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Russell the Sheep has a problem. Long after the rest of the flock has fallen asleep at the end of another day, Russell is lying on his back in his long striped nightcap, wide-eyed and wide-awake.
He tries pulling his cap over his eyes to make it really
dark, taking off his wool in case he's too hot, and pulling up
an indignant frog for a pillow. He tries finding a better place to sleep, but the trunk of a rusty car is too cramped, a bat-filled
hollow tree too creepy, a branch too crowded with owls. Then he has a brilliant idea: he'll try counting things!
First he counts his feet, but after getting to four he's still not tired. He counts the stars, all six hundred million billion and ten - twice! But he is still wide awake. He thinks very hard, and finally it comes to him: he should be counting sheep.
One by one he counts the other sleeping sheep but comes to the last of them still awake, until he remembers himself. Just as the others are waking up to start a new day, Russell finally, deservedly, falls to sleep.
Taken alone, the illustrations are silly and fun as Russell contorts and tortures himself on his rocky road to sleep. But illustrations and text together blend a wry, quiet humor that children and parents will appreciate as they wind down together for a good night's sleep.
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Russell the Sheep