Thank you to the author, Familius and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book introduces the concept of diurnal and nocturnal, introducing various animals of both types as Nico, our protagonist, slips out of bed and decides to go for a midnight snack. We loved the informative texts to the different animals, and the goofy illustrations - however, one slight drawback is the fact that it did encourage my kids to sneak out of bed rather than going to sleep when they should.

Very cute book! Even looked great digitally. A little spooky without being scary for little ones! Will be recommending for parents of kids just getting into big picture books

I picked up this picture book to read with my six year old autistic son who struggles with bedtime. While I enjoyed the text and the information on nocturnal animals, I thought that a few of the illustrations were a bit creepy. The educational value of the information is there and the plot is fun, but this is one that I encourage parents to preview.

I appreciate the idea, but the execution was lacking. The information was great, but the font/text turned me off. The illustrations were caught in the middle of too realistic and not realistic enough. Either go cutesy or realistic.

A surprising little read, that acts as a lesson concerning diurnal and nocturnal animals, the day and night they crossover at, and also cake. Yes, before we even meet Nico, the nocturnal main character (or is he…?) we're seeing animals in the outside world with their names attached like labels on a diagram, and that certainly threw me to start with. But I hadn't known this involved science and learning and not just a quick narrative. We also get the narrative – some of it really cleverly dressed up on the picturebook page as a board game – but we also learn a touch about the nature of the night. Not too much, mind – this reads very young – but it is there, and if there is a way for this creator to provide similar biology lessons in such a fun, inventive, "I didn't know I was being taught anything!" fashion, then that would be very good news indeed. Visually it's quite scrappy and, shall we say quite individually styled, but this is still a healthy four stars.

This book was pretty fun. It’s written almost as a National Geographic special but instead of following an animal, you’re following a little boy who is up at night. He plays a game, tries to sneak a snack, and wakes grandpa and the rest is history. Kids will like this book, and they’ll think it’s fun. That’s the only thing that matters.

‘Nocturnal Nico’ by Gabe Jensen offers an educational adventure into the world of nocturnal animals through the eyes of a young protagonist named Nico. The book aims to introduce children to various animals that are active during the night and provides a fun way to learn about their unique behaviours and habitats.

Plot: ★★★☆☆
The plot of ‘Nocturnal Nico’ centres around Nico's exploration of the night, learning about different nocturnal animals. While the premise is engaging and educational, the execution feels somewhat basic. The storyline effectively introduces children to the concept of nocturnal animals but lacks a strong narrative drive or deeper conflict that might make it more captivating.

Character: ★★★☆☆
Nico is a relatable character, and his curiosity drives the story. However, the character development feels somewhat limited. Nico's interactions with the nocturnal animals are informative but don't deeply explore his personality or growth. The characters of the animals themselves are interesting but could benefit from more distinctive traits or personalities to enhance engagement.

Illustrations: ★★★☆☆
The illustrations in ‘Nocturnal Nico’ are functional and support the educational content of the book. They provide clear depictions of the nocturnal animals and their environments but are not particularly striking or memorable. More dynamic or colourful illustrations could enhance the visual appeal and engagement for young readers.

Engagement: ★★★☆☆
The book is moderately engaging, especially for children interested in animals. The educational aspect is strong, but the story might not hold the attention of all young readers. A more interactive or adventurous approach could have heightened engagement and made the reading experience more compelling.

Readability: ★★★☆☆
The readability is appropriate for the target age group, with clear and accessible language. However, the text could benefit from a bit more variety in sentence structure or vocabulary to make it more captivating. The straightforward presentation is effective but could be spiced up to better hold the reader's interest.

Enjoyment: ★★☆☆☆
Overall, while ‘Nocturnal Nico’ serves as a good educational tool for teaching children about nocturnal animals, it falls short in terms of enjoyment. The lack of a compelling narrative and more vibrant illustrations may make it less engaging for some readers. The book is educational but might not be the most exciting read for children seeking a more dynamic or interactive experience.


‘Nocturnal Nico’ by Gabe Jensen is a useful educational resource for introducing children to nocturnal animals, offering clear information and appropriate readability. However, it may not fully captivate or entertain young readers due to its basic plot and illustrations. While it succeeds in its educational goals, a more engaging narrative and visually stimulating artwork could significantly enhance the overall enjoyment and appeal of the book.

The idea is cute. However, the drawings are not my style, they are not cutesy like a children's book should be. The message is also kind of wrong. It makes it look like it is okay for kids to stay up and get midnight snacks, which many parents would not like. I wish it would have been more of a "time to sleep" message so that the animals can come out. I did like the fact that every animal was labeled so that when kids ask their parents what something is, they can just read it off to them, or even more research the animal with their child and learn about it.

We loved the illustrations for this book and really enjoyed that it was both fun and educational! The little notes about which animals are nocturnal were great and it was quirky and funny, too.

I enjoyed this book and its illustrations. Nico is very cute and has some tasty adventures after bed. I personally wish it had a little more of a "time to sleep" message. It was a a cute story overall!

The idea of writing a children's book about the concept of diurn/nocturnal is a great idea. I always enjoy when an effort is made to create an informative piece for the younger audience. Overall, it could be quite fun to read during the spooky season, but personally the aesthetic didn't appeal to me. The style of the drawings wasn't my cup of tea. But it's still an interesting book for kids.

My son's review:
I loved it! Especially that they added elephants! I was scared for Nico because I thought his grandpa was going to wake up and he was going to get into trouble! I guess I'm not nocturnal, but maybe I'm like elephants who sometimes stay up late for special things.

My review:
I thought it was a cute bedtime read. My son said it was so him, as he tries to stay up late but crashes. Lol I enjoyed the facts about some animals and their tendencies. It was pretty informative but also had really cute and funny illustrations. Maybe for kids in younger ages than my own (who is 9) but he still enjoyed it!

I received this book from Familius and NetGalley to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

This was a cute little story that I enjoyed with my son. It was educational in the sense that it included a lot of nocturnal animals but was also easy to read and follow the plot.

Kind of a cute story. Kids may enjoy it, but I don’t know if parents will love it, especially because it may give some kids ideas about getting out of bed and staying up too late.

This picture book is cute and very funny but also surprisingly educational. I had no idea that two out of every three species are nocturnal. In this book, Nico is making his way through the nighttime world, seeing how everything is different at night He has safe adventures, but understands that his main life takes place in daytime.. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love seeing children’s books like this! Creative, educational and fun! And it definitely had heart too! Perfect to snuggle up and read together before bed.

This taught me a lot too about nocturnal and other animals. And it will teach kids in a fun way, about them and why it’s important to get a good night’s sleep.

As a fellow nocturnal kid i related to nico’s story! This was such a cute story that really helps transition kids to bed time. The illustrations were fantastic and really added to the story.

This was so goofy and fun!! The main character Nico reminded me a lot of my nephew and he would absolutely adore this book! Like Nico staying up half the night playing with his dinosaurs, and eating cake instead of sleeping is 10000% my nephew, lol.

The illustrations by Gabe Jensen were hilarious. The art style made so much sense for the story though. You want it to be a little weird, because in the middle of the night when you can't sleep things start to look a little weird!

The story itself was really fun. I liked the kid trying to get around the Grandpa to get to the cake, only for Grandpa to be like "nah kid lets eat some cake sounds good to me". It was a really funny, and relatable storyline.

Nothing life changing about this story, but I can see so many kids liking it and wanting to reread it over and over again at bed time.

I'd definitely recommend! 💛

So cute! This book is perfect for young readers and those wanting to learn more about the night. I love the title!

Thank you to NetGalleyfor this e- copy of Nocturnal Nico by Gabe Jensen in exchange for a honest review. This is the perfect bedtime story about a boy named Nico who wants to stay up all night like his favorite night time creatures who are described in the book until he gets hungry and encounters another nocturnal inhabitant of the house. . Great family read.