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A Little Book of Sloth | May 29, 2013

by Lucy Cooke (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon and Schuster Children’s Division, March 2013)

While not everyone agrees with The Washington Post that “sloths are the new kittens,” A Little Book of Sloth is definitely full of four-legged cuteness. This non-fiction book, written by National Geographic explorer, filmmaker, and writer Lucy Cooke, introduces readers to a handful of the sloth personalities at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica (aka, Slothville) and to other general facts about sloths in captivity and the wild. Cooke squeezes quite a bit of information into 64 pages; this book is for the slightly older picture book audience. Still, Cooke speaks about sloths with an endearing irreverence, and uses language that older elementary school children will find appealing. One species of sloth is described as “the Muppet with the medieval haircut and Mona Lisa smile,” while another is described as “a cross between a Wookie and a pig.” Readers will get a kick out of learning about the “poop pole”, sloth onesie fashion, and that a sloth’s favorite kind of party is—what else?—a slumber party.  While the text sometimes feels a bit weighed down by puns, every page includes multiple full-color photos of incredibly cuddly sloths; sloth enthusiasts of all ages will want nothing more than to hop a plane to Costa Rica so they can join a “cuddle puddle” with these “masters of mellow.” The final page includes information on how to “adopt” a sloth at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica.

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