This was pretty cute. It’s about a family who moves across the world and can’t go to sleep at night. They decide they will live their lives in the night now and sleep in the day. The illustrations remind me of Tim Burton works like James and the Giant Peach and The Corpse Bride ( )

Kids will find this story amusing, as an entire family decides they can't sleep at night, then they will turn their night into day. A topsy-turvey story that shows their are solutions to problems, sometimes for the whole family. ( )

Loved the art AND the story. Spooky but warm. ( )

In this book the family was relocated across the world, therefore turning there whole sleeping pattern upside-down. The family had the hardest time staying awake during the day, no matter how many tricks they tried. So it was decided they would just live their waking hours during the nighttime, which turned out to really suit them. This book was an interesting read, I think if it's read well it will captivate the class and once it gets to the point of the Insomniacs living life during the nighttime it will really intrigue them. The illustrations were amazing. This book could be used on lessons that have to do with ideas of whats "normal", sleeping habits, getting used to a new environment. Or of course it could help with children being afraid of the dark! ( )

The Insomniacs are a family that makes a big move to a new home. Once they're settled in their new home, they realize they are only able to sleep during the daytime and are wide awake at night. At first, they are distressed by this. They try all kinds of cures in hopes to remedy their insomnia but nothing helps. Finally, they are able to accept the fact that they are nocturnal. They acccept that it's okay to not be "normal".

Characters: the Insomniac family - mother, father, and Mika
Setting: the Insomniacs home
Theme: Adapting to new situations

Post-reading discussions may include:
ideas of normality; sleep habits; adaptation to new environments; problem solving; family structure/culture; working together; it's okay if your life doesn't look like everyone else's; and fears of the dark.