This was a favorite book of my children in the 70’s and 80’s and I made the motherly mistake of giving it away, so would dearly love to find a copy. I don’t think Russell’s name was in the title.
Russell Raccoon was not like the other raccoons. He couldn’t sleep in the daytime and fell asleep at night when his gang was out scavenging One day when he couldn’t sleep he wandered out of his home to discover a whole wonderful world of daylight. He met a little boy with whom he became friends. There was a delightful picture of Russell riding on the back of the boy’s tricycle. When the boss of his raccoon gang, Emma Jean Smudge, found out what he was doing she hit him on the head with her purse and told him to stay away from humans. Picture of that was very funny. One day when Russell went to visit his friend, the boy brought him inside his house and showed him the bedroom that had been made for Russell, complete with a little bed with his name on it. Russell decided to move in with the boy. The last page of the book shows all of Russell’s group including Emma Jean standing in line outside the house door at night as Russell hands out fig newtons.
It’s a spelling thing. Russle, by Missy Camp Dizick.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. In all of my tries to find the book I did not remember that the spelling of his name was also unique. I can’t wait until Christmas to put that book under the tree.
Great! Thanks for posting back.