a little book of sloth

Author: Lucy Cooke
Photographer: Lucy Cooke, Jenny Jozwiak, Frank Lang, Rebecca Mills, Philip Stebbing

© Date: 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster
Pages: 64
Chapters: No
Photographs: Yes, lots of adorable sloths everywhere
Publisher Recommended Age: 5-99
Bonus Activities at End of Book: No, but lists a website for visiting the Aviarios del Caribe sloth sanctuary and a website for the Sloth Appreciation Society

Summary from Book: 

  • From the back of the book: Warning: Baby sloths can be highly addictive. Prepare yourself for cute overload!
  • From inside the book jacket: Baby sloths. Lazy. Sleepy. Irresistible. Adorable! Cuddle up with your favorite friend and get to know these funny little creatures who love to hug!
  • From the publisher website: Hang around just like a sloth and get to know the delightful residents of the Avarios Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, the world’s largest sloth orphanage. You’ll fall in love with bad-boy Mateo, ooh and ahh over baby Biscuit, and want to wrap your arms around champion cuddle buddy Ubu!     From British filmmaker and sloth expert Lucy Cooke comes a hilarious, heart-melting photographic picture book starring the laziest—and one of the cutest—animals on the planet.

Note: This review is done from memory. I originally read this awhile ago.

Page Pig Thoughts: We could look through the incredibly cute sloth pictures in this book for a super long time. Seriously, baby sloths hugging stuffed animals? Doesn’t get much cuter than that.

We also appreciated learning about a sloth sanctuary that takes such tender care of animals in need of assistance. Something tells me that the Aviarios del Caribe sloth sanctuary made it onto Page Pup’s travel destination wish list.

If you like sloths or just need to cheer up on a rough day, don’t miss out on this adorable book.

Family Unit: Mentions orphaned sloths in need of a mother, but does talk about the friendships and bonds that the sloths make at the sanctuary.

Conflict/Social Issues:

  1. Nothing really mentioned, focuses on how happy the sloths are at the sanctuary.
  2. Brief blip at the end that sloths should not be kept as pets.

Positive Items:

  1. Basking in the glory or adorable sloths leaves you in a good mood.
  2. Amidst the cute pictures, gives plenty of facts about sloths.
  3. Helps appreciate the level of care that orphaned and injured sloths are receiving at the sanctuary.

Items of Interest:

  1. By reading this book, you can join the Sloth Appreciation Society.
  2. Shares the story of the sloths at a sanctuary in Costa Rica. Mentions that some of the sloths are orphaned and injured. Not many details are given.
  3. Mentions that the sanctuary started with Buttercup, who arrived on a doorstep a few weeks old and needing a new mom.
  4. Mentions Ubu, who lost his grip on his mother as a baby and fell, so his back legs don’t work. Ubu is happy now, and physical therapy gave the paraplegic baby sloth a strong upper body.
  5. Mentions “orphan babies often arrive with broken bones and other mysterious problems.”
  6. Mentions bathroom habits of sloths. Just an overview to understand the uniqueness of sloth bathroom habits.
  7. Mentions that sloths are cute, but should not be kept as pets.
  8. Gives the sloth sanctuary website, and says that you can make a donation to help care for an orphaned sloth.
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