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

by Satoshi Kitamura (Illustrator) "One night a sheep called Woolly could not sleep..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In one of the more subtle counting books around, Woolly, a sheep, can't sleep and so he goes for a walk. He chases a butterfly, sees two ladybugs, and "some owls" (three in the picture) call to him. Readers have to count the four bats, five apples, six squirrels and seven ladder rungs. Woolly finds a house where he starts drawing pictures, which he hangs on walls, has a dinner of peas, looks at the (20) stars, and goes to bed in striped pajamas. He starts thinking about his (21) relatives (all sheep, of course) and drifts off to sleep. An index at the back provides a complete list of the items to be counted. Kitamura takes full artistic license with the logistics of the plotWoolly beds down for the night in a conveniently empty mansionbut his counting is impeccable. An off-white sheep set against deep-toned watercolors, Woolly is an truly endearing insomniac.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2 Woolly, 1 sheep, has insomnia, and so he goes to the meadow where he finds 2 ladybugs, 3 owls, 4 bats, etc.all the way up to 22 "z's" when he finally nods off in an unoccupied house that he has discovered. The droll watercolor illustrations contain the items to be counted, but they are not enumerated in the text, and so it is a game to find and count them. An index at the end of the book lists the numbers and the items. This playful work is simpler than Anno's Counting Book (Crowell, 1977), which is more visually sophisticated and it is as irresistible as Lisa Campbell Ernst's Up to Ten and Down Again (Lothrop, 1986). Like Kitamura's What's Inside: the Alphabet Book (Farrar, 1985), this presents an engaging and fresh approach that young readers will enjoy on their own. Lorraine Douglas, Winnipeg Public Library, Manitoba, Canada
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374483590
• ISBN-13: 978-0374483593
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,655 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Memento: the Sheep Edition, February 24, 2003

By	"wayn3" (Warsaw, NY USA) - See all my reviews

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite children's picture book, March 2, 2002

By	Pamela J. Cope "I Love Olive" (Lake Forest Park, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book (Hardcover)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable!!, May 20, 2009

By	J. Smith - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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