I was unable to download and read this book before it expired, so I'm unable to give an honest review of it.

In our house we absolutely love sloths. They are some of our favorite animals and this was definitely a read that the kiddo enjoyed..

Sloth At The Zoom is an adorable story about a sloth trying to make friends at his new hom. This book would be wonderful for military families since we are constantly moving and our children are always nervous about making new friends.

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.

A delivery mix-up has caused a slow-moving Sloth to be delivered to the Zoom (yes, you read that right). She is expecting some rest and relaxation, but what she gets is the exact opposite. Little kids will think the misunderstanding is hilarious, but the book provides a great lesson when sloth has a tough time making a new friend. Teachers will be able to use it as a SEL mentor text that will pull kids right in. Highly recommend for preschoolers and kindergartners.

Very cute book and delightfully illustrated. Helaine Becker tells the story of a sloth who showed up at the wrong place. when expecting to be delivered to the slow paced zoo she instead shows up at the Zoom...not the place for a sloth looking for sunbathing and relaxation. While at the zoo the sloth tries to make friends and is overlooked until she finds someone more like her and then everyone notices her. Sometimes it is necessary to slow down in order to see what's out there.

Thank you Netgalley and Owlkids Books for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The sloth was moved to Zoom, a zoo where everyone was always rushing. As you can imagine, she had a hard time adjusting to the craziness around her. This book teaches our kids (and us) that is ok to slow down to enjoy life!

Oh my goodness! You guys, I love sloths. I know that they have become a trendy animal recently... but I have thought they were adorable since I first saw one while traveling through Latin America (does that make me sound hipster? I'm not, I swear!) They are just so precious with their little faces and their little toe-hands.

Anyway, this was a beautifully illustrated children's book about a sloth that thought she was going to the Zzzzoo but was instead transported to the ZOOm-a faster paced place than they imagined living. The zebras run so fast there their stripes have been known to fall off and land in the puddles!

The sloth knows the meaning of friendship though and begins to look for a new friend, only to be told time and time again that they are much too slow for the friendship of a faster animal. But our new sloth friend is persistent, friendship will be found!

I have a list of children's books that I want to purchase for the children that I someday hope to have, this is going on that list.

I received and electronic copy of this title in exchange for my unbiased review.

Here we have an inherently slow creature in an environment where everything moves, and everyone expects them to move, quickly. But the sloth is entirely his own self. He has no inclination to fall in line with their way of life. He finds others who think like him and, eventually, shows all of them the benefits of going slow, of setting your own pace. It doesn't say "there's a right way to live" but rather "every approach has it's benefits".

Sloth at the Zoom is a picturebook written by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Orbie. 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.

Sloth at the Zoom is a fun picturebook about slowing down. No one at the Zoom is willing to slow down to make friends with the sloth. Her slow pace seems silly to the busy animals zooming around. I like that the sloth never gives up, but keeps trying to convince others to slow down and take tea with her, or simply to take a moment and chat. It is only when the sloth ad a snail connect, and take some time to enjoy each other's company that anyone else seems to notice. However, once they stop and join in the quiet moment they all seem to relax and enjoy it. I like that the story shows very different creatures slowing down to enjoy some time together, and that they can all use some down time. The illustrations are great, capturing the speed of the fast animals as well as the humor used to exaggerate that speed.

Sloth at the Zoom was fun and cute, and I am a sucker for a sloth. It was good, and I enjoyed it, but it did not wow me. I think something about the ending fell flat for me, but I cannot put my finger on what I wanted to be different.

Sloth at the Zoom is a great book for reading aloud, where librarians, teachers, and grown up friends will be able to use their voices to illustrate the difference in speed between the animals at the Zoom that like to go fast fast fast and the sloth, accidentally delivered there instead of the Zzzzzoo. By the end, though, the Sloth has convinced the other animals to slow down enough for a snack and some friendship. Too easy a pay off for older readers, but the youngest book worms will love the adorable illustrations and the opportunity for funny voices.

This is a great book about a sloth trying to make friends at a new zoo but everyone is in such a rush. Its a great reminder to slow down with life.

Cute story of friendship between animals. Children can learn about features of a few zoo animals, especially the sloth. My three year old was not familiar with sloths before reading this story, but enjoyed learning more about them afterwards. Great for ages 2-5.

A cute story of a sloth becoming part of the zoo, or the zoom as they call it. Everyone is in such a rush and the sloth can't figure out why everyone is in such a hurry.
A great reminder to slow down and enjoy life. This would be a great read aloud with emphasis on the slow talk!

This was a cute kids book about the virtue of not living life to fast. I almost wonder if the author intended the message more for the parents of the book than for the children!

Brand New Zoo Picture Book With A Lovable Sloth

I just read a tweet where a book blogger joked about how, ‘No, the picture book stack that she carried around was not for small children.’ Sometimes I feel the same way at the library or bookstore when I dart childless into the teen and children’s room. Nope, I am not a creeper as the security guard who once followed me in probably thought. I just want to read all of the books. I am especially excitable when I see colored pencil and water colored animals. I am a sucker for cutesy critters with big eyes. What can I say? That is why when I found Sloth at the Zoom by Helaine Becker—a new zoo picture book—I had to request the title on NetGalley. Sloth and I could seriously be besties as she loves to live the relaxed life full of sunset watching, friends, and of course, food.

A Book Review Of Sloth at the Zoom by Helaine Becker

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?

The animals are a little insulting to Sloth, asking her if she doesn’t have anything better to do. But Sloth has the ultimate life and mindset. She takes time to admire nature, basks in the sun, and lives a sleepy life that is true to her nature. Gosh, I just freaking love her.

On the verge of depression, Sloth meets the perfect friend. SNAIL! Even though it takes her half a day to get down the tree, they meet for food and bevies. Spoiler alert: All of the other animals are getting tired and want a treat too. I mean, I see drinks and stop immediately. Sloth makes new friends in her new home while staying Sloth-like. Cue the audible, “Awwwww.”

Sloth at the Zoom is the perfect zoo picture book for pre-school to second graders, or adults who frequent the children’s book section in a non-weirdo way.

The moral about slowing down and enjoying life is a reminder that we all need. Paired with light-hearted illustrations and humor, I could not recommend this title more. I love that the zebras loose their stripes, and I cracked up at the subtle illustrations of the sun setting as Sloth slowly crawled down to meet Snail. The image of the parrots painting the rainbow sky is imaginative brilliance. I just made myself all warm and fuzzy inside. Plus, who doesn’t love books about sloths? Even when you conduct a keyword search for SEO, ‘cute sloth pictures’ is a highly searched term. Kudos to Becker for creating a health and wellness picture book for the entire family.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing me with a free copy of Sloth at the Zoom in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Book Information
Sloth at the Zoom by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Orbie. (OwlKids Books 2018).

Zoo picture book for pre-k to 2nd grade.

Learn more about award-winning author, Helaine Becker, here.

Poor Sloth! She thought she was being dropped off at the Zzzzzoo, but something must have gone wrong with the paperwork: she's been brought to the Zoom! It's a very big difference, you see. At the Zzzzzoo, life moves along at a gentle pace; there's time for naps in the sun, it's relaxing, it's all good. But at the Zoom? Whoosh! Zebras run by so fast, they leave their stripes in puddles! Parrots fly so fast, their tails draw rainbows across the sky! It's VERY stressful, especially for poor Sloth, who wants to make friends, but no one has the time to give her. Finally, she meets Snail. Snail has time! Snail becomes Sloth's friend, and the next thing you know, the Zoom is becoming a much nicer place to be. Sometimes, you just have to slow down and enjoy life, right?

It's so nice to read a story that encourages life in the slow lane, isn't it? I feel like we're overscheduled and stressed out, our kids are overscheduled and stressed out, everyone's got extracurricular activities, work, school, and deadlines seem to pop up everywhere, like neon signs. Kids are racing around like zebras, leaving their stripes behind, and so are we. Seeing two friends meet in the middle of this chaotic atmosphere, and bond over their shared moment of slowing down, gives hope to the rest of us, doesn't it? Sloth at the Zoom shows readers that it's in our hands to just stop, just slow down, and to discover the wonderful things that we often miss when we're running by them. Slow living is contagious, too - if you slow down, someone else may, too. And that's a good thing.

Sloth at the Zoom celebrates the Slow Living Movement, a lifestyle that puts the importance on mindfulness and embracing the slower aspects of life. There are blogs and websites dedicated to the movement, and there are books for adults and kids alike. One of my current favorites is The Slowest Book Ever, by April Pulley Sayre, which celebrates the science of slow in our world. But to start, all you really need to do is just take a deep breath and slow down.

Cuddle up with your little ones and enjoy a nice, slow read.

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.

A cute story about a Sloth and a mix up that landed her where all the animals are busy. busy, busy and no one takes the time to s-l-o-w down like the Sloth. That is until she meets a snail who is more like her and they enjoy one anothers company.

The illustrations are sweet, whimsical and the use of speech bubbles is great and effective.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

At a Glance

Category & Genre(s):
Picture book, humor, friendship

Age Range:
2-7 years old

Plot:
A sloth, heading for the laid-back Zzzzoo, is accidentally dropped off at the Zoom where zebras gallop aroud and cheetahs zip right by. How will she handle this fast paced life and will she be able to make friends?

Strengths:
clever, cute idea
The main character is a sloth
Its funny
Shows the benefits of slowing down sometimes
shows we can have friends that are different than ourselves

Would I recommend this title:
Yes!

Full Review
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.

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