The Perfect Siesta

PreS-Gr 1—A cool breeze blows through the rain forest, and it's all the animals can do to keep their eyes open. A drowsy jaguar enlists the help of a ring-tailed coati to wake him from a catnap. The coati, who looks like a hybrid of a squirrel and Sid from Ice Age, feels a nap coming on as well and asks a cockatiel for a wake-up call. The cockatiel can't resist the breeze, either. With his eyes starting to roll back in his head, he gets the attention of an already sleepy sloth and desperately begs her, "Wake me up! In exactly 10 minutes. It's very important. You have to stay awake!" When the sloth lets out a deafening, terrifying snore, the other animals wake from their slumber and scamper off. The South American characters lend a fresh feel to the familiar cumulative pattern. Mena's swooping and sharply geometric illustrations are perfectly suited to the text. The sloth, who steals the show, is given a close-up spread that includes an endearing stream of drool.