SLOTH SLEEPS OVER

Who would’ve thought a sleepover would be a challenge for a sloth?

When Sloth is invited to her first sleepover with Paloma, an energetic and overeager young girl, she isn’t prepared to stay up all night long. After downing some pizza and ice cream and playing games, Sloth begins to grow dozy. As it turns out, Palomas don’t stay up all night after all, and Sloth ultimately discovers her love of sleepovers. Russo’s Sloth is irresistibly lovable, with a pineapple stuffie tucked under her arm and a large back flap on the seat of her soft blue pajamas. Paloma, who presents as White, is a young girl with a freckled face and an enthusiasm for fingernail polish. Together, they make an unlikely yet utterly charming pair. In expressing Sloth’s fears over attending her first sleepover, Russo captures an oft-felt childhood anxiety, though children may not share Sloth’s specific apprehension. The watercolor illustrations with digital linework switch between spot-art montages and full two-page spreads, some with close-ups of the characters’ faces. Interesting details and the characters’ facial expressions draw in the reader and help steer the mood in this fun, approachable, well-paced story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Don’t sleep on this sweet read.