Sleep Out

When he is given a sleeping bag, canteen and flashlight for his birthday, Christopher can't wait to use them to camp out. Unfortunately, his back yard in the city is far too noisy for such an activity. The first night of his holiday at his family's summer cottage, he decides to sleep out at the nearby creek. But when unfamiliar noises startle him in the night, and rain makes him uncomfortable, he ends up retreating to an abandoned farmhouse nearby. Here he finds that he has been pursued, not by a wolf, as he imagined, but by Bodger, his pet dog...

Published in 1973, Sleep Out was the first of eight picture-books featuring Christopher and his adventures from author/illustrator team Carol and Donald Carrick. It pairs an engaging story show more about a youngster testing the limits of his independence, and learning to overcome his fears, with appealing illustrations. The visuals here sometimes feel a little bit dated - the furniture, the car - but are nevertheless charming, and the forest scenes have a timeless quality to them (naturally). Recommended to anyone who enjoys vintage picture-books, or who is looking for children's stories about sleeping outside for the first time. show less

This book is a trip back in time to how things where when I was growing up.

I have no idea how our parents did it--how did they not worry themselves sick? Yet, we kids did have some amazing growing experiences.

Different times, my friend, different times.

"Are you playing nice?" was exactly what adults would say to us kids. It wasn't a question, so much as it was a kindly greeting and, perhaps, their own nostalgic observation.