 | Everyone's awake Author: Meloy, Colin | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
In this house, when everyone stays awake at night, things get very strange, what with Mom on the roof, and Grandma playing cards with the ghost of long-dead Grandpa Paul, and even the dog and cat are acting weird; as the family's doings become more and more bizarre, the narrator starts to wonder--what on Earth will happen when morning finally comes.
| Illustrator: | Harris, Shawn |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/15/19)
School Library Journal (02/01/20)
Booklist (01/01/20)
The Hornbook (00/05/20)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 02/01/2020 Gr 3–5—The plot of this picture book is summed up by the title. There is a large family living under one roof and they should be sleeping—but everyone is awake, including our young narrator. Written by Meloy, frontman of the band The Decemberists, the text frequently makes literary and pop culture references for adults to catch, like shout-outs to Prince and Baudelaire. Our narrator expresses quiet bewilderment at the antics of his siblings, parents, grandparents, and even the family pets. Illustrated by Harris, Dave Eggers's frequent collaborator, spreads start off delightfully simple but quickly grow more hectic as the family's insomniac activities intensify. Pictures are packed with details, inclusing clever allusions to other picture books and chapter books for young readers. The plot turns increasingly ridiculous, with brother and sister fighting an international war. However, the text ends with a crowd-pleasing underwear joke sure to crack up anyone, even those who might not follow the rest of the action. VERDICT Recommended for youngsters (and their grownups) who come from or enjoy observing a family with more quirks than every cast member of a Wes Anderson movie combined.—Chance Lee Joyner, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, NH - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 01/01/2020 Late at night, in a lighthouse-topped island mansion, a young boy lies in bed listening to the sounds of his family, all still awake. It begins innocently—“Grandma’s at her needlework / Dad is baking bread”—with the family partaking in ordinary activities, but then, as a dripping, green ghost ship rises out of the surrounding waters, the energy begins to build, and the family’s antics grow increasingly frenzied. Meloy’s musical text, always bouncing forward in Seussian rhythms, builds along with the action: “Grandma’s on to playing whist / with long-dead / Grandpa Paul, / and the dog / has started throwing darts / against my / bedroom wall.” It’s an exercise in energetic absurdity, a busier, edgier, and more grounded take on Eric Carle’s The Nonsense Show, with Harris’ primary spot-colored illustrations capturing the intensity and charm. References to topics such as Baudelaire, Pulitzers, and coup d’etats will go over youngsters’ heads but nonetheless fit with the ludicrous escalation. By the end, the characters crash in exhaustion, and little ones should, too. An enticing bedtime alternative. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
