One of the Adelphi Street mural artists has turned his creative hand to children’s books.

Prestonian Chris Dorning has written and illustrated Sleep Bear, a short story aimed at children aged three to seven years old.

Chris said: “The narrative of Sleep Bear is short and basic, but the traditional illustration should appeal to all ages.

“It tells the story of a father taking his son to bed. In this case, the dad is a bear – Sleep Bear.

“The journey through the house turns into a long adventure through caves, past volcanoes, dodging beasts and finally getting to sleep… On the moon of course.”

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Chris’ story originated from his own real life experience as a dad.

He explained: “When my son was four, I would take him up to bed on my back and pretend to be a bear. It made him laugh and smile, even when he was reluctant to go to bed. He called me Sleep Bear and it stuck.

“I thought it would be a great short movie or book, so finally in 2018 I made Sleep Bear, and self-published it in October.”

Chris is now looking to make the story into a short stop-motion animation. He’s planning to raise funds by launching a crowdfunder later this year.

To see more of the book follow Sleep Bear on Instagram. Sleep Bear is available to buy via The Cunning Craftsman.

What do you think of the book? Will you be buying a copy? Let us know in the comments below.