The Sloth Who Came to Stay
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley July 20, 2017
Author Margaret Wild, illustrated by Vivienne To
Distributor: Allen and Unwin
ISBN: 9781760290221
Publisher: Allen and Unwin Childrens
Release Date: July 2017
Website: https://www.allenandunwin.com
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In this wonderful picture book from the talented Margaret Wild there is a little homily to be found in reflection of the fast pace of today’s world.
What happens when Amy finds a Sloth hanging in a tree and decides to bring him home with her. Her family are the speediest family in the world, perhaps in the whole world. According to Amy everything they do is speedy, so speedy that there is never, ever any time to simply laugh, or play or just be lazy; there never seems to be any time to do anything except speedily rush about.
Mum thinks the Sloth needs a bath and tells him to hurry. But as we all know Sloths don’t hurry, they love to do everything slowly, so slowly that everything he did he enjoyed. He enjoyed playing with the purple ducks and the red boat, looking in the mirror and combing his fur, very slowly of course.
When the family tried to rush out for a quick walk, taking Sloth with them, he could only go slowly, so slowly that Amy and her dad had time to talk to the neighbours and look at the night sky, to enjoy the moment.
Ever so slowly the family began to slow down, to enjoy relaxing, talking to each other and finding red stars in the night sky, something they had never, ever been able to do when everything they did was so very speedy!
After about three weeks Sloth decided to move next door, to the new Speediest family in the world. I wonder why?
Vivienne To, in her first picture book illustration has captured the very essence of the storyline with her clever characterisation of the word pictures created by Margaret Wild and gives young readers a lot to look on each page, as well as highlighting the many discussion points throughout the story.
Ideal for young readers and their parents there is much to discover both within the written word and the illustrations, and certainly a lot be too discovered about the art of slowing down.
A fabulously, fun, slow read to be enjoyed after bath time or anytime, come to that!