Ready, Steady, Sloth!

K-Gr 4–Readers explore the interesting, if slow, life of a sloth. This thoughtful nonfiction picture book gives lots of facts about sloths in a compelling and fun way. The sloth is on a mission—she and her baby are going to visit the forest floor. As they travel together, facts emerge, like how baby sloths stay on their mothers’ chests for six months, and how sloths have a large, four-chambered stomach, unlike humans. Sloths also feed their babies the same leaves they are eating so that the babies will know which are the best kind of leaves to eat. The end of the story explains not only why the sloths venture down to the forest floor each week but how this behavior keeps sloths safe from predators. Beautiful, vibrantly colored artwork allows readers to deepen their understanding of the gently humorous text. For readers who want to know more about sloths, there is additional information at the end of the book as well as an index.