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34th out of 93 books
—
205 voters
The Insomniacs
by
Karina Wolf,
Ben Hilts
The wonder of nighttime comes to life in this breathtaking debut
When the Insomniacs move twelve time zones away for Mrs. Insomniac's new job, the family has an impossible time adapting to the change. They try everything to fall asleep at night--take hot baths, count to one thousand, sip mugs of milk--but nothing helps. Venturing out into the dark, they learn there is a who...more
When the Insomniacs move twelve time zones away for Mrs. Insomniac's new job, the family has an impossible time adapting to the change. They try everything to fall asleep at night--take hot baths, count to one thousand, sip mugs of milk--but nothing helps. Venturing out into the dark, they learn there is a who...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
August 16th 2012
by Putnam Juvenile
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Weird illustrations remind me of Edward Gorey, Charles Addams (and Bret Helquist's reboot of these for Lemony Snicket). Its cinematic grammar starts with the 'establishing shot' on the first page and keeps the feel of a movie throughout. Travel is marked like in a 1940s adventure film with dotted lines on a globe. The illustrations of the people are just plain wacky, especially the father. At first, it looked like an optical illusion where you see a face when turning it upside down. But the long...more
What if your Mom found a job that was in a place that was 12 time zones away from where you currently live? Do you think it would be hard to adjust to the time difference? For the Insomniac family, that is definitely the case. The family struggles to stay awake during the day, but at night, when they should be sleeping, they cannot seem to fall into a peaceful slumber like the rest of the town. Will the family ever be able to adapt to their new sleeping schedule? Or will they forever be the fami...more
While picture books are mostly out of the age range I serve, I couldn't resist picking up this book. The Insomniac family moves half way around the world in order for the mother to take a new job. However, once they arrive they cannot adjust to the new time zone. They stay awake all night, then fall asleep during work and school. One night, they decide to take a walk in the woods to ask a bear the secret to a good, long sleep. Along their way they find many, many animals who are active during th...more
"The Insomniacs" by Karina Wolf and illustrated by The Brothers Hilts is a lovely picture book about a family who just couldn't go to sleep. In the beginning, they were like a normal family and slept at night.
But when Mrs. Insomniac gets a new job twelve time zones away, things change. The whole family finds that they simply cannot fall asleep at night.
They try everything. Warm milk, meditation, hot baths, crossword puzzles -- nothing helps. When searching for advice from bears (after all, bears...more
But when Mrs. Insomniac gets a new job twelve time zones away, things change. The whole family finds that they simply cannot fall asleep at night.
They try everything. Warm milk, meditation, hot baths, crossword puzzles -- nothing helps. When searching for advice from bears (after all, bears...more
When the Insomniac family moves for Mrs. Insomniac's job, all the family members have trouble dealing with the shift in time since their new home is twelve time zones away from their original home. They try all sorts of strategies to get sleep at the right time, but still, they're sleepy during the day. After exploring the beauty and pleasures of the dark hours, they adjust their schedules so that they can sleep during the day and work and play at night. I liked some of the language used in the...more
While they say never to judge a book by its cover, that is precisely what drew me to this text when I spotted it with the new books in the children's section of the local library. The illustrations are intriguing and the story itself is unique: a family of three moves twelve time zones away so that the mother of the family can take a new job, but they cannot adjust to the time change. The family ends up only being able to stay awake during the nighttime hours and they doze off to sleep when the...more
The Insomniacs have to move halfway around the world when Mrs. Insomniac gets a new job. They have a lot of trouble adjusting to the new time zone – they’re tired all the time. Eventually they give up and decide to change their schedules instead, becoming nocturnal and learning the secrets of the night world.
The cover art/illustrations are what drew me to this book – dark and mysterious like the night. About halfway through (the book is not paginated) there’s a two-page spread featuring panels...more
The cover art/illustrations are what drew me to this book – dark and mysterious like the night. About halfway through (the book is not paginated) there’s a two-page spread featuring panels...more
The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf is a quirky story filled with darkness, shadows, mystery, and fun. I adored the slightly creepy atmosphere, colors, and magic of all the night has to offer.
Unable to capture their ZZZs, the Insomniac family sets out to explore, enjoy, and adapt to their new nocturnal surroundings and life.
”The cloud of animals roused and rushed into the night.
They weren’t mice at all.
They dipped and dived and surfed the air.
They squealed with delight.”
Bandicoots, bats, moon beams, a...more
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This is one of my new favorite books that I may give to all of the adult insomniacs in my family! The tale opens with “The Insomniacs weren’t always a night family.” After moving twelve time zones away to their new home, however, they discover that they can’t sleep at night anymore. Their solution is to live during the dark hours where they discover a world that they never knew about (bats, nightshade vegetables, a moonlight cactus, a bandicoot, a fennec fox, night beetles). Artwork by the Broth...more
What does an Aardvark, Angel Shark, Bandicoot, and a small eared Zorro have in common? They are all nocturnal animals, and they are all Mika Insomniacs pets. The Insomniacs is a cool, dark, and funny story about the Insomniac family discovering their true place in society, as night people. After travelling 12 different time zones to get to Mr. Insomniacs new job, the family sleep schedule gets thrown off quite a bit. Slowly but surely (after hiking to ask a group of Bears how they hibernate all...more
This is an interesting story about a family who moves, experiences jet lag, and then changes their schedule to be awake all night and asleep all day. The concept is humorous, but not all that practical.
I have traveled across the world quite a bit in the last year and I'm quite familiar with the disturbing effects of jet lag. It can be quite disruptive to your circadian rhythm, but thankfully, it's very temporary. I do notice that even within my family, however, we have individuals who are early...more
I have traveled across the world quite a bit in the last year and I'm quite familiar with the disturbing effects of jet lag. It can be quite disruptive to your circadian rhythm, but thankfully, it's very temporary. I do notice that even within my family, however, we have individuals who are early...more
Dec 19, 2012
Kaethe
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
animals,
art,
contemporary,
domesticity,
fiction,
format-picture-books,
realistic,
up-all-night
There aren't a lot of books for kids that address insomnia. compared to say, the monster under the bed. The general tone of picture books (and parents) is that kids could go to sleep if they were willing, but they won't, just out of spite, or some need for attention, or fear.
So, yay, a book about a kid who Can not fall asleep. Nor can her parents. After staying up all night and learning a few things, they are able to tackle the problem from a fresh perspective.
I loved it. The art provided by the...more
So, yay, a book about a kid who Can not fall asleep. Nor can her parents. After staying up all night and learning a few things, they are able to tackle the problem from a fresh perspective.
I loved it. The art provided by the...more
What a fun book! The idea behind the book is a family that moves to a different time zone and is having a hard time adjusting to it. The adjustment period causes them to be up all night and want to sleep during the day. The bulk of the book is about what they see and encounter while awake at night. I gave this book 5/5 stars. The illustrations are excellent. They were done by two brothers known as the Brothers Hilts. The book would not have had the same impact had there been different illustrati...more
The Insomniac family has moved twelve time zones to their new home and are having trouble adjusting their sleep schedule. They finally decide to ask a bear for some slumber secrets. In their quest for a bear, they run into many night-time animals and decide that it's not such a bad thing to be awake during the night. They change their routines so that they can sleep during the day and be active at night, and happily enjoy this solution. The drawings in the book, created with pencil, charcoal, an...more
The story of a family who moves halfway around the globe and begins living a nocturnal life. When Mrs. Insomniac lands a job 12 time zones away, the family moves and has trouble adjusting to their new sleep schedule. They suffer through their tasks and look for relaxation habits from those around them, but finally they give up and embrace a nocturnal life.
Illustrations are dark and rendered using pencil, charcoal and the computer. Artwork is a little creepy, which just adds to this book's charm...more
Illustrations are dark and rendered using pencil, charcoal and the computer. Artwork is a little creepy, which just adds to this book's charm...more
Sometimes parents work at night and sleep during the day. What if an entire family decided to flip their schedules by 12 hours? This family, the Insomniacs (though they really should be the Nocturnals) flip their schedules when they move 12 time zones away for the mother's job. Now the family cannot sleep at all during the night and drop off to sleep during the day. Then, when on a walk to discover a way to sleep, they decide that they actually quite like the night time. The cool palette of blue...more
When Mrs. Insomniac gets a new job, the family moves 12 time zones to their new home. They had been a regular day-light family, but in the new place they found it hard to stay awake in the day and fall asleep at night. They tried everything from warm milk to meditation, but nothing worked. Looking out of their dark windows, they discovered that there were many nocturnal animals out there. There were bats, bears, and owls. So the family decided to spend their awake time in the darkness. They had...more
Moving 12 time zones away can really mess up ones sleep schedule! The Insomniacs found themselves falling asleep all day and totally unable to sleep at night....what to do? They decided to seek the advice of the bears that hunker down all winter night... ( why didn't I think of that.) no bears to be found, but bats abounded, plus other night creatures, so why fight it. They decided to live their lives at night! What a concept. When you ate a night person... You just ARE a night person. Learn to...more
Hmmm. My main quibble is that insomniacs and night owls are not exactly the same thing.
Anyway, the Insomniacs move 12 time zones away and "when they arrived, they found they stayed awake only in the nighttime." After struggling to adapt to normal life, they finally give up and lead their lives at night. The style and illustrations are dark and fun, kind of Tim Burton meets Despicable Me.
Best suited for the public library collection; recommended for ages 4 (read aloud) through 7.
Anyway, the Insomniacs move 12 time zones away and "when they arrived, they found they stayed awake only in the nighttime." After struggling to adapt to normal life, they finally give up and lead their lives at night. The style and illustrations are dark and fun, kind of Tim Burton meets Despicable Me.
Best suited for the public library collection; recommended for ages 4 (read aloud) through 7.
The Insomniac Family has to move 12 time zones for Mrs. Insomniac's new job. The family has difficulty adjusting to the time change and no matter how much they count, how many mugs of warm milk they drink, or how much they meditate, they just can't seem to stay awake during the day hours. Seeking out strategies to stay awake during the day, they find many who spend their waking hours during the night.
A cute story with awesome illustrations.
A cute story with awesome illustrations.
This book would be great to give to children who have moved far from their hometown. It is a book about a family that has moved far and they are trying to adjust to their new life. They have such a hard time that they learn to live in the night instead of the day. For a child that has just moved this can show them that moving is not that scary and adjusting is not very hard to do. It was a very cute book, and I cannot wait to read it again.
Mika's mom takes a new job 12 time zones away, and the family has trouble adjusting their circadian rhythms. No matter what they try, sleep eludes the family. However, rather than fight their way to sleep at night, they learn to start their day as the sun sets. Unusual story by Karina Wolf, with wonderful illustrations by the Brothers Hilts. Would fit perfectly with any night or nocturnal animal story time.
"The Insomniacs weren't always a nighttime family..." but when they move across 12 timezones, they have a hard time adjusting. This is a solid story of a family sticking together and being open to new things, just a little darker. The Hilts' artwork strikes the right tone between funny and creepy. This won't appeal to every kid, but the ones who like it will be future fans of Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, and Tim Burton. Gr. PreK-2.
Ok I know this doesn't seem important...but Insomnia is when you can't sleep at all or very little, but this family just sleeps during the day. Shouldn't they be called the Nocturnals? That bothered me the whole time, but the story was so quirky and the dark, sketchy illustrations so awesome and unique that I couldn't rate it down. The style reminds me a bit of Oliver Jeffers! This would be a fun bedtime story.
2 starred reviews -- SLJ and Kirkus.
"...The shadowy, smudgy art—O! The bat spread is beautiful!—really stands out. Quite possibly every shade of blue makes its way into this book, though we see a fair share of yellow, given that, as the book opens, “The Insomniacs weren’t always a night family.”..." -- Kirkus
This was a really sweet book about a family that moved to a different time zone and became Insomniacs. This is a very positive book about family coming together and making the best of a bad situation. The illustrations are really gothic and lively (can that be). The setting of the novel looks dark but, it is really a great bedtime read. Perfect book to read during the Halloween season and before the time change. ;)
This book makes me very happy. There are subtle more adult ideas/themes with mentioning star signs, the slightly advanced vocabulary, the family name of Insomniac, and dark illustrations. The illustrations actually gave a modern Edward Gorey feel, which I absolutely loved. Not necessarily a good pick for story time, but a great lap read or adults-who-love-picture-books-read. Super quirky!!
3.5 stars. This is a quirky story about a family who moves 12 time zones away for Mr. Insomniac's job, so they all have trouble adjusting. They can't sleep at night, even after drinking warm milk, counting, and taking hot baths. They decide to learn from nocturnal animals and plants and embrace their insomnia. The illustrations are Tim Burton-ish, perfect for the story.
The Insomniacs used to live like everyone else then they moved 12 time zones away. Now they can't sleep at night and want to sleep during the day. So they become night people. They shut out the sun and bath in the moonlight. And they are much happier. I love the illustrations for this book; they definitely go with the night theme. The story is a fun one as well.
PB 31. I really enjoyed this book. It's about a really different kind of family. I think if a child was reading this, they might find solace in the fact that different is ok, and that you can find solidarity in your differences and grow into a better person. Maybe the kids could write a story about how their family is different or do an activity sort of like that.
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