Description
From School Library Journal Gr 4 Up—At Sandy's parochial school, her talent for daydreaming, doodling, and wandering doesn't endear her to the strict nuns, whose assignments the girl does her best to avoid. A bit of an outsider, Sandy is delighted when she meets a new friend, a strange, pale girl who gushes over her incredible artwork. As the protagonist's flights of fancy begin to merge with reality, she must save herself and the drawings she cherishes. The balanced, muted hues of Sandy's real world contrast dramatically with the lush colors of her hand-drawn fantasies. Alvarez's artwork is gorgeous, alternating between traditional panels and, in the dream sequences, vibrant spreads that spill from page to page with grace and fluidity. Reminiscent of the charming, cheeky protagonist of Luke Pearson's "Hilda" books, Sandy is a rosy-cheeked, pigtailed delight, solving her problems with cunning and—coolest of all—math. Readers will want to pore over this book and its many picturesque details again and again. Perhaps those who frequently find themselves with their heads in the clouds will see a little of themselves in Sandy, whose power to build new worlds will inspire others to make their own dreams come true. VERDICT How is this not on your shelf yet? Every library should have this gorgeous first purchase.—Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library, WI A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION Readers will cheer [...] The beings that inhabit Sandy’s nighttime world are simply delightful. The album size, cloth spine binding, and spot gloss on the cover are the icing on the cake of this beautiful graphic novel. –Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW Colombian illustrator Alvarez has achieved something special and unforgettable with her first authorial outing. –The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, STARRED REVIEW [...] Alvarez's stunning, Miyazaki-like illustrations are jaw-dropping. [...] the sumptuous artwork, from the velvety palette to the invitingly rounded figures, is a pleasure to age at. Let's hope there's more where this came from. –Booklist Nightlights is scary, strange and wondrous stuff, its terror heightened by its luminous, polychromatic beauty. –The Guardian A sumptuously coloured, beautifully presented metaphor for the triumph of creativity and imagination in overcoming darkness and despair. –Broken Frontier Nightlights is a stunning, richly-detailed ode to the power of creativity to triumph over loneliness and self-doubt. With gorgeous illustrations that evoke the fantastic imagination of Miyazaki, Gomez builds an enchanting story full of sylphs, school troubles, and one adorable, pigtailed heroine. LOVE! –Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop Mesmerizing, mystical, magnificent and everything I have come to expect and love from NoBrow from the epic illustrations to the definitively whimsical yet edgy story. –Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Wandering Bookseller A young artist makes friends with a ghost, but at what price? This is the perfect graphic novel for fans of Miyazaki or Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Alvarez's art is spectacular, combining lush colors with a level of detail that readers will want to revisit again and again. –Cecilia Cackley, Hooray For Books! Nightlights is a gorgeous parable by Lorena Alvarez. [….] it is absolutely beautiful. –Comics Worth Reading Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez might be one of the most beautiful comic books that I have read in a long time. Nobrow Press clearly saw the potential with this brilliant creator and have published an oversized comic book that does justice to the art within. My breath was taken away time and time again as I was drawn through the story. […] The colour palettes that Alvarez uses to bring the illustrations to life are stunning and vibrant, and her style itself reminds me of the early days of Disney concept art by the likes of Mary Blair. –Rogues Portal Every night, tiny lights appear out of the darkness in Sandy's bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning she brings them back to life in her whimsical drawings. When a mysterious new girl appears at school, Sandy's drawings are noticed for the first time...but Morfie's fascination with Sandy's talent soon turns into something far more sinister.Nightlights is a beautiful story about fear, insecurity, and creativity, from the enchanting imagination of Lorena Alvarez.A Junior Library Guild Selection Lorena Alvarez was born and raised in Bogotá, Columbia. Her work is influenced by the vibrancy and color of her home town as well as the experiences and atmosphere of the Catholic school she attended as a child.She studied Graphic Design and Arts at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She has illustrated for Puffin Books, Faber & Faber, Usborne Books, Paragon, Boom! Studios, Nickelodeon and Disney.Since 2008, she has been part of "La Procesión Puppet Club", an experimental puppetry group of illustrators and visual artists. Read more
Features & Highlights
- A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTIONEvery night, tiny stars appear out of the darkness in little Sandy's bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings that cover her room.One day, Morpie, a mysterious pale girl, appears at school. And she knows all about Sandy's drawings..Nightlights is a beautiful story about fear, insecurity, and creativity, from the enchanting imagination of Lorena Alvarez.
