The Sleeping Porch

by Karen Ackerman, Elizabeth Sayles (Illustrator)

A rainstorm sends a family from their long-awaited first house, with all of its leaks, onto the sleeping porch to enjoy the pleasures of the summer night

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story about a white family of seven moving to a new house and enjoying the sleeping porch after a night of a leaking roof.

[Tami Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent book loved by both young and old. Through a series of mishaps the family comes together to spend the night on the sleeping porch. That's where the fun begins.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The story is a simple one, about a big family moving into a new house. I have to say, I've been reading a lot of children's books lately and noticed that it seems to be acceptable for picture books to be completely lacking in any sort of plot or story. That was not the case for this one.

Plot summary: Family of 7 lives in a cramped apartment. Parents purchase a new house. House is much bigger, but needs a lot of work. They move in. A summer thunderstorm hits, and reveals hundreds of leaks in the roof, leaving the entire house soaked. The family gathers up bedding and sleeps in the "sleeping porch," a term I'd never heard of before reading this book. It seems to be a screened-in porch on the side of the house. The roof gets repaired, the family uses the sleeping porch for lots of other things throughout the year. The end. :)

It's very sweet, and the pictures (I think they were done in pastels) give the book a calm, cozy atmosphere.

Recommended for slightly older readers, because of the large paragraphs on every page.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A large family moves from their small apartment to a new house. The roof is leaky, and they end up having to spend the night on the Sleeping Porch. The porch becomes the foundation for almost every family tradition. I DO like this book, and it makes me want a sleeping porch of my own!

Morrow Junior Books/New York

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family of 7 moves from an apartment and purchases their first house. Now they have lots of space. However, a leaky roof sends them all to the sleeping porch for refuge. After that, they use the sleeping porch for a variety of seasonal activities. Soft, gentle drawings.