March 1, 2020
A young sloth successfully makes it. Young Sloth has a lot of potty-training anxiety. His mom reassures him; an enthusiastic frog tells him "Just listen to your body and it will all work out"; and a friendly butterfly reminds him that even if he doesn't succeed, it's OK--"As long as you keep trying." He slowly descends his tree, scurries to a special pooping spot (comically marked with an X), goes, and makes it back home in one piece. There's no mention of bodily functions in the text, just a lot of sly references to taking "care of business" or how "it" will "come out fine." The only clue prior to the author's note is the tagline on the cover: "sometimes a little poop can be a big adventure." The engaging backmatter explains more about sloth biology and lifestyle habits, clearing up any lingering questions about the protagonist's motivations and actions. The constipated hero is extremely endearing, with a personality-filled stub of a tail and an endlessly expressive face, but the story risks young children missing the point, with no direct references to sloth's predicament; even the final payoff is buried before readers can get a glimpse of his hard work! Sadly, adult sensibilities seem to be privileged over kids' age-appropriate fascination with all things bathroom. This story revolves around poop while avoiding gross-out humor--and, perhaps, readers' comprehension. (Picture book. 3-6)
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Starred review from April 15, 2020
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Little Sloth uncertainly sets out on a task that (aside from a spoiler on the cover) remains ambiguous through multiple hints and double entendres ("What if something happens? What if nothing happens? ) until, eventually, he reaches the ground, selects a spot, and sits down to do his doody. Shum declines to show anything explicit in the cartoon illustrations, but he does make comic gold of Sloth's slow, slow progress down a tree trunk, as rain forest residents cheer him on, and also his sequence of changing expressions as he sits . . . and waits . . . until, with a happy dance, proclaims, I did it! In an afterword as entertaining as the main story, Lehrhaupt explains that sloths, who lead a very chill lifestyle, rarely need to poop, but they brave jaguars and other predators when they do, by actually climbing down to the forest floor, and can lose 33 percent of their entire body weight in one dump. He also allows that potty training can be a tough time for humans, too, even without jaguars to worry about, and thinks that he'll try that happy dance himself ( It sounds like fun! ). Younger children inspired by Sloth's courage and independent spirit may likewise be drawn to dance along after their own successful (e)missions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)
May 18, 2020
Reading Lehrhaupt’s (Please, Open This Book!) afterword proves essential to fully enjoying this potty tale. It reveals that sloths’ digestive systems are—no surprise—slow, that the creatures only need to poop once a week, and that they are instinctively driven to do so on the ground, far below their safe home in the forest canopy. Representing hygiene habits in the extreme, this information forges a critical bond between the protagonist, an anxious little sloth, and readers, who will understand that pooping to others’ expectations is a big deal. “I don’t think I’m gonna make it,” the baby sloth tells various forest friends while inching anxiously down the tree. “Just listen to your body and it will all work out,” advises Frog, one of the sloth’s many cheerleaders. Watercolor and ink cartooning by Shum (Holly’s Day at the Pool) is good humored but never at the expense of empathy; reassuring, sunny washes of color in a range of perspectives and composition styles build momentum, then portray the deed through four realistically funny grimaces in close-up, followed by a well-deserved touchdown dance. Families facing similar toilet trepidation will find plenty of sympathy and wisdom in these pages. Ages 3–6. Author’s agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Teresa Kietlinski.