Kindergarten Books > Russel The Sheep

Russel The Sheep

By: Rob Scotton/ Publisher: HarperCollins/ Hebrew version by Matar

Distribution: November, 2018

Russell the Sheep is having trouble getting to sleep one night: he’s too hot, or too cold or needs a pillow. He tries counting – first his toes and then the stars – to no avail. When he decides to count sheep he finally falls into a deep slumber. A nice bedtime story with detailed and funny illustrations.

Family Activities

Some young children find it difficult to sleep. This may be caused by many reasons, which could be physical, such as feeling hot, hungry, or sick. They could also be emotional, such as feeling anxious or afraid, especially since the wild imagination of children at this age may present ordinary ...

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Dear Parents,

There are children who find it difficult to disconnect from their fully active day, and to move directly from the state of play to the state of relaxation and sleep, as is the case with our friend Russel the Sheep. He tried to change his pajamas and to sleep in a different bed, but to no avail, until he was encouraged to count stars and sheep, then fell asleep. This is what young people - and adults too - need sometimes; sleeping rituals to help them relax.

The ritual of bathing and preparing for sleep enable the child to enter the world of dreams. It may also help to dim the light in the room and talk with them with a calming tone. Better yet, we can stay with them in their beds, and read them a story, perhaps this one!

Family Activities

  • We can look together at the drawings on page 5. How do Russel and his family get ready for bed? How do we, in our family, prepare for sleep? Together, we can look at the page before last in the story as the sheep wake up in the morning. How does each sheep start its day? How do we start the day at home?
  • We can chat with our child about the importance of sleep. What happens if our body does not get enough rest?
  • Sometimes our child, and even us adults, find it difficult to fall asleep. What can help us? (Maybe we can read a book, hear a story, or have a warm drink…)
  • Can we see the charming frog hiding in every drawing?
  • Russel has a special cute hat he wears to sleep. With our child, we may want to design a special hat for them to wear when getting ready for sleep. We can search our closets for an old hat and decorate it with our child in a creative workshop!
  • The sheep live in “Frogfield,” the home of frogs. Imagine what the name of the field would be if rabbits lived there, or maybe cats.
  • While trying to fall asleep, Russel “takes off” his wool, so he starts to feel cold. Which things in our house are made of wool? This is an occasion to talk with our child about the wool’s “journey” from the sheep to our homes.
  • Russel counts up to six million and ten! Let’s try to count together: one…two…three…
  • Enjoy your reading and have a good night’s sleep!

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