Liniers' US Debut: The Big Wet Balloon from TOON Books

Argentina’s most famous cartoonist publishes his first English-language book.
 
The Big Wet Balloon by Liniers is “sure to be a favorite.” (Kirkus) 
 
Appearances at Small Press Expo (SPX) and Brooklyn Book Festival to coincide with U.S. National Hispanic Heritage Month

Ricardo Siri Liniers is beloved in Latin America for his wildly successful decade-long comic strip Macanudo, published in the prestigious Buenos Aires newspaper La Nación, and for his colorful, on-stage concert collaborations with Grammy-nominated musician Kevin Johansen.  

His work has earned him comparisons to cartoonist legends Charles Schultz (Peanuts) and Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes), as well as hundreds of thousands of fans on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.   
             
Liniers’ U.S. debut, The Big Wet Balloon, is officially released today by TOON Books, the innovative publisher of award-winning, high-quality comics for kids, directed by Françoise Mouly, longtime art editor of The New Yorker.

Liniers’ new book, described as “memorable” (Kirkus) and “expressive” (Horn Book), coincides with U.S. National Hispanic Heritage Month and will be available in both English and Spanish-language editions.

The Big Wet Balloon tells the story of sisters Clemmie and Matilda, who learn to revel in the delights of a rainy afternoon. Inspired by Liniers’ two young daughters, the book’s “intimate ink-and-watercolor vignettes” (Publishers Weekly) promise to deliver on the hype surrounding the famed Argentine author, who calls his style “observational, dark, absurd, sweet, and strange.”

Watch message from Liniers:

September 2013 U.S. Appearances by Liniers:

9/14 at 1:30pm – Q&A at Small Press Expo (SPX), Bethesda, MD
 
9/15 at 3:00pm – Panelist on “For Kids/Not for Kids” at Small Press Expo (SPX), Bethesda, MD
 
9/16 at 10:30am – Bilingual Presentation to bilingual students at Politics & Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC
 
9/16 at 2:00pm – Open Book Children’s Literacy Foundation-sponsored book reading to bilingual students at H.D. Cooke Elementary School, 2525 17th St. NW, Washington, DC
 
9/18 - In collaboration with NYSABE and the City College of New York, presentation to bilingual students at New York Public School.  Details to be announced. 
 
9/19 at 7:00pm – TOON Books All-Ages Comics Extravaganza at BookCourt Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY (with very special guests Art Spiegelman, Jeff Smith, Gary Panter, R. Kikuo Johnson, Rutu Modan, Dean Haspiel, Frank Viva, Trade Loeffler, plus musical accompaniment by Barry Blitt and the Half-Tones)
 
9/22 at 2:00pm – Target Children’s Area Plaza at the Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn, NY
 

For review copies, or to schedule interviews with Liniers (in English or Español), please contact:
Kimberly Guise:  kimberlyg.toon@gmail.com    917.545.9724 
Brian Byrnes:     brian@brianbyrnes.com         305.433.0190