WOLF, Karina. The Insomniacs. illus. by The Brothers Hilts. 32p. Putnam. Aug. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25665-3.
K-Gr 2–The spindly legged, pale Insomniac family–Mother, Father and little Mika–lead a regular diurnal life until Mrs. Insomniac gets a new job “twelve time zones away.” Once they arrive at their new home, the family members live up to their name and goth visages–despite their efforts, they cannot fall asleep at night but snooze at work and school. Unable to rectify this dire situation by themselves, they venture out to observe animal sleeping habits for ideas. When they see bats “dipp[ing], div[ing] and squeal[ing] with delight,” the Insomniacs decide that they, too, can lead a happy and fulfilling nocturnal existence, exchanging “the sun [for]…stars and fireflies and northern lights.” Father develops his photos in a darkroom. Mother studies the stars through her telescope, and Mika goes to night school remotely. Reminiscent of the work of Edward Gorey, Charles Addams, and a certain Tim Burton-esque aesthetic, the art for this book forges its own style without feeling derivative. Full-page mixed-media (charcoal, pencil, and computer) illustrations are cleverly designed and depict the sepia Insomniacs against the backgrounds of saturated yellow for daylight, red for interiors, and deep dark blue for nighttime scenes. An offbeat (but satisfying) bedtime story for fans of quirky tales and nighttime adventures.–Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY
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