A Tale of Two Sloths (Peter & Ernesto #1)

In a graphic novel-style story for young readers, Ernesto and Peter, two skinny, wide-eyed sloths, love to spot animal shapes in the clouds above the rainforest, but the extroverted Ernesto wants more: "I want to see ALL of the sky!" He takes off, dashing across a swinging bridge, splashing across a river, reaching the sea, and befriending a whale. Left behind, Peter is aghast: "He could get eaten." After some anguished indecision, he sets out to bring Ernesto back. He's terrified by the bridge Ernesto skipped over, and by almost everything else he encounters, but he gathers courage little by little, singing as he goes ("Did you find all the sky? I wish I could know!"). Working in multipanel sequences and individual frames, Annable bounces between the ebullient Ernesto and the worrywart Peter, rendering each with equal affection. Peter comes to understand that his friendship with Ernesto is strong enough to withstand his absence, but it's still a thrill when they are reunited. Annable's gift for caricature and zippy dialogue shines through, as he celebrates his characters' contrasting temperaments without a hint of snark. Ages 6-10. (Apr.)

Gr 1-4—Peter and Ernesto are sloths who enjoy a placid life of hibiscus munching and cloud watching. Ernesto declares that he wants to see the sky and sets off, eventually making it to the Arctic to see the northern lights, with the help of a gentle whale. Peter, meanwhile, distraught at being left behind and fearful for his friend's safety among many imagined perils, goes after him, guided by other creatures. This is a funny, touching tale. The sloths are thickly outlined, hill-like creatures with big eyes and occasionally flailing limbs. Their exaggerated movements and expressions will help emerging readers decode the vocabulary and connect with the emotions conveyed by the text. The characters' different notions of adventure and bravery recall other odd couple friendships, such as Mo Willems's "Elephant and Piggie" and Holly Hobbie's "Toot and Puddle." VERDICT Recommended for beginning reader shelves and elementary graphic novel collections.—Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

"Annable skillfully communicates a message that will be especially welcome to anxious kids—that sometimes small adventures take even more courage than big ones. Readers will be eager to reunite with Peter and Ernesto in the next installment of this new graphic novel series."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books