Overview
This is Russell.Sometimes Russell is just a little bit out of step with the rest of the flock.
All the sheep are falling asleep -- except Russell.
What's a sheep to do?
Russell tries everything...until, at last, he falls asleep.
Russell the sheep tries all different ways to get to sleep.
Synopsis
This is Russell.
Sometimes Russell is just a little bit out of step with the rest of the flock.
All the sheep are falling asleep — except Russell.
What's a sheep to do?
Russell tries everything ... until, at last, he falls asleep.
Publishers Weekly
Humans who have trouble falling asleep have been known to count sheep. But what do insomniacs of the woolly-coated variety do? Russell, a sheep longing for shuteye, is on the case in this sweet-natured picture book. When all is quiet except for Russell, the playfully stocking-capped critter tries everything to lull himself into slumber. Making things darker doesn't help: "the really dark really scared him." And searching for a new place to get cozy is a bust, too. ("He tried the hollow of a tree./ That was too creepy!") At long last he gives counting a go: his feet, the stars in the sky-and ultimately, sheep-to fine effect. British native Scotton's children's book debut blends silly and warm into the kind of package that appeals to a broad age range. His stylized sheep-all fleecy white fluff atop matchstick-thin legs, with ping-pong-ball eyes-are simultaneously endearing and comic against a dark night-sky background. The compositions vary in perspective, and Scotton uses spot illustrations to pick up the pace, and framed full-spread paintings when Russell takes a pause. This fresh-feeling bedtime story about one animal's restless ramblings should prove an entertaining send-off-to-the-Sandman for young readers. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
What happens when a sheep can’t sleep? That’s the question in Rob Scotton’s adorably winsome first picture book about a woolly insomniac named Russell, who tries everything to fall asleep. Captured in Scotton’s humorous, playful illustrations, Russell finds that counting his feet and the stars doesn’t work...until he thinks of a plan that does the trick. If you’re looking for a bedtime book with sweet-natured laughs and a memorable character, this is a surefire treat.Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Visually humorous and texturally engaging, this sleepytime tale will win giggles and requests for rereadings at storytime.”Publishers Weekly
Humans who have trouble falling asleep have been known to count sheep. But what do insomniacs of the woolly-coated variety do? Russell, a sheep longing for shuteye, is on the case in this sweet-natured picture book. When all is quiet except for Russell, the playfully stocking-capped critter tries everything to lull himself into slumber. Making things darker doesn't help: "the really dark really scared him." And searching for a new place to get cozy is a bust, too. ("He tried the hollow of a tree./ That was too creepy!") At long last he gives counting a go: his feet, the stars in the sky-and ultimately, sheep-to fine effect. British native Scotton's children's book debut blends silly and warm into the kind of package that appeals to a broad age range. His stylized sheep-all fleecy white fluff atop matchstick-thin legs, with ping-pong-ball eyes-are simultaneously endearing and comic against a dark night-sky background. The compositions vary in perspective, and Scotton uses spot illustrations to pick up the pace, and framed full-spread paintings when Russell takes a pause. This fresh-feeling bedtime story about one animal's restless ramblings should prove an entertaining send-off-to-the-Sandman for young readers. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
This wound-up sheep can not find his way to sleep. The dark scares him in a quiet meadow, his wool overheats him. Neither exercise, a pillow, nor change of location helps. Only after counting "six hundred million billion and ten stars" does the weary lambkin decide to count sheep. That does the trick. When the others rise, Russell still sleeps soundly. Simple words, soft blue hues, and comical illustrations ease pre-sleep tension. 2005, HarperCollins, Ages 3 to 6.—Susie Wilde