Sloth at the Zoom

Uh-oh…a sloth who is meant to be delivered to the restful and relaxing Zzzzzoo is accidentally delivered to the Zoom! What she expects to be her laid-back new home turns out to be the exact opposite. Zipping zebras gallop past, merry monkeys swing in the air, and playful parrots fly around so fast that they leave rainbows in the sky! The perplexed sloth watches all of the action in awe. She attempts to make friends by…slowly…greeting…the…animals…, but all of the animals were in such a rush that they had no time for her. Just as she gives up hope, she hears a small voice agree with her—it’s a snail. The snail invites the sloth to have a snack, and they become unexpected friends. Finally with someone who moves at her slow pace, the sloth meets with the snail and they enjoy a bite and cool drink together. Shortly after the meeting, those zippy, zooming animals all make their way over in curiosity to see what the sloth and snail are up to. All of the animals gather together to slow down, and they become fast friends.

This sweet short story would make a terrific read-aloud in an early years’ classroom or library. There’s only a short amount of text on each page as it is intended for an audience of early readers. The author’s variety of verbs, such as “whizzing,” “zipped,” and “whinnied”, serve as excellent exemplars to demonstrate the importance of word choice in writing. There are also examples of onomatopoeia included throughout the text which are fun for children to read aloud with expression. Dialogue between the characters is written in comic-style speech bubbles. When the sloth is speaking, the writer strategically uses multiple speech bubbles to slow the reader down so as to mimic the sloth’s articulation.

Alternatively, Sloth at the Zoom would be a great addition to a home reading collection. Young children may use their imaginations to expand the characters at the Zoom by involving some of their own stuffed animals.

Design-wise, Orbie does a fantastic job bringing the animals and setting to life in full-size drawings. It looks as though crayons were the main medium of choice used in the images. Crayons are frequently a medium of choice in early years’ classrooms as well; therefore, these beautifully detailed illustrations may inspire young artists in the classroom. Teachers may turn Sloth at the Zoom into a preliminary art lesson by pointing out how the illustrator overlapped certain colours, put more pressure on outlines to make them bold, and created shading using crayons. The exaggerated facial expressions and body language of the characters tell the story, itself, making it fun for the audience to view.