THE NIGHT LIBRARIAN

Twins discover a whole new world at the New York Public Library.

Page and Turner Reed are library-loving Manhattanites with jet-setting parents and an absentee nanny. On a whim, they decide to take their father’s beloved first edition of Dracula to the main branch of the NYPL in hopes of learning its value. After they lose the precious volume, they seek help from the enigmatic Night Librarian, Ms. Literati. During their ensuing adventure, the twins learn that “magic builds in books.” The Night Librarian helps vent the tomes in order to prevent “a catastrophic KABLOOEY.” However, it seems that despite Ms. Literati’s best efforts, characters are escaping, perhaps with their own sinister motives. Both a love letter to libraries and to literature, Lincoln’s absolutely delightful graphic tale incorporates influences from many recognizable literary works: Nana, the dog from Peter Pan, helps Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island and Alice (of Wonderland fame) track down baddies from Poe, Stevenson, and more. Book lovers will be inspired by the dazzling number of classic and contemporary books that are name-dropped and will certainly prowl their local libraries seeking checkouts and investigating whether Night Librarians are indeed real. The fluid artwork features scribbly lines, interestingly laid-out panels, and creative use of a strikingly unusual color palette. Page and Turner read white; Ms. Literati presents Black.

Charming, highly original, and sure to secure its own place in the graphic canon.