The Dreams strips are not generally meant for children. Rather, they often are surrealistic looks at what could happen if a person gets caught up in a bizarre situation--only to awaken from a nightmare brought on by overindulgence. (Similarly, the Little Nemo comics--which were written for children--have the hero awaken at the end of each strip.) Below are a couple of examples of what fantastic occurrences take place in these "dreams".
Here is what Mr. McCay said in 1907 about the origin of the Rarebit comic strips:
"The Dream of the Rarebit Fiend is an evolution of a drawing I made for the New York Telegram two years ago....You know how a cigarette fiend is when he gets up in the morning and can't find a dope stick? Well, I drew a picture once showing a fiend at the north pole without a cigarette and about ready to die. I introduced some other characters who happened to have paper and tobacco and a match, but the only match went out before they got a light. Then I had to frame up a finish and I made it a dream. My employer suggested that I make him a series of pictures and make them as rarebit dreams and you know the result....You will notice that I sign my rarebit pictures "Silas." Well, my contract would not allow me to sign my real name when I started to draw those pictures for the New York papers and I had to make a name. An old fellow who drives a garbage cart by the New York Herald office very day is my namesake. He is a quaint character and known as Silas. I just borrowed his name....As for "Little Nemo," that is an idea I got from the "Rarebit Fiend" to please the little folk."