Published Reviews
“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth- “With a preface by Jane Goodall, an emphasis on Amazon rain forest animals
and Carle’s bright, trademark collages, this book is sure to find a wide
audience. All the animals in the rain forest watch as the sloth ‘slowly,
slowly, slowly’ crawls along a tree branch or ‘slowly, slowly, slowly’
eats a leaf. ‘Why are you so slow?’ they ask, ‘…so quiet,
…so boring?’ The sloth does not answer until the jaguar asks why
he is lazy. In the volume’s densest chunk of text, the sloth replies
with an unexpected barrage of adjectives, admitting that, while he is ‘sluggish,
lethargic, placid, calm, mellow, laid back and, well, slothful,’ he is
‘not lazy…that’s just how I am. I like to do things slowly,/
slowly,/ slowly.’ The narrative’s use of simple repeated phrases
requires readers to ape the protagonist—the text compels them to slow
down. Colorful endpapers name all of the animals introduced in Carle’s
signature collage illustrations, with a setting particularly well-suited to
his jewel-like palette. Children will readily identify with the hero’s
need to move at his own pace. The sweet, moss-covered sloth will especially
appeal to rushed families who will find in Carle’s attractive book a
brief respite from their hurried lives.”
- Publisher’s Weekly, July 1, 2002
- *“As a sloth crawls along a branch, eats a leaf, sleeps, and awakens,
echoing the languid tempo of its rain-forest life, Carle grabs readers’
attention with a continuous procession of animals, revealing the diversity
of their habitat. Anaconda, peccary, tapir, caiman, jaguar, toucan, and armadillo,
among others, quietly observe the creature and gently disappear in a march
of bold colors. Carle’s art is at its best with a brightly colored selection
of painted tissue-paper collage that captures 25 rain-forest denizens. Each
page of text reinforces the sloth’s slow pace, until it ends its silence and
temporarily changes the measured text tempo in a lengthy paragraph (with 20
adjectives) explanation of his love for serenity. In an introduction, both
Carle and zoologist Jane Goodall praise efforts to save the rain-forest habitat
and slow the pace of today’s hurried lifestyle. The artwork alone places
this book as a treasured addition for all libraries.”
- Mary Elam, School Library Journal
- *“[Eric] Carle (Dream Snow, 2000, etc.) branches out to feature a lesser-known
yet fascinating animal in a paean to taking it easy. Appropriately soporific
text recounts a sloth’s daily activities: sleeping, waking, eating, and
hanging from a branch, all of which he does slowly, slowly, slowly. Despite
the fact that hardly anything happens, this depiction of a day in the life
of a sloth is never boring; riotous colors abound in Carle’s intricate
painted-tissue, paper-collage jungle, which teems with life. Dozens of animals
can be spotted among the vines, flowers, trees, and grass; a key at the end
shows each creature and provides its name, encouraging readers to go back
and look for them. A howler monkey, a caiman, an anteater, and a jaguar visit
the sloth and ask him why he is so slow, so quiet, so boring, and so lazy.
After thinking for a long, long time, sloth admits to being ‘slow, quiet
and boring,’ as well as ‘lackadaisical…unflappable, languid,
stoic, impassive, sluggish, lethargic, placid, calm, mellow, laid-back and,
well, slothful!’ He is also a welcome example for all: ‘I am relaxed
and tranquil, and I like to live in peace.’ But he denies being lazy.
A foreword by renowned zoologist Jane Goodall explains her fascination with
sloths, and sets the stage for children’s burgeoning interest. There
is room in everyone’s life for a little peace and quiet, and this introduction
to an animal that is the epitome of tranquillity will be welcome at bedtime,
or anytime.”
- Kirkus Reviews
*Starred Reviews
Return to the Eric Carle Bibliography
