Simon Liar

And, if Simon says so, it’s true… or not?

Simón Liar is situated on the blurred line between the real and the imaginary, like the little ones, who are able to give life to the characters that inhabit their imagination, to the point of making us doubt about what is true or lie.

Fantasy is one of the traits of children’s creativity, but it also influences the way children perceive reality or the way they interact with the world.

The protagonist of this story tells us about wolves, foxes, cats… all animals that live in his imagination. But as we know, fantastic beings are ephemeral and cannot materialize, so Simon, like the readers, will have to distinguish between fantasy and reality at the right time, just at the moment of closing the story.

Roberto Aliaga surprises with a story of simple but careful language, within the reach of young readers. In addition, the short and emotional sentences will help them identify with Simon, with his fears, and with his games, in a word, with his fantasy.

Simona Mulazzani’s plastic work represents a good example of the artistic line that this Italian illustrator maintains at present, in which she bets on a combination of different techniques (acrylic, pencil…). To this, we must add the varied iconography, the simple and schematic lines, and the use of medium planes, characteristics that are already part of her personal style.

The illustrations occupy a larger space in proportion to the literary text, and as we turn the pages, one after the other, a series of images will parade before us that will transport us to the world of the protagonist; but we must be alert, if we do not want to confuse imagination and reality.

Text by Roberto Aliaga

Ilustrations by Simona Mulazzani