Russell the Sheep

I have had mixed feelings about Rob Scotton's Splat the Cat books - sometimes I enjoy them, and sometimes I am indifferent - so I was curious to see what I would make of his other picture-book hero, the ovine Russell. I'm glad to say that I found him to be an appealing character, and that I enjoyed this initial story, in which Russel struggles to get to sleep, quite a bit!

Russell tries everything, from changing his apparel to using his frog companion as a pillow, to get to sleep, but in the end the solution to his insomnia is the traditional one: counting sheep! Young readers who have trouble falling asleep themselves will identify with Russell's story, while also appreciating Scotton's appealing illustrations, with their soothing blue show more backgrounds and expressive faces (Russell looks so tired, by the end!). Russell's zany bed-cap, with its happily adaptable curves, was a particularly fun touch! I found myself wondering: did Scotton choose the title Russell the Sheep (like someone who "rustles" the sheep - get it?) deliberately, or was the name serendipitous? Whatever the case, I was amused... show less

I ADORE this book. I never realized how much fun an author/illustrator could have with rather ordinary text and illustrations that are all but ordinary. There's so much going on in the illustrations that you'll find some new thing to laugh at every time you read it. And if you're a parent, you'll probably be reading this one again . . . and again . . . and again. But this one is not painful at all as a read-again picture book because there's just enough adult humor in there to keep you entertained on the 734th reading.

Really, I love this book. If you can't tell.

In Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton, the continuous themes are insomnia and finding what routine works to fall asleep. Russell, the sheep in the story, finds it hard to fall asleep, however nothing works for him. For example, Russell tries to find a frog as a pillow, counts stars, tries to sleep in a rusty car, hollow tree, or on a branch. Also, he checks to see if he is hot or cold and if he needs to sleep more in the dark by covering his eyes with his hat. Eventually, he discovers counting sheep would send him to sleep. Once he counted himself, he was off to sleep when the other sheep were starting to wake up.
The illustrations in this book are very creative because Scotton uses Russell’s hat as an important object. The hat is show more drawn inside and outside of some of the pictures to emphasize the words of the story. For example, one of the pages indicates that Russell can’t find anything to make him fall asleep while Russell is laying down, so Scotton uses Russell’s hat in a 3D format by putting it in a circle and the words on the page within the circle. The other illustrations significantly help describe the storyline by Russell finding a routine to fall asleep by counting sheep and Scotton drawing each sheep. Also near the end of the story, when the rest of the sheep were getting up and ready for the day, Scotton shows them showering, eating breakfast, brushing their teeth, drinking coffee, and reading the newspaper.
I can personally relate to Russell’s insomnia because it takes me a long time to fall asleep at night. However, counting or distracting the mind to relaxing it, then it helps me fall asleep. I usually count in my head, relax my body, close my eyes, and fall asleep. show less

How did I manage to not read this book until now??? It's funny, it has SHEEP, it's a great bedtime book, and it's entertaining for adults and kids. Russell the Sheep is (almost) my new favorite sheep. (Shaun the Sheep will always win, though.)

How did I manage to not read this book until now??? It's funny, it has SHEEP, it's a great bedtime book, and it's entertaining for adults and kids. Russell the Sheep is (almost) my new favorite sheep. (Shaun the Sheep will always win, though.)

Mom's Review: The artwork is worth the price of the book alone, I dare you not to fall in love with his adorable face. The prose is simple, sweet and the storyline perfect for the young and old alike, as we have all suffered the difficulty of not being able to get to sleep. Russell has a charming personality and kids will enjoy his silly antics & maybe at the same time learn some ways of helping them get to sleep -- if they can stop giggling that is. This one is a must for all parents and absolutely perfect for story-time at school or the library. A classic I tell you.

Mom's Rating: 10/10

Jake's Review: Russell is hilarious and I understand what it feels like to not be able to get to sleep. The pictures are cute and it is a very easy show more read. I think Jesse would like the pictures, if he can sit still long enough to look at them - I think that midget has ants in his pants. Maybe I will get him some more Russell books, mom says there are a few others.

Jake's Rating: 9/10 show less

I dunno. I liked the other sheep with their denture cup, teddy bear, quilts.... The sidekick frog was cute. The story was illogical & implausible, even given a thorough suspension of disbelief. Maybe I'd like it more if I were a toddler or were sharing it with one, and since I believe this to be fairly likely I won't give it the two stars I'm tempted to that reflect just my own opinion.