Title: The Insomniacs
Author: Karina Wolf
Illustrator: The Brothers Hilts
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2012
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Sleep, Bedtime, Night
Opening Lines:
“The Insomniacs weren’t always a night family.
But when Mrs. Insomniac found a new job, Mother, Father, and little Mika traveled twelve time zones to their new home.”
Synopsis (from Penguin website):
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 whole world still awake and a beauty in their new and unconventional schedule.
Ideal for bedtime reading, this gorgeous and lyrical story celebrates nighttime’s mystery and magic.
Activities:
Time Zones
- Simple way to teach at home is with a globe and flashlight, click here for steps.
- Online learning videos which explain the reason for 24 time zones and a discussion about the four time zones in the US.
- National Geographic has a time zone exercise suitable for upper elementary grades.
Nocturnal animals
- Pinterest board which has links to books and crafts related to nocturnal animals.
- Article by National Geographic Explorer on nocturnal animals with photos.
- Lesson plan for ages 0-5 from the Library of Michigan – contains books, songs, links to activity sheets, crafts
- Lesson plans for elementary classrooms – version of tag, create constellations with marshmallows, and more.
Go for a walk with your child, a nighttime outing, ask the child what he or she sees and hears.
Why I Like This Book:
An original, fresh twist on the traditional can’t fall asleep bedtime story.
I love that the family has to move because of Mrs. Insomniacs job (yeah mom!). But adjusting twelve hours is hard and the family struggles to find a way to fall asleep at night, hot baths, counting to a thousand, six mugs, of milk, even meditation — but nothing works. The family decides to go ask their animal neighbors. With flashlight in hand they walk through the forest and notice that darkness is full of life and decide to try living at night instead. This unusual schedule works for them as they get to enjoy the moon, stars, and trips to the flower market and bakery.
The illustrations are gorgeous and quirky, and have an Oliver Jeffer’s kind of feel. The color palette is muted yellows/browns for the day scenes and blues/grays for the night scenes, with hints of color for items such as the scarf, book, or flowers. Check out the trailer below.
Read the book and discover the beauty of the night, but don’t forget your flashlight!
This review is part of Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.
This book was nominated by ReadyAnnie for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Fiction Picture Book category. I am a second-round judge in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Flowering Minds 