. Sept. 2017. Tr $12.95. ISBN 9781943145201; Spanish Ed. $12.95. ISBN 9781943145218.

PrS-Gr 2 –After a day of playing in the leaves with her deerlike stuffed toy Planet, a little girl gets ready for bed. When the child falls asleep, Planet comes to life, gives her a kiss, and wanders downstairs. Fun ensues, including a romp with Elliot the spaniel, a midnight snack of cookies, and, with Bradley the mouse’s help, an attempt to wrangle the biggest cookie of all: the moon. Relying on intricate linework and shading, ink and watercolor images capture the joys of a crisp fall day and the quiet pleasure of a nocturnal adventure. Planet and his pals are undeniably adorable, yet the art is sophisticated, blending the cartoonish with the elegant. Part Maurice Sendak’s In the Night Kitchen, part Kevin Henkes’s Kitten’s First Full Moon, this stunning graphic novel for beginning readers conjures up a cozy, slightly surreal world, devoid of adults. Multiple panels of varying sizes convey the passage of time and create drama. Liniers keeps the text brief, allowing the images to tell the story. At times, the dialogue borders on philosophical (when Bradley remarks that Planet is a big name for a little creature, Planet replies, “Every animal, big or small, is a whole universe”). VERDICT A beautiful, original work for one-on-one or independent reading, and an excellent bedtime tale. Pair with Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky’s Toys Meet Snow for another take on the inner life of a beloved plaything.–Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

This review was published in the School Library Journal October 2017 issue.