Russell's Christmas Magic (Russell the Sheep)

In the third story in a series about Russell the sheep, he comes to Santa's aid and saves Christmas through his inventiveness and hard work. Russell, still wearing his impossibly long, blue-and-white-striped stocking cap, is lighting the lanterns hanging on a forest tree on Christmas Eve with his faithful frog sidekick while the other sheep sleep. When Santa and the reindeer have an unfortunate crash in the nearby woods, their sleigh is broken beyond repair, and Santa thinks he must cancel Christmas. Russell springs into action, locating, renovating and painting an old wrecked car to create a new sleigh in time to join Santa for the rest of his Christmas Eve flight. (How the helpful sheep completed this project in such a short time must have been some sort of holiday magic.) Russell is a comical character with bulgy, expressive eyes and a winning, can-do attitude, and his unusual hat defies all the laws of physics. Scotton's whimsical illustrations, lit with a misty, blue-gray light, have an edgy charm unusual in Christmas stories. Kids will like the shiny, red roadster-sleigh, which has much more style than the standard model. (Picture book. 3-7)

Copyright 2007 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

PreS-Gr 2. Russell the Sheep is busy decorating for Christmas when Santa crashes his sleigh and breaks the Christmas Spell that makes him invisible. The not-so-jolly old man declares that Christmas must be canceled, but Russell, as goggle-eyed and inventive as ever, is ready and eager to help. A grateful Santa gives him a little bit of the spell so that he can go along and together they take off on their appointed rounds. In the blink of an eye, they are back in Frogbottom Field, and Santa gives Russell one last present. The artwork is familiar and fun, with characters leaping and flying into the white space. However, the plot breaks no new ground, making this a rather pedestrian addition to the holiday canon. - Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Would that all sheep were as cute as Russell, the stocking-capped insomniac of Frogsbottom Field. After witnessing Santa's spectacular Christmas Eve sleigh crash, the woolly wonder snaps into action to save the holiday and get the man of the hourand a clever new mode of toy transportback in flight. Scotton ("Russell the Sheep") knits together a pleasant tale with some silly, snowy scenes featuring a frog friend and a truly excitable Santa. Yet Russell's latest lacks the spark of droll humor that fueled its predecessors; the quirkily introspective sheep's exploits lose something when Santa shares the spotlight. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)

Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.