Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

This ode to diversity consists of simple observations about families, be they human, animal, or extraterrestrial. As in Parr's other books, the banality of his sentences is often subverted by the jokes imbedded in his flat, black-outlined, brightly colored illustrations: "Some families adopt children" introduces an image of three ducks out walking, one with a smiling penguin on its back.

Kirkus Reviews

The woolly with the big personality and the extremely long nightcap ( Russell the Sheep , 2005) finds a buried chest filled with—well, not the "treasure" he's expecting. Inspired by a glimpse of the tattered map in a passing crow's mouth, Russell sets to in his lab (doesn't every sheep have one?), constructs a treasure detector that resembles a robotic hockey stick and unearths a trunk. Though all he finds inside is miscellaneous junk, his disappointment doesn't last long; picking up a ratty old flash camera, he's soon happily taking snaps of his flock, friends and everything else. Scotton's scenes of popeyed livestock mugging for the camera capture the profound flakiness of the entire episode, and the final view of an ovine audience poring over the resulting photo album will have young viewers agreeing with Russell that he has found "The best treasure ever." Place this take on the value of family pictures alongside the similarly themed likes of Amy Hest's Guess Who, Baby Duck (2004) and Deborah Blumenthal's Aunt Claire's Yellow Beehive Hair , illus by Mary GrandPre (2001). (Picture book. 6-8)

ALA Booklist (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

In this sequel to Russell the Sheep (2005), the sheep in the long, knitted nightcap happens upon a treasure map. After inventing an odd, mechanical treasure-seeking device, he searches high, low, in, out, over, under, left, and right before discovering a treasure chest filled with a disappointing lode of apparent junk. But the old camera he finds inspires him to snap pictures of his relatives and friends, and the photo album he creates becomes his unexpected fortune. The artwork features dynamic paintings of Russell and the other denizens of Frogsbottom engaged in bits of comic byplay, and the muted colors darken as night falls, adding a classic bedtime-book look. Instantly recognizable, and lovable in his wholehearted approach to whatever he undertakes, Russell is childlike in the best sense. Children will enjoy his exaggerated antics and expressions, as well as the final affirmation that his album of family and friends is the best treasure ever.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The fleecy, fleet-footed insomniac introduced in <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Russell the Sheep returns in all his striped stocking-capped glory for another picture-book romp, this time on the trail of treasure. When Russell spies a tattered map that hints at treasure buried in his own Frogsbottom backyard, he springs into action. With his new invention, the Super-Duper Treasure Seeker, in hand, the hunt is on. Scotton's smattering of spot illustrations charts the initially exasperating results. "What's a sheep to do?" Russell cries in frustration. But the gadget doesn't let him down and the woolly hero recovers a locked treasure chest from deep underground. Now he wonders how to make the most of the only real bit of "treasure" in the trunk—a flash camera he deems "older than my dad!" Readers will likely delight in the funny results as much as Russell does. Scotton's sweetly comic cast of ping-pong ball–eyed sheep is still a gas to behold in these boisterous watercolors. Ever-changing perspectives make readers feel a part of the activity, and the visual antics of Russell's frog sidekick, Frankie, make for an additional source of silly amusement. The ample borders around many of the full-page illustrations make a smooth transition to photo frames, as Russell makes humorous use of his buried bounty. Ages 3-7. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

School Library Journal (Mon May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

PreS-Gr 1 Russell, the fluffed-out sheep with the impossibly long, striped wool hat attempts to discover the Lost Treasure of Frogsbottom. After inventing a Super-Duper Treasure Seeker, he searches high and low until he stumbles upon the buried chest down a long and winding hole. Once the box is opened, Russell is dismayed to find that it contains only old and useless stuff, including a camera thats older than my dad! But the camera works, and soon Russell is taking joyous snapshots of his extended family. In the conclusion, which might make more sense to adults than kids, Russell peruses these photos in an album and he decides that they are the real treasure. As in Russell the Sheep (HarperCollins, 2005), the art is done in muted blues, grays, and greens that contain small touches of humor for discerning readers. While not as strong a premise as in the original book, fans of Russell will welcome his return. Marge Loch-Wouters, Menashas Public Library, WI