SOLVED. Kids picture book (80s, 70s?): boy runs from home for a day and comes back w/baguette, grapes, etc. [s]

[M]

Been looking for a kids book from the 80s, (could have been published in the 70s). Had a title like "The day I ran away" or "The day I ran from home", maybe. I saw it in the late 80s.

A young boy runs from home and finds himself in the main street center of this (small?) town. As he walks along the sidewalk, he encounters a number of shopkeepers who are not the least bit concerned by this self-emancipated minor. He's hungry, so one shop-keep puts him to work for an hour at the grocery store and then gives him grapes (or something) as payment. The baker, same deal, puts him to work for an hour and then gives him a baguette.

There's a couple more encounters like that, and then by the end of the day he misses home and comes back with this bag of goodies (and a lesson?) And his family is happy.

I remember the book having a broad horizontal orientation and full color two-page spanning illustrations (at least that's how I remember it). I'm sure it's out of print, but I'd love to know what the title was to see if it's available to read again sometime.

I can't imagine it would get published today, haha :)

[Ayshe]

Today I Thought I'd Run Away - Jane Johnson fits as title, but probably not as story line.

[M]

Almost, that is a close one, and looks really interesting too! But that sounds more imagination/fantasy and the book I remember didn't include any of those elements, it was realistic (more or less).

The cover showed him with the paper bag of groceries, if I remember correctly. I distinctly remember the baguette :) hmm... I wonder now if it actually might have been a French kids book that was translated to English... (?)

[Adele]

I believe this is The Do-Something Day . . based on this description: http://rabbitroom.com/2016/04/the-do-...

[Rainbowheart]

Still looking, M?

[M]

No that was it! Sorry I didn’t post about the find, but yes Adele was correct, it’s The Do-Something Day by Joe Lasker, grabbed it used and so happy to have it :) Thanks so much!

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, glad this one is solved!

[Adele]

Happy to help!

[She]

I read and liked this book too! Reading the description sounded so familiar, I had forgotten it too! Thanks for sharing!