When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book

by Satoshi Kitamura

When Wooly the sheep suffers from insomnia, he goes for a walk and gets into just about everything. Each illustration features objects for children to count. Reading Level: Age 4 and Up

Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Mathematics, Number

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Satoshi Kitamura was born in 1956. After dropping out of school to pursue art, Kitamura decided not to attempt a 10-year apprenticeship as a potter and instead worked as a graphic artist. He was not trained as an artist, but at the age of 19 began to do commercial work as an illustrator for adverts and magazines. He moved from Tokyo to London in 1979 where he worked mainly at designing greeting cards.
Satoshi Kitamura has won several awards, including the Mother Goose Award, the National Art Library Award from the Victoria and Albert Museum, and a Nestle Children’s Book Prize Silver Medal. He lives in Japan.

Reviews

[Luke Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend Cindy recently asked me, what's the first book you fell in love with? I thought about it, and this was the one that floated to the surface of a dark pool filled with too many fearful fragments of memories to count.

You see, I was afraid of many things as a child, always having bad dreams, my young writer's imagination constantly overwhelmed by things I didn't understand, absorbed by a pair of eyes too big for my face, feeding pictures to the unending machine of my dreams, and for some reason, this book was one of the things that helped me rest a night through.

I loved it as a child, and I don't think I'll ever get over how much.

[Dominik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say a bad word about this book. I liked the illustrations, I liked the story. Even though it has some didactic character as it teaches how to count, I think that this aspect of the book is not overwhelming and a child should not feel discouraged or bored when reading. I particularly liked the fact that this book can be read many times, mainly because of the simplicity and universality of the story. What is more, for me Wolly is a very amiable and charming sheep. And he suffers from insomnia - is there anyone who hasn't had such a problem at least once in childhood?

[Claudia G-D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for encouraging counting. Children can also start to predict what number of things will come next.

[Jinan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most of Satoshi Kitamura's books 'When Sheep Cannot Sleep' is beautifully illustrated and educational book that helps children learn to count through Wooly. Wooly is a sheep struggling with insomnia so walks around and discovers objects such as apples, saucers and bubbles. While counting is not explicitly directed the illustrations are so vibrant that children are innately drawn to them. There's not a lot to the text but the combination of the words and imagery makes it a very enjoyable picture book.

[Klaudia Maniakowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it may seem that the book is a bed-time story, it aims at teaching how to count from 1 to 22. The counting process serves as a device to tell the story of a sleepless sheep in a clever way. Since the pattern of counting has been established, after the fourth page it is embedded as a part of the story. The sheep is about to fall asleep along with the increasing amount of objects that the readers are supposed to count. I enjoyed the subverted version of one of the most common exercises used as a means of falling asleep.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am decidedly lukewarm on Satoshi Kitamura. Some friends whose opinions I totally respect think this author is just about all that and the proverbial bag of chips. I don't altogether get it. And my kids - they have never asked for a repeat read.

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satoshi Kitamura's illustrations are like nobody else's. His animal characters have such personality that reading the book allowed is a joy, you know just what 'voice' to use. Highly recommended to all adults who enjoy children's picture books and have the excuse of a kid to buy one for.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are a beautiful mix of watercolor and drawing. Though this is titled as a counting book (and in fact is), I liked that it leaves the reader to count or not as they wish. There's nothing in the text that says "count the apples, now count the squirrels".

There's also some nice self-referential art; at one point, Woolly draws pictures of what has happened to him so far that match the illustrations on the preceding pages.

[Hayley Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story about a sheep who goes on an adventure because he can't sleep. He meets lots of animals and then finds a house and goes in. Like goldilocks does. He draws, he eats, he has a bath and then sleeps in his bed. He wonders about his family before falling asleep.
Lots of questions raised, why not go back to his family if he is thinking about them, whose house is it and where are they.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant counting book about a sheep who can’t sleep. He wanders around and each page has a number of 1-10. I also liked it because it had a concept of time which I was teaching at the time. Really pleasant story.

[Daniella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about a sheep who cannot sleep and all the activities he gets up to in the evening. It is a quick read and has nice illustrations. It would be a bit tricky to find big themes from the book or deeper meaning. It'd be good for KS1.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd duck of a bedtime book, but I liked the almost surreal, dreamlike sense I got from reading it. I think it would be a wonderful book to share on a lap as part of winding down for bedtime with just one or two kids.

[Elisha Cocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of references to nature and wildlife, opportunities to count groups of animals and objects which get larger as the book progresses, possible use of many different voices, touches on the concept of what to do when you can't sleep, changes that occur between day and night

[J.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very clever counting book, and the images are beautiful and calming!

[Mercy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is presented such that the pictures can be interpreted quite differently from the words on the page.

[Cleo Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book helping children count from 1 to 22. Lots of quirky illustrations each featuring objects for children to count. I found it very calming.

[Clemmie Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story of a sheep named Wooly who cannot sleep. He goes for a walk & finds many different things to do! The illustrations cleverly allow space for children to count up to 20. Loved it!

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different kind of counting book! With a brilliant final flourish. And it's fun to look at and read, toom

[Macy Davis]

Read for CHL 403 - Fall 2020

[Luke Coles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average book about a sheep that does lots of things

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever counting book. I love that numbers are never overt.

[Garrett Harner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: When Sheep Cannot Sleep is a story of a sheep named Wooly, who finds himself unable to get some shut eye. Wooly decides to go on a little adventure to pass the time. As Wooly explores his surroundings, he encounters many interesting sights. Little does Wooly know, these sights will eventually guide him to a comfortable resting place in which he can relax and kick up his hooves in a restful nights sleep.

Literary Merit: This book makes great use of illustrations and adventure to excite the reader into taking a closer look. As the reader flips the pages, it becomes apparent that Wooly is growing sleepy through his expressions. The vivid use of illustrations focuses the readers attention to examine each page closely, before jumping to the next page.

Genre Considerations: This concept book is wonderful in teaching early readers counting skills. If one were to not at first know this is a counting book, it may take a few pages to figure it out. There are no actual numbers on any of the pages, but instead the illustrator uses pictures to demonstrate one to one correspondence. As wooly encounters a butterfly on the first page, the second page deals with "two ladybirds". This order continues, and as each page is examined, there is clearly counting happening, even if it is slightly under the radar. This gives the adult the opportunity to set up counting exercises with the children, without actually having to point out numbers. This may be good for younger children who do not yet have the symbolic representation of numbers, or children who may not like math concepts and would otherwise shy away from a counting book.

Reader Response/Classroom Connections: I really enjoyed how this book doesn't outright address numbers and counting, but does so in a round about way. This is a way that children can find enjoyment in early math without even realizing it. In the classroom, the teacher could simply make use of counting the items being represented on each page. With older learners, the teacher could take this idea a step further by having them make their own counting book that embraces the same idea of objects having a one to one correspondence, without actually writing out numbers. The teacher could also use the book to make a visual number line for the children to count, in which the pictures in the book are also represented by the numeral being shown.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot summary and personal response:
This Mockingbird Award nominee (1989-1990) story is about a sheep who can't sleep. As he wanders throughout the night he comes across one butterfly, two ladybirds (ladybugs), three owls, and so on.
I like the combination of bedtime story and counting book. The text was written in such a way that it is actually a story with the counting aspect being more subtle.

Literary Merit:
Character: Woolly the sheep is just like most kids (and many adults) when it comes to bedtime - not tired! He wanders around, gets hungry, overcomes obstacles, is curious, gets scared, explores, likes to draw, feels pride, takes a bath, wears pajamas, and eventually gets tired. This makes for a well-rounded, well-developed, relatable character.
Setting:
Almost every page in the book is a new scene, traversing from outdoors to indoors, "The front door was open, so he went in."

Genre Considerations:
This book is not a typical counting book. It tells a bedtime story that happens to provide a chance to use the illustrations to count. The illustration on each page fully depicts a scene rather than just consisting of the objects to count. However, the text gives clues for what should be counted, for example, "'Hoo, hoo, hoo,' called the owls." The objects to be counted are both easily identifiable in the illustration and very authentic within the scene - apples are in the tree branches, grasshoppers blend into the grass, plates are set out on the table, etc.

Reader Response / Classroom Connections:
1. Hand each student a paper with an outline of a sheep on it and assign them a number. Have them draw that many objects on or around the sheep.
2. Have a worksheet with groups of sheep or objects from the book and have the students count the objects in each group. For added difficulty, use the objects from the book, but change how many of each object there are (ex. 3 stars rather than twenty).

[Brooke Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Wooly the sheep “cannot sleep,” so he goes for a walk in the field to help him become tired and go to sleep. Wooly gets into just about everything on his adventure. He comes across animals, apples, has a feast, takes a bath, and other fascinating things. During all his different encounters, Wooly “counted” the things he saw. Each illustration features objects for children to count. This counting book relates to children because they like animals, apples, eat dinner, take baths, etc.

Personal Response/Critical Response: This is a great counting book. It models writing and counting for children. Children can relate to this book in many ways and it will draw their interest automatically. Although it’s a great read; children may take this book literally. Children need to know they cannot just wonder outside alone (day or night) without an adult.

Description of Illustrations: The illustrations in this book are done in an elegant way. The artist used pencil to draw the pictures and used water color to paint the pictures and bring them to life. The pictures do not fill the pages. They are in boxes with a bored around them—interesting. I like this because it keeps the pictures simple. Also, it keeps children’s eye wondering to a minimum because the pictures don’t fill a whole page or two pages completely.

Classroom Connections: This is a great book to read aloud to your class and stimulate their minds with counting! While reading this book to your class, you can practice counting with your students. You can accomplish this by point to the objects and counting together as a class. After reading this book as a read aloud, students will each be assigned to bring in objects in a bag the next day and count them out to the class. There will be a limit to 20 objects per bag, no more but can be less—just to practice counting! :-)

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice twist on a counting book, When Sheep Cannot Sleep is about a sheep named Wooly who is having trouble going to sleep. He decides to go for walk to see what he could see and hopefully make him tired enough to go to sleep. Wooly finds butterflies, lady bugs, bats, flying saucers, and many other things while exploring the meadow. Each page has hints in the words to help the reader figure out what should be counted. The numbers used in this book are one through twenty, but are not shown on the pages throughout the book. The last page has the number and a picture of the item to be counted beside it.

Not your typical counting book, but a delightful book that will engage the children in critical thinking. The children need to figure out what to count and then count the pictures. Each page flows to the next in a very smooth fashion. This would be a wonderful book to read to a child at bedtime or for a teacher to read for the younger children in school. I would like to see the number printed on each page rather than a list at the end of the book. This would help the children make a connection between the pictures and numbers.

This book is appropriate for pre-k through first grade. A teacher could use this book in their classroom during a counting unit. While reading, the teacher could have the children count with her and then have a large paper with the number on it to show how the number coincides with the amount of each item. A teacher could provide a worksheet with the same number of items, such as apples to color. To go a bit higher in thinking, a teacher could ask the children how many things Wooly counted were alive and then have them draw and color a picture of something in the book that was living.

[Emily Benner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great book for children to practice their counting skills. One night, Woolly the sheep could not sleep, so he decided to go for a walk. It starts counting by the one butterfly that Woolly starts casing out of the pasture. On each page, Woolly comes across different objects that increase in amounts throughout the book and the story. At the end Woolly finds a house and a vacant bed to finally got to sleep. After he falls asleep the reader/audience can count the 22 "zzz" that Woolly makes when sleeping. The book counts from 1-22 and is a fun and attention grabbing way to count for children. Two literary elements that I think are noteworthy for this book are the presentation and the setting. The presentation is noteworthy because the words on the page are clear and not cluttered, as well as, the illustrations on the pages are also not cluttered and easy for the reader to identify the object that is to be counted. The setting is noteworthy because it deals with animals, which children love, and it is fun and interesting to follow where Woolly goes and the things he comes across. This books is considered a fictional book because it is a made up story and fantasy characters. It is also considered a concept, counting book because it has different objects throughout the story that children can count. Two ways that you could use this book with children are through math and literacy skills. With math you could have them find other objects to count that correspond with the object amounts in the book. For literacy skills you can have the children write out and make a list of the different objects counted in the book.

[Harley Stine · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book is about a young sheep named Wooly who, obviously, is having trouble sleeping at night. He goes for a walk to try and induce sleep and plays with the critters he meets along the way. He then comes across a house where he starts drawing pictures. Wooly finally lies down it this house and starts counting other objects like relatives and finally drifts off to sleep. He counts all the way to 22. There was a list in the back of the book that told you what and how much of each object that Wooly counted. I found this list very convenient and think the children would appreciate it too so that way they could go back to their favorite page.

While I was not a fan of this book, it really was great for learning numbers and counting. The targeted audience would probably be children in preschool through grade two. I could use this in the classroom in so many ways. We could cut out or draw our own critters and count them while we glue them to construction paper. My class could start to learn about sheep, or go on a nature walk and see how many things we can find like Wooly did. Since Wooly counted bubbles, my class could count bubbles with me. This book is really great to incorporate in any math lesson and it can easily be made in to a interdisciplinary lesson to include science, health, etc.

[Samantha Powley · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Sheep Cannot Sleep by Satoshi Kitamura is a great book to introduce young children how to count. It’s a spin-off of how people count sheep to help them sleep. The main character in this story is named Wooly and he is having trouble going to sleep. So he decides to go for a walk in hopes that he will become tired so he can sleep. He starts by walking through a meadow where he comes across different animals like butterflies, bats, and squirrels. Then he comes upon an apple tree and ladders. Wooly then comes across a house where he finds other objects. At the end, after he draws a picture in the house, he lies down and starts counting other objects like his relatives and falls sound asleep. Throughout the book, Wooly counts up to 22, the different animals or objects he comes across.
This book is not like many counting books but it can help students to become engaged with it and will help them with their counting skills. The illustrations are quite uniquely done but it has a nice flow with the story line. I would use this book in a Pre-k to 1st grade classroom to help them with learning to count. I think you could also make the book interdisciplinary by incorporating a writing activity to go along with it after reading. They could also use this before teaching a math lesson which would also make it interdisciplinary.

[Kathryn Dykes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitamura, Satoshi. When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book. Square Fish, 1986. 32 pg. Gr. Pre-K- 1.

Plot Summary: Woolly the sheep can’t fall asleep, so he wonders down the meadow in hopes of tiring his active mind. On his adventure, Woolly comes across spaceships that scare him and send him running towards a house with many windows and doors. There Woolly finds himself occupying the time with coloring, cooking, and a hot bubble bath. Finally, as luck would have it Woolly falls fast asleep counting sheep. Each page of Woolly’s escapade provides colorful illustrations of objects for children to count along with this untiring sheep.

Classroom Connections: Teachers can pair this quirky book with a counting activity, counting items within their classroom. The teacher can pick out objects ahead of time and direct students to take their own journey around the classroom, naming and counting each of the items set out by the teacher. Another activity that can be paired during the reading of this book is to have felt pieces of each object Woolly comes across. The children can come up to the front of the room and stick their felt piece on top of the green pasture of felt as the teacher reads through the story. This allows children to participate with the story and keeps them engaged.

[Agapuci · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me the book is a metaphor of human life. The little sheep cannot fall asleep, which means that it is not time for her to die yet,because she is young. She sets off for a trip where she has adventures (she gains life experience meeting various animals). She faces some difficulties when she wants to pick an apple but it's too high, which is a metaphor of people having problems and various challenges to take up in life. Finally people can take the ladder, which shows that there is always a solution to problems. Later on, flashing lights symbolize hard moments in life when people suffer and they don't know what to do. But there is always some shelter to hide in, so the sheep finds a house with many doors, which symbolize many opportunities and possibilities to choose from in human life. Finally, the sheep finds peace, safety and stability, eating supper and having a bath, which symbolizes the very mature period of human life when stability is achieved. Later on the sheep falls asleep, and humans die, because they are old and their time has come.