Sloth Is Not a Baby!

by Nelly Buchet, Janie Bynum (Illustrator)

Sloth is worried about climbing higher up the tree.
But she’s not a baby.

She’s not a bird, either, with wings to fly.
Or a monkey, with a tail to catch her fall.
Or a snake, that can wrap around branches.

The truth is, Sloth could fall, as her friend Moth so helpfully points out. Again. And again. Until a storm proves that Sloth may not be like the other animals, but being herself is exactly what she needs to save the day.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 11, 2024

About the author

Lover of dogs and dance. Author of 2021 Irma Black Award Winner and ALA Notable Children's Book CAT DOG DOG: The Story of a Blended Family (Random House Studio, with art by Andrea Zuill, 2020), the CAN'T DO board book series (Studio Press/ Bonnier UK, with art by Pau Morgan, 2021), HOW TO TRAIN YOUR PET BRAIN (Beaming Books, with art by Amy Jindra, 2022), ABUELITO (with David Corredor Benavides, Kind World Publishing, with art by Ana Sanfelippo, 2023) and A FRIEND LIKE NO OTTER (Union Square Kids, with art by Andrea Zuill, 2023).

Reviews

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young sloth (NOT a baby!) climbs high up in the tree with friend Moth's encouragement. Well, Moth is initially encouraging but then thinks up all of the reasons that Sloth could, potentially, fall. Sloth is NOT a baby but is a little bit afraid of falling after Moth's litany of ways that could happen. But then a storm appears out of nowhere! Can Sloth weather it and help friends, too? After all, Sloth is definitely NOT a baby!

A fun book with encouragement for those toddlers that are ready to grow out of the baby stage!

[Kathy Temean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parents will love how this book helps their children identify the different creatures in Sloth's world, such as Butterflies, Moths, Parrots, Snakes, Monkeys, Worms, Snails, Bats, and Ladybugs. Children will love spending time with Sloth and her friends.

As Baby Sloth starts climbing a tree, she is warned that she is too young to climb, but she says, "I am not a baby." As she climbs higher, her friends explain why climbing higher is a bad idea, and she keeps saying, "I am not a baby." As she climbs higher and higher up a tree, her courage wavers as she is reminded that she doesn't have wings like Moth and McCaw or the stickiness of a snail, nor does she have a body like Boa that helps them stay put. Sloth buoys herself by repeating, “I’m not a baby,” until, at last, nerves take over when a strong storm rolls in.

She holds on for her life and is not swept away, and she feels very proud she made it through the storm. Children will love the courage of baby Sloth. The soft watercolor illustrations and Sloth's wonderful facial expressions Janie Byumn created will make kids laugh, and the range of Sloth's facial expressions shows the reader everything she is feeling, causing them to worry as she climbs. Those expressions and the text will make them laugh. It's a nice blend of art and text.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are cute, but the story is too dialogue-driven to work, since most of the dialogue is random, confusing, and annoying. There is also very little payoff at the end, so this felt pointless.

[Jared White · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures are really cute, but the narrative is kind of clumsy/doesn't flow well.