Peter & Ernesto Sloths in the Night, caps this all age series with a grin

A kid’s first graphic novel is a great thing. We include the all age graphic novels in our run down of the week’s new all age comic books. Early through upper elementary school-aged kids want to have a graphic novel that they can read and appreciate. This is something that is their jam. The older kids might like it too, but this the kind of graphic novel that they can enjoy without any assistance from mom, dad or their older sibling. Peter & Ernesto is one of two elementary school based graphic novels that pop up in my mind. The third and final entry in the series, Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night is out and caps the series in a perfectly happy and friendly manner that will leave ages 6-10 grinning from ear to ear.  

If this is your young reader’s first entry into the sloth world of Peter & Ernesto it’s not necessary to read the first two. What will most likely happen is that they’ll want to read the first two books in the series by Graham Annable. Sloths in the Night has a charming, curious and friendly vibe that those young ages will want to read. A great example of this is that our 8 year-old reluctant reader grabbed the book from my hand before I read it and said “ooh, I want to read this”. He’s still searching for his literary jam and to have him say that he wants to read anything makes us jump inside.  

Peter & Ernesto are two happy sloths who are great friends, but are very different. Ernesto is a bit more daring than Peter and it’s a strange night. There are rumors of a dragon that’s roaming around the jungle and their friend Bernard can’t be found. It’s also late in the day and the deep jungle is no place for a pair of sloths to start their adventure when most of the creatures are going to sleep.  

Thankfully they meet a handful of friendly jungle creatures who assist them, mistake them for mice or light up their way as they navigate the way to a temple where all of their questions might be answered. Kids will love the large panels, big letters and clear pointed story that the sloths go on. It’s in one telling, so there are no chapters. This allows those younger readers to read books like big kids, which will help them build confidence in their reading abilities.  

Parents will enjoy the book because it’s loaded with positive themes about helping people, solving problems and friendship. Annable is an Oscar-nominated cartoonist and animator. Sloths in the Night is paced very well and feels like a complete story. Much like younger readers gaining confidence, that feeling will allow them to have their own thing. It’s a book whose pacing, characters and reading level will be right on par with where those elementary kids need to be.  

There are affiliate links in this post, because, sloths.