Customer Reviews

When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book (Sunburst Book)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a book about a sheep named Wooly who can't get to sleep one night, so he goes for a walk. As he walks he counts the different things he sees, so besides a great story it is a counting book. In the end, he falls asleep while thinking about his family... counting sheep. The story is sweet, and the watercolor pictures are full of lovely details. This is the gift I buy for every baby shower that I go to.

This beautiful book would be great for any child learning to count. An insomniac sheep wanders about looking at grasshoppers, butterflies, windows, etc., which gradually increase in number (1 grasshopper, 2 butterflies, 3 windows). For some delightfully quirky reason, the book goes to twenty-two! Children will enjoy counting each item -- the illustrations don't quite hide them, but sometimes a little attention is required. Parents will be happy to know that the story ends with tooth-brushing, pajama-donning, and sleep at last

Woolly the sheep cannot sleep and wanders out of doors. He forgets what his house looks like, where he lives, and what's inside. He is accidentally scared into his house (and I'm not making this up) by UFOs; sleeps in a random bed (his own); and manages to lull himself to sleep, which is what he wanted to do all along.

An inability to create long-term memories? Or the affairs of a not-too-bright sheep?

I actually like this book (honestly) for three reasons -- the somewhat bizarre storyline, which manages to keep my attention; the great watercolors, which keeps my daughter engaged, and the fact that it's a counting book but not obviously so. Counting is not part of the storyline, but incidental.

As others have said, this book IS a bit off the wall, but it is also clever. My kids (4 and 6) enjoyed looking for what was coming up next in the illustrations. Not your typical bedtime book, but not scary or disturbing for my kids by any means. In fact, they caught on to the irony that Wooly ends up thinking about his family members...which, of course, happen to be sheep ;-)

If you like this book, check out Kitamura's "In the Attic" for another clever/odd book that my kids found to be a bit silly, too.

This book was recommended by Parents.com, and it does not dissapoint. This is a wonderful artistic counting book. The story is simple and sweet- Woolly (a sheep) cannot sleep so he decides to go for a walk and the adventure ensues. He discovers many different things; twenty-two to be exact. The language is effortless and to-the-point. There aren't actual numbers on each page however the author cleaverly guides you towards what to count. The illustrations have an innocence to them and are serene. This book has become a staple in our library!

Finally, a counting book that is 1) not inane (it has an actual story - a cute one, too!) and 2) goes beyond #10.

This book was a bit out of the ordinary but well worth it. My daughter is 2 now and we have had this book since she was 16 mon. She loves the pictures and trying to count and find all of the items. I just wish it would put her to sleep. ; )

Wolly is a most engaging insomniac! An evening stroll across a starlit meadow takes Wolly to a big house where he enjoys a bubble bath before drifting off to sleep. There are grasshoppers, stars and of course, bubbles to find and count. The artwork is lively and perceptive.

I read this book to my son over and over and neither of us tired of it - which may be the highest accolade a parent can give. Both a great counting book and a fine "winding down" bedtime story!

I miss this book!

This is a beautiful but creepy book: a lost sheep all alone, terrified by UFOs no less into fleeing into a strange, deserted home, is not my ideal bedtime reading for a sensitive child. The strong colors are beautiful and a nice change from baby-pastel, but they are also ominous and deterring. His utter solitude, in exploring the house (creepy corridor with blood-colored doors), eating, and finally sleeping, is horrifying to a child with imagination, whose most overriding terror is abandonment. I give it points for beauty and originality, none for sensitivity to the needs of its target audience, and cannot recommend it.