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The Insomniacs
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.
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.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2012
1 person is currently reading
689 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
September 24, 2012
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, and stars fill these pages with fun, surprises, and beauty. New sights, sounds, and creatures to learn about and spark imagination.
An original book with a different view of the world that may shed some light on the dark’s creepy corners for young readers.
June 16, 2022
When a family moves to a far away time zone, they discover they're all having trouble sleeping at night. After exploring the nocturnal landscape, they find they're not the only ones awake.
A most unusual bedtime read highlighted by awesome illustrations by the Brothers Hilts.
A most unusual bedtime read highlighted by awesome illustrations by the Brothers Hilts.
July 14, 2014
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 Brothers Hilts has a modern Tim Burton quality, a full color Charles Addams look for the 21st century, with out actual making any creepy jokes.
Library copy.
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 Brothers Hilts has a modern Tim Burton quality, a full color Charles Addams look for the 21st century, with out actual making any creepy jokes.
Library copy.
October 29, 2012
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 family of Insomniacs? "The Insomniacs" by Karina Wolf is a beautiful story, and shows children a lovable family very different than most.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was entertaining, but the illustrations by The Brother's Hilts were truly phenomenal. The illustrations were very gothic and eerie, but beautiful and timeless at the same time. I have not seen illustrations like these in any other children's book I have read. If anything, I would suggest readers just to skim through the book and enjoy the artwork. I could imagine that children might be leery at first to enjoy this book, particularly because the illustrations are very different than what they are used to in other children's novels. Yet, the quirky and interesting Insomniac family will hold their interest, and have them wanting more by the end of the book.
I would love to use this book in my classroom someday. I could see myself using this book to reinforce the idea of acceptance. The Insomniac family only sleeps during the day, and they stay up at night, which is very different than most families. Yet, I would be sure to reassure to my students that just because they are different does not make them wrong or bad people. I would use this story in a 2-5 grade classroom, particularly since the gothic illustrations are little more mature than your average children's book. I encourage children's literature lovers to explore this book, and learn to love the artwork and the Insomniac family.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was entertaining, but the illustrations by The Brother's Hilts were truly phenomenal. The illustrations were very gothic and eerie, but beautiful and timeless at the same time. I have not seen illustrations like these in any other children's book I have read. If anything, I would suggest readers just to skim through the book and enjoy the artwork. I could imagine that children might be leery at first to enjoy this book, particularly because the illustrations are very different than what they are used to in other children's novels. Yet, the quirky and interesting Insomniac family will hold their interest, and have them wanting more by the end of the book.
I would love to use this book in my classroom someday. I could see myself using this book to reinforce the idea of acceptance. The Insomniac family only sleeps during the day, and they stay up at night, which is very different than most families. Yet, I would be sure to reassure to my students that just because they are different does not make them wrong or bad people. I would use this story in a 2-5 grade classroom, particularly since the gothic illustrations are little more mature than your average children's book. I encourage children's literature lovers to explore this book, and learn to love the artwork and the Insomniac family.
October 7, 2012
Totally a hipster picture book. :)
September 26, 2012
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.
June 24, 2012
Probably more of a 3.5 for me. Need to think on this one.
The illustrations have a Tim Burton feel to them which works well for this story. The reason for why the family develops insomnia and hence transitions to a more nocturnal life-style seems disconnected for me; but the transition into a nocturnal family was cute.
The illustrations have a Tim Burton feel to them which works well for this story. The reason for why the family develops insomnia and hence transitions to a more nocturnal life-style seems disconnected for me; but the transition into a nocturnal family was cute.
June 28, 2012
Unique story, stunning illustrations. Love it!!
February 9, 2013
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 longer I looked, the more I felt like this was a thinly disguised Humpty Dumpty.
Two spreads drew me in and made me get lost in the illustration--the page with the bats (I love it because it doesn't use the conventional stylized image, but tries out a different one), and the page with the other animals in the woods. This was great, because it was supposed to be a turning point in the narrative. The palette in the spread with the flowers is remarkable because of how it achieves contrast through saturated color on dark background instead of white on dark.
As far as messages go, I love that this book is not so much trying to deliver a lesson through the story as it is trying to ask us 'and isn't that okay'? It's still manipulation (and I'm a night person), but I had to appreciate its indirectness compared to other books with a message.
Two spreads drew me in and made me get lost in the illustration--the page with the bats (I love it because it doesn't use the conventional stylized image, but tries out a different one), and the page with the other animals in the woods. This was great, because it was supposed to be a turning point in the narrative. The palette in the spread with the flowers is remarkable because of how it achieves contrast through saturated color on dark background instead of white on dark.
As far as messages go, I love that this book is not so much trying to deliver a lesson through the story as it is trying to ask us 'and isn't that okay'? It's still manipulation (and I'm a night person), but I had to appreciate its indirectness compared to other books with a message.
September 15, 2012
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 the nighttime. The Insomniacs decide that if there so much going on at night, it's worth staying up for, and there's no need to change their schedule. So, the mother starts working at night, the child starts taking correspondence courses, and the dad does his things at night. The artwork, by the Brothers Hilts, is done in pencil, charcoal and computer. The palette they use is largely muted blues, blacks and grays with pops of brighter colors to accentuate certain features. The story itself is cute and unique, and the artwork is brilliant, reminding one of Lane Smith. A nice choice for a bedtime book (with some animals not usually seen in picture books that may arouse curiosity in young reader/listeners.)
September 7, 2012
"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 sleep all winter, they must know some good sleep secrets), they notice that the night is full of life.
Bats, foxes, reindeer, owls, rabbits, and others enjoy the night. The Insomniacs decide to give it a try.
They decide that night time is the best time. They moonbathe and get to the bakery in the wee hours of the morning. And then they go to sleep.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/the-in...
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 sleep all winter, they must know some good sleep secrets), they notice that the night is full of life.
Bats, foxes, reindeer, owls, rabbits, and others enjoy the night. The Insomniacs decide to give it a try.
They decide that night time is the best time. They moonbathe and get to the bakery in the wee hours of the morning. And then they go to sleep.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/the-in...
October 23, 2012
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 to rise, early to bed, and others who are night owls. It's an interesting dynamic, but doesn't change the fact that we mostly have to work and study during the day.
Nonetheless, this is an entertaining story and a fun book to read aloud. The illustrations are quite dark and help convey the nighttime scene. It's a good book for bedtime, especially considering the way the story ends. We enjoyed reading this book together.
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 to rise, early to bed, and others who are night owls. It's an interesting dynamic, but doesn't change the fact that we mostly have to work and study during the day.
Nonetheless, this is an entertaining story and a fun book to read aloud. The illustrations are quite dark and help convey the nighttime scene. It's a good book for bedtime, especially considering the way the story ends. We enjoyed reading this book together.
August 23, 2012
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 text; for instance, when the bats fly, they "roused and rushed into the night...dipped and dived and surfed the air" (unpaged), but their solution to their dilema seemed rather impractical to me. Not every student could attend night school via computer as Mika ends up doing. The illustrations, relying on pencil, charcoal, and a computer, have an eerily appealing quality to them.
October 14, 2013
Title / Author / Publication Date:
The insomniacs. / Karina Wolf. Ben Hilts (ill). / 2012.
Genre: Fiction: Humor.
Format: Picturebook - print.
Plot summary:
"When Mr. and Mrs. Insomniac and little Mika move twelve time zones away, they have trouble staying awake during the day and make an interesting discovery about themselves" (NoveList).
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory:
sleeping patterns/behaviors, family, moving
Review citation:
" An offbeat (but satisfying) bedtime story for fans of quirky tales and nighttime adventures" (Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova in School Library Journal).
Section source used to find the material:
NYPL Children's Books 2012: Picture Books
Recommended age: Ages 4 - 8.
The insomniacs. / Karina Wolf. Ben Hilts (ill). / 2012.
Genre: Fiction: Humor.
Format: Picturebook - print.
Plot summary:
"When Mr. and Mrs. Insomniac and little Mika move twelve time zones away, they have trouble staying awake during the day and make an interesting discovery about themselves" (NoveList).
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory:
sleeping patterns/behaviors, family, moving
Review citation:
" An offbeat (but satisfying) bedtime story for fans of quirky tales and nighttime adventures" (Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova in School Library Journal).
Section source used to find the material:
NYPL Children's Books 2012: Picture Books
Recommended age: Ages 4 - 8.
March 19, 2014
I picked this one up not because I thought my son would like it, but because I loved the cover art (it is even better inside). The book was about the Insomniac family, a working mom, a stay-at-home father and their daughter Mika. The mom takes a job on the other side of the world, twelve hours away, and the family is unable to go to sleep at night. After the whole family is falling asleep in the morning, they decide to do something about it. They try to go find a bear, thinking that they hibernate through the winter so must know how to sleep, but are unsuccessful. So they decide that they will stay awake at night and go to bed in the morning, this plan is pretty successful. I loved the illustrations by the Brothers Hilts, they were so quirky and fun. Recommended for ages 4-7, 4 stars.
October 22, 2012
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 blues and grays feel soothing and the musical rhythm of the text lulls one to sleep... just in time for dawn.
November 1, 2012
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 LOVE it!
August 25, 2012
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. ;)
September 6, 2012
3.5? It's a simple story without much complexity (probably won't hold up to many re-readings) but the illustrations (very Edward Gorey/Tim Burtonesque) won me over. That and the Fennec Fox. I'm a fool for a Fennec Fox. The panel of all the nighttime pets walking down the hallway was my favorite.
October 13, 2012
A truly delightful picture book! Fans of Neil Gaiman and Edward Gorey will love it in particular. The pictures are simple but evocative, and there is a lot of open space on each page that make the book feel hushed and solemn. Fantastic!
January 24, 2015
As a horrible insomniac, I love this tale. The Insomniac family discovers that nighttime is teeming with life, and maybe is a better choice for their sleepy family. My son would've appreciated this one as a young child. He and I are definitely the family night owls!
July 6, 2012
I like the illustrations more than the story.
September 15, 2012
beautiful illustrations, adorable, I much prefer the night as well :)
October 4, 2012
As an insomniac - I loved this book. The story the wonderful illustrations. It will be a pleasure to recommend and hand-sell this one!
November 30, 2012
The world is still very much a day person's place, despite our technologies. A good book for the night people of the world and those who might need a nudge to appreciate them.
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October 17, 2017creepy-charming illustrations make this book unique
December 5, 2014
so many props for mentioning fennec foxes!
September 12, 2016
A cute story about a family who decide to stay away during the night and sleep during the day. Will appeal to all the night owls out there.
July 19, 2023
The Insomniac family moves 12 time zones for Mrs. Insomniac's new job. But when they get there, they have trouble staying awake in the day and sleeping at night. So they decide to give up trying and become night people.
There's a bit of hyperbole involved in this story obviously. This family gives themselves a whopping 2 days to get over jet lag and then gives up. The students at my international school who are old pros at jet lag recovery would call them wimps (or may try to convince their parents to try the Insomniacs' plan). It's a creative concept to imagine a whole family who is asleep during the day and awake at night and the kinds of pets they'd have or activities they'd do. A bit wild.
There's a bit of hyperbole involved in this story obviously. This family gives themselves a whopping 2 days to get over jet lag and then gives up. The students at my international school who are old pros at jet lag recovery would call them wimps (or may try to convince their parents to try the Insomniacs' plan). It's a creative concept to imagine a whole family who is asleep during the day and awake at night and the kinds of pets they'd have or activities they'd do. A bit wild.
August 18, 2017
Art: ★★★★☆
Story: ★★★☆☆
This is a simple tale about a family that lives their lives upside down from everybody else, but it's not a very interesting tale. They're not a particularly interesting family. They don't have unique personalities. So the tale is all about describing how they make the change from living diurnally to living nocturnally. I feel that the prose wasn't playful enough. The art, however, was visually interesting with brilliant touches here and there. The brothers showed a beautiful use of color despite the low chroma color scheme. Definitely the highlight of the book.
My daughter rated it ★★★★☆
Story: ★★★☆☆
This is a simple tale about a family that lives their lives upside down from everybody else, but it's not a very interesting tale. They're not a particularly interesting family. They don't have unique personalities. So the tale is all about describing how they make the change from living diurnally to living nocturnally. I feel that the prose wasn't playful enough. The art, however, was visually interesting with brilliant touches here and there. The brothers showed a beautiful use of color despite the low chroma color scheme. Definitely the highlight of the book.
My daughter rated it ★★★★☆
Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews