Super Sloth

PreS-Gr 2–Sloth is enjoying his regular repose in his ordinary tree. Each day is the same as the day before. The same, that is, until some errant hikers abandon a comic book on the forest floor. Sloth is enthralled. Already sporting his natural mask, Sloth finds a cape and commits to being a superhero. However, he soon finds that the costume may be the easy part. Hearing a cry for help, Sloth sees Anteater stealing all the mangoes. Sloth is just too slow (and his attempt at flying is not at all successful) to catch the thief. Only temporarily discouraged, Sloth and the other animals realize that his perfect camouflage, stealth, and very slow speed are the ideal combination to infiltrate Anteater’s bootleg mango-juice operation. Sloth saves the fruit and the day. Even though the animals say they may starve without their mangoes, the conflict is lighthearted and funny. With a happy outcome assured, the pleasure is in seeing just how the well-intentioned sloth will accomplish the mango recovery mission. The illustrations bring the animals and forest to life, with humorous facial expressions and lush greenery. The art also provides a wonderful primer on South American animals, as the supporting cast features a spectacled bear, capybaras, and tapirs. The endpapers include instructive sloth facts, such as the tidbit that sloths can turn their heads almost all the way around.