A Sleepless Night
A Sleepless Night
Micaela Chirif
Illustrated by Joaquín Camp
Translated from the Spanish by Jordan Landsman
Little Elisa can’t stop crying and no one knows why. After a sleepless night, it takes a grandmother’s touch—and an explosive fart—to bring much-needed relief.
One night, little Elisa begins to cry. At first her crying resembles a cat’s meow. But it soon grows so loud that the flowers wilt and the birds fly out the window. We move her bed so she can see the moon, we wrap her up warm, cool her down, and tie a red ribbon to her wrist. But nothing works. We all wonder: Why is she crying?
After a long sleepless night, it takes a grandmother’s touch to finally find out. Elisa lets out a fart that sounds like a plane taking off in the middle of the living room, nine blenders whirring at full power, twenty-seven moaning hair dryers . . .
An irreverent story about the wind that passes through us all, A SLEEPLESS NIGHT shows that seemingly complicated problems can have simpler solutions than we think.
Ages 3+ | Hardcover | 48 pages | ISBN: 9798893389050
September 24, 2024
“Uproarious... This catalog of chaos highlights infants’ unexpected power to dominate everything around them—even the lives of strangers—and does so with good humor and respect for the wisdom of elders.”—Publishers Weekly
“Both story and art reflect a passion for extremes, each equally ridiculous in their own ways... Come for the sobbing baby. Stay for the psychedelic cacophony of accompanying chaos.”—Kirkus Reviews
"The rich, humorous text is full of similes, and the illustrations appear to be rendered with markers, offering a layered and textured style. Blue nighttime hues contrast with brighter colors, centering action while exaggerated forms deepen the fantastical elements. Dazzling and dreamy."—Horn Book
“Probably my favorite picture book of the year! Camp’s marker illustrations highlight the hyperbolic chaos that ensues when the narrator’s baby sister, Elisa, wails all night, keeping everyone in their building awake. I won’t ruin Chirif’s twist, which is sure to cause plenty of giggles and make everyone appreciate the wisdom of their elders a little more.”—Timothy Otte, Wild Rumpus Books (Minneapolis MN)
“It takes a village to get through a sleepless night....no matter the cause of it! This is a hilarious and irreverent little tale about our passing problems, our passing worries, and our passing gas.”—Swati Sudarsan, McNally Jackson Books (New York City)