Karen Yother, INFO 683-900
Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton. HarperCollins Children’s Books, New York, 2005. Ages 4-7 years old.
Russell the sheep just cannot seem to fall asleep. While all his sheep friends have no trouble drifting off to sleep, Russell is wide awake. What can he do? Russell begins to think of all the reasons why he just can not seem to fall asleep. Is he too hot or too cold? Does he need a pillow? Maybe a different place to sleep will help poor Russell. From counting his feet to counting the stars Russell has no luck. He finally decides to count sheep; remembering in the end to count the most important sheep of all-himself. As dawn breaks and his sheep friends are waking up, Russell finally falls asleep.
The illustrations in shades of blue and green calm the reader, even as Russell tries desperately to fall asleep. Each beautiful and quirky picture includes his frog buddy, who also aids in Russell’s attempt to find rest. Readers will fall in love with the adorable and fluffy Russell and his little friend Froggy. Each of the sheep in the story is unique and full of character; from brushing their teeth before bed to their morning cup of coffee. The illustrations can stand alone and tell the story of what Russell-and children- try to do when they just cannot fall asleep.
The simple text is just enough to tell the story and even the youngest reader can predict how this delightful tale will end. The illustrations and text compliment each other well and it is hard to imagine one without the other. Children can relate to the words and pictures in this story-from being too hot to being a bit scared-which will make it an instant favorite!
Children will want to read this quaint bedtime story about Russell the sheep over and over and over again.