Sloth at the Zoom

by Helaine Becker, Orbie (Illustrator)

One day, a sloth accidentally gets delivered to the Zoom! She was supposed to be dropped off at the Zzzzzoo, a much more laid-back, slow-paced place. She had been looking forward to long, languorous naps while the sun gently warmed her belly. But at the Zoom, the zebras gallop so fast they leave their stripes in puddles. The monkeys climb so fast they forget to stop at the treetops. And the parrots fly so fast their tails draw rainbows across the sky.

When the sloth tries to make friends, nobody has any time--until the sloth meets a creature who's a little more her speed, and everyone stops to notice. This is a surprising, delightful, and funny picture book about slowing down to enjoy the little things and making time for what matters.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Friendship, Canada, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Helaine Becker has written over 70 books, including the #1 National bestseller, A Porcupine in a Pine Tree,and its sequel, Dashing through the Snow, Sloth at the Zoom, Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, the Looney Bay All-Stars chapter book series, non-fiction including Counting on Katherine, Worms for Breakfast and Zoobots (all Junior Library Guild Selections), Monster Science, You Can Read, Lines Bars and Circles, and Boredom Blasters, plus many picture books and young adult novels. She also writes for children’s magazines and for children's television. Her show Dr. Greenie's Mad Lab was a finalist at MIP.com Junior in Cannes.
She has won the Lane Anderson Award for Science Writing for Children twice,once for The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea and once for The Insecto-Files, and the Picture Book of the Year Award from the Canadian Booksellers Association for A Porcupine in a Pine Tree. She has also won three Silver Birch awards and a Red Cedar award.

Helaine Becker holds U.S. and Canadian citizenship. She attended high school in New York, university in North Carolina (Go Blue Devils!!!!) and now lives in Toronto with her husband and dog, Ella. She has two really handsome sons.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sloth at the Zoom is the story of a sloth who thought she was headed to the Zzzzzzoo but ended up being accidentally delivered to the Zoom!



When she arrives, it takes her a while to get settled (what with being a sloth and all), but then she's ready to make some friends. Unfortunately, all of the other animals at the Zoom are a bit zoomier than the sloth and so she struggles to make any connections.



Eventually, she does find a new friend who is more her speed and they settle in to have a snack.



As evening comes, some of the other animals are ready for a bit of a slower pace and join the two new friends and everyone gets to know each other.

The message here is supposed to be that everyone should slow down and make time for what matters. Knowing the little ones I know, I suspect this book would have some kids questioning why the speedy ones should need to change their nature. Possibly a good book to open many different sorts of discussions, but probably just a book that pun-loving kids will find hilarious. (Ha! It's a zoom instead of a zoo!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing me with a DRC of this book that is available for purchase as of August 15, 2018.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Cute short story about a sloth new to a zoo, trying to make friends with all the other creatures zipping about. Then, she meets a snail.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book reminding us to slow down.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Zoom is like a zoo, but everything moves at top speed and has no time to stop and relax, that is until the sloth shows up. I love the way this book is written with speech bubbles. When the sloth talks, his sentence is broken up into several bubbles because he is so slow. The illustrations are wonderful showing movement and characteristics of some of the animals. When sloth wants to make a friend, the only thing that is slow enough for him is the snail, that is until the other animals realize they are missing out on something. A simple message of slowing down and enjoying the small things and especially your friends. A cute way to share this message. A great book for a home, classroom, school or public library. Thanks to Owlkids Books for generously providing me with a copy of this book to read. 4.5 Stars

[Michelle Bearss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book about a sloth trying to make friends at the too fast Zoom. The drawings are great and I love how the speech bubbles are separate to show that you should be reading the words of the sloth slower. This is a great book to teach children to slow down and enjoy life and making new friends. Recommended. 4🌟

(Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.)

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review.

Sloth is looking forward to a slow and sleepy stay at the zoo. However at the zoom all the animals are fast and always busy. That is until she meets snail. MY four year old loved this book and so did I. The story line was adorable and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely story. A Sloth thought she was heading to the Zzzzoo and instead ended up at the Zoom. A zoo for very fast animals. At first the sloth had a hard time fitting in. But all it takes is one friend to start a posse. A fun story with lovely illustrations.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sloth is supposed to go to the zoo, but instead finds herself at the much too fast-paced Zoom, where everyone is just too busy to greet her or make friends - that is, almost everyone. A snail (metaphorically) extends his hand so the two can share a leaf and a nice chat. The book ends on a nice, subtle suggestion that we could all stand to slow down a little.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about me this entire week at work.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful book will have both young and old reflecting on their own life-style. A sloth is delivered to the Zoom and not to the Zzzzzoo where she was intended to be taken.

Once planted she discovers that every animal there is in a hurry and doesn't have time to engage with each other... barely time for a short greeting... them off they zoom again.

“The monkeys climbed so fast they forgot to stop at the treetops. / And the parrots flew so fast their tails drew rainbows across the sky.

Resigning herself to a life of loneliness and despair Sloth sighs...

"No one here has any time."

To her utter amazement (and joy) a tiny voice agrees with her. Now who has the time to listen and respond to her lament? A Snail takes it upon itself to invite Sloth to share a snack and spend some time together. Sloth is overjoyed at the prospect of spending quality time together and perhaps (claws crossed) finding a friend in this fast-paced environment.

Hallelujah!!!! They are a match made in heaven and soon the other hurried and harried animals take note and want to join in on their peaceful and calm time-out sessions.

The illustrations are very well done and make the text come alive. The Sloth is a very endearing character. The message of the book is positive and necessary in today's busy world. All of us, both young and old get bogged down with the fast pace of life and we must remind ourselves what is important and take the time to stop and smell the roses as the old saying goes. I highly recommend this inspiring book.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: One bright day, a truck whizzed up to the front gate of the Zoom. There was a new animal being delivered. It was a sloth.

Premise/plot: The sloth was supposed to be delivered to the Zzzzoo. Instead the sloth is delivered to the ZOOM. She was looking forward to all the REST and RELAXATION promised to her at the Zzzzoo. She'll have some adapting to do. Her animal neighbors at the Zoom are....well, zoom-y.

At the Zoom, the zebras galloped so fast they left their stripes in puddles.
The monkeys climbed so fast they forgot to stop at the treetops.
And the parrots flew so fast their tails drew rainbows across the sky.

Will she ever make friends? Yes. But in her own time and in her own way.

My thoughts: I'm not sure if I'd rather visit a Zzzzoo where all the animals are sleeping or the Zoom where all the animals are crazy-busy-fast. The residents in this town--as evidenced by the end papers--don't have to choose. They have both.

I really enjoyed this one. I did. I enjoyed the writing style. The narrative was fun. I liked all the plays on words. I liked the theme of friendship as well. It does take time to make friends and to keep them. But friendship is worth slowing down for.

I loved, loved, LOVED the illustrations.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victime d'une erreur de livraison, un paresseux se retrouve au Zooum. Lui qui prévoyait se la couler douce parmi ses congénères du Zzzzzou se retrouve catapulté dans un environnement où les zèbres galopent si vite qu'ils laissent leurs rayures dans les flaques d'eau, où les singes grimpent si rapidement qu'ils oublient de s'arrêter à la cime des arbres et où les perroquets dessinent des arcs-en-ciel de leurs battements d'ailes effrénés! Éberluée par cette folle agitation, la pauvre créature a beau tenter de se faire des amis, tous sont trop occupés pour se poser un moment afin d'écouter avec elle le "frou... frou... frou" du vent dans les feuilles ou de laisser les rayons dorés du soleil leur caresser le ventre. (...) [SDM]
Un album à couverture souple qui célèbre avec originalité, humour et bonne humeur l'importance de se ménager de petits instants de repos afin d'entretenir des relations interpersonnelles et de savourer les petits riens qui font le sel de la vie. Le texte tout simple est ponctué de dialogues expressifs, rédigés dans des phylactères, qui traduisent toute la lenteur de l'adorable paresseux et l'énergie endiablée de la faune qui l'entoure en recourant à la fois aux points de suspension et aux points d'exclamation. (...) [SDM]

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sloth at the Zoom byHelaine Becker, illustrated by Orbie. PICTURE BOOK. Owlkid. 2018. $20.00. 9781771472494

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A sloth is added to the collection of animals at the ‘zoom’. He observes that all the other animals are moving really fast, but don’t seem to be going anywhere. Eventually he meets another slow moving creature and together they help the other animals to slow down and enjoy life. Features simple and bright illustrations.

Of course the message of this story is great- don’t always be in a such a hurry, slow down and enjoy –I just don’t think that it really worked in this story –tea and leaves don’t seem like a great incentive. I know sloths are really popular right now so this story might have some appeal but I probably wouldn’t seek it out. The artwork just seems like it was drawn up quickly with a box of colored pencils.

Reviewer: Stephanie MLS & Author.
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

In order for this book to make sense, a little lesson in specialized vocab could be useful:

* ZOOM is one kind of zoo for animals.
* Whereas ZZZZZOO is a different kind of zoo. This is a much more laid-back, slow-paced place.

Sadly, the hero of this book, imaginatively named "the sloth," was dropped off at the wrong kind of zoo, the first kind.

"At the Zoom, the zebras galloped so fast
they left their stripes in puddles."

* Eventually, the sloth succeeds at making a friend. This friend is a snail.
* Eventuallier, the rest of the animals decided that what they really needed to do was to slow down, too.

Definitely a book intended to please adults who believe in RELAX and SLOW DOWN. And they're aiming to preach this gospel to their children.

As the saying goes, parents, be careful what you wish for. You will surely get it.

Although I'm no fan of this SLOW DOWN fad, it's only fair to rate this book with FIVE STARS. Clearly I am not the intended audience. Enjoy, fans of sloths and snails!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sloth’s delivery gets mixed up and instead of going to the Zzzzoo, she arrives at the Zoom to discover the pace is quite different from a Zzzzoo. Everyone is going, going, going. Sloth tries to be friendly but it seems no one has time to slow down. But then one day, Sloth finds someone else at the Zoom who takes life at a slower pace.

This is a delightfully illustrated story about finding a good friend. You can also read into it messages about slowing down for others rather than being constantly busy, or just taking time to slow down in general from our hectic world. Kids should be entranced by the cute illustrations and will chuckle at the idea of a place where animals are always going so fast. For sloth lovers everywhere, those who like good friend stories, and quite possibly those who need reminders to slow down every once in a while.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Christine The Uncorked Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The zoo is adopting a new animal, Sloth, and she is quite the sweetie pie. Adorable and one to take her time, Sloth is excited to meet new friends. Exiting with a yawn and a stretch, Sloth watches as all of her new housemates roam around the zoo.

However, this not just any zoo; this is the Zoooooom. As you can imagine with total cuteness, these animals are on the go. In fact, the zebras run so fast that they loose their stripes. The parrots are so quick in the sky that they leave trails of rainbows. The monkeys don’t even have time to grab the trees. With everyone so busy, fast, and running late, our dear little sloth has a slow-growing problem: She cannot make a friend. Who has time for friendship in this busy world? Get the full review on The Uncorked Librarian's book blog here: http://bit.ly/SlothZooBook

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I love sloths. I have a sloth stuffed animal collection. I have sloth socks. Even my roller derby name is Sloth. So naturally, I loved this book. The illustrations are really cute and vibrant. I feel like the illustrator did a good job of capturing each animal.

The premise of the book is funny and clever. A type of jungle fish-out-of-water story. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the animals zooming around--the zebras run so fast that their stripes fly off!

I think kids and parents will find appeal in the idea that it is important to slow down sometimes. I also liked the underlying message that we can find friends anywhere, even if they like different things.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sloth thinks she’s going to the calm and relaxing zzzzzoo but is actually taken to the zoom! All the other animals are so busy rushing around with “things to do” that they can’t stop and talk to the sloth. Luckily, sloth finds a tiny friend that has all the time in the world, and they help show the animals that slowing down and taking time together can make you “fast friends.”

The story is cute and a nice reminder in today’s crazy world that we could all use the time to slow down with those we care about. The illustrations were beautiful, too. A great book! My preschooler loved it, and so did I! ❤️

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sloth thought she was going to live at the Zzzzzoo, but she was delivered to the Zoom instead. All of the animals there are in a big hurry, too, so she finds it difficult to make friends with any of them. Then she meets a snail - the perfect companion - and they take their time getting to know one another. The other animals are intrigued and slow down long enough to become "fast friends." A cute story that pokes fun at the fast and ferocious pace many of us live our lives, charmingly illustrated.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Les illustrations chaleureuses et mignonnes d'Orbie accompagne bien ce récit comique, mais tout de même un peu sérieux, d'un paresseux délivré au mauvais zoo... Soit le Zoom, un zoo où tous les animaux sont toujours pressés. Une fin toutefois optimiste pour tous les animaux du Zoom qui verront leur quotidien changer... du moins pour un instant! Une histoire qui joue sur le contraste lent/rapide pour faire comprendre l'importance de la lenteur et de la patience dans la vie!

[Ms. Arca]

Love the concept. It seemed like the formatting isn’t quite done yet so it’s hard for me to give it a formal review. I like the idea of a book that reminds kids to slow down. I could see this being a sweet all-class read aloud in elementary classrooms as an entry point to talking about how we calm ourselves, how we slow down, and how we incorporate that buzz-word ‘mindfulness’ into our lives.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty funny little book! I loved the illustrations of scurrying critters and the sloooooowwww sloth! I think little kids will enjoy this tale as much as a early grade schoolers (who will likely get the joke). Parents will enjoy reading this too the littles and explaining the various animals to them.

I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some unanswered questions, but overall a good picture book that reads aloud well (although that conversation between the sloth and the snail takes quite a long time if you have committed to appropriately paced voices). Fun for everyone, but especially those who move at their own pace. Recommended for ages 4-7.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely lesson in slowing down and enjoying life. Sloth ends up at the Zoom not the Zoo. All the animals rush around so fast they don't take time to meet her. Finally, she meets a snail and they share a delightful time together. The other animals stop and visit and become friends before picking up the frantic pace again.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love everything Sloth, so this was an easy choice for me to request. I loved the pictures and the story. The message is great too. You might not become friends with every person you meet, but you will find someone that has something in common with you.

[Bmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorable book about a sloth who thinks he is going to the zoo but ends up at the Zoom where everyone is running around with no time to get to know her. Finally the sloth meets someone more her speed and the other animals notice that it is nice to slow down and spend time with others.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a sloth - what's not to like? It also reminds us that sometimes it's a good idea to slow down a bit and enjoy your day, rather than rushing and bustling around all the time.

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a sort of "calm down" message here, but you wouldn't use this easily in a group, because a number of pages are broken into panels, and there are tons of dialogue balloons, both of which make it hard to read out loud. The art is very attractive.

[Chinook · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the books Kait read at school and she liked it more than most, I think. She enjoyed explaining the problem in the book to me and how it was solved. It’s fun to have these discussions with her. Maddie seemed to enjoy the story as well because it’s quite silly.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author found the perfect first friend for the sloth at the Zoom. That's not a type-O. At this zoo all the animals are in a hurry until the sloth arrived. The sloth and his new friend teach the other animals how to enjoy a slow-paced life.