Russell and the Lost Treasure [Hardcover]

Rob Scotton (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Russell the sheep is determined to find the Lost Treasure of Frogsbottom. Equipped with his Super-Duper Treasure Seeker, Russell searches high and low, up and down, and in and out.

Nothing!

Finally, Russell finds an old chest! Could it be?

Discover how Russell finds the most valuable treasure of all.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 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 that's 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, Menasha's Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. 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." Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060598514
• ISBN-13: 978-0060598518
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rob Scotton is the author and illustrator of the bestselling Russell the Sheep and Russell and the Lost Treasure. His work can also be found on greeting cards, ceramics, textiles, prints, stationery, and glassware. An honors graduate of Leicester Polytechnic, Rob now lives in Rutland, England, with his wife, Liz, who is also an artist.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sheep trick, April 27, 2006

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Russell and the Lost Treasure (Hardcover)

I wouldn't bring this up, but has it occurred to anyone else that the American picture book market is currently undergoing a virtual flood of high-quality British manuscripts? Consider the facts of the matter. Just last year we had Rob Scotton's nicely droll and shockingly well-publicized, "Russell the Sheep". This year there is yet another book (in addition to fellow British imports, "I'm Not Cute" by Jonathan Allen and "The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon" by Mini Grey) added to the Russell oevre: "Russell and the Lost Treasure". It's hard to resist. Kids like-a the treasure. I think that's where half of the fascination with pirates comes from. Plus you have an already established likable hero and a droll little story to boot. Like its predecessor, "Lost Treasure" isn't going to garner itself any hoity-toity awards this year, but that doesn't stop it from being a perfectly nice and perfectly readable little bundle of joy.

When we last left our hero... he was asleep. Now he is not. Russell is just casually perfecting a rather nice triple somersault when something catches his eye. A crow, clutching The Lost Treasure of Frogsbottom (torn virtually to shreds) passes by and gives Russell ideas. But rather than wrangle the map from the crow (who is never seen again) our sheepish hero and his frog partner Frankie are going to find the treasure themselves. Russell creates a high-tech well-detailed "Super-Duper Treasure Seeker" complete with all-terrain wheels, a flange, and even a well-positioned extending arm. At first it seems as if all is lost and the treasure will never be found, but at the foot of a giant tree the machine begins to beep. Lo and behold, far beneath the tree is a treasure chest of... a bunch of useless stuff. Old costumes, records, and (most importantly) an old camera are found. For fun, Russell and his family dress up in the old clothes and take lots and lots of pictures. In the end, Russell has collected all the photographs into album. And the title on the album cover? The True Frogsbottom Treasure.

Compared to its predecessor, "Russell and the Lost Treasure" has quite a bit of sophistication to it. I liked "Russell the Sheep" well enough, but Scotton has started doing things here that are particularly nice. The last image of the book, for example, takes place at night when everything is lit by candles and fireflies. This gives the sheep a round shiny quality and ends the book on a satisfying note. The pictures duplicate the kind of Wallace and Gromit feel of the first book, but they've a lot more going on.

I'm partly a sucker for any picture book that bothers to put clever little details into its pictures. If an illustrator cares enough about a book to sneak in humorous tidbits for probing eyes, that's enough to win my instant admiration. I'm easy that way. In this book, I was delighted by the schematics of Russell's treasure seeking machine. Behind the finished product is a large blueprint identifying all its different parts. A kid could stare at that picture for hours and probably miss some tiny factoid somewhere. Other details amused me as well. I don't remember if Russell's nightcap played a big part in his first adventure but in this book it sort of takes on a life of its own. No matter what our hero may be doing, his cap (which extends and contracts depending on the scene) is sure to be filling the page in a rather pleasing manner.

All in all, I found myself enjoying "Russell and the Lost Treasure" more than I did "Russell the Sheep". And I suspect that with its vaguely cartoonish illustrations, amusing plot, and likable characters it may certainly prove very popular with kids of every stripe. A keeper.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quickly became a favorite of my 2 1/2 year old, January 14, 2007

By 

Sprout (Davis, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Russell and the Lost Treasure (Hardcover)

Marvelous illustrations, heart-warming story. It quickly became a favorite of my young son, who is 2 1/2.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost Treasure, January 14, 2009

By 

Susan D. Hollandbeck "Susan" (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Russell and the Lost Treasure (Hardcover)

I adore Rob Scotton's works. His illustrations are charming. In this adventure Russell learns that his real treasure is his own family.