Sloth Went, gets better the more that you read it

My knowledge on the digestion tracts of animals other than human is limited. Some domestic animals are in that Venn diagram, while jungle animals don’t have any representation. Sloths are jungle animals. I knew that sloths are slow movers, and had I known how infrequent they have bowel movements I would’ve loved Sloth Went the first time I read it. As it reads for people like me, it’s a soft entry into potty training or ad casual glance at the poop cycle of a very slow and cute animal. The

Had I read the last two pages first, then the focus of the book would’ve been crystal clear. Those pages are for the adults reading the book. It’s written at an upper elementary level, so even those slightly older siblings should be able to read it and break it down for those younger learners. Is essence, it’s a big deal when a slot goes number two. In tandem with their traditionally slow ways, it can take a month for a sloth to digest a meal.

Follow the digested corn and that means that sloths don’t poop that much. Moreover, when they do finally go they can drop as much as 33% of their body weight. Toss in the fact that these tree-dwelling sloths rival a turtle in their land speed and you’ve got a recipe for disaster once they start walking on the jungle floor. It’s a dangerous place for a slow walker when all of the predators out there can run, sprint and pounce at a fast pace with feline-like precision.

Sloth Went is an illustrated book about that journey. Mom and sloth are up in the tree and the junior sloth is pumped up that it just might be his day to celebrate number 2. The butterfly offers words of encouragement as he slowly makes his way down the tree. The frog has some advice to make things move along. As he nears the bottom of the tree he sees his magic spot in the jungle and mentally prepares to make a dash for it once his claws hit dirt.

It’s a face only a kid in potty training can make when the sloth finally goes. Now that he’s one-third the mammal he used to be, he saunters back up the tree so that he can share the good news with the rest of his jungle friends.

In its totality, Sloth Went is a very cute book that will teach kids a little about animals, as well as more about motivating them to use the bathroom themselves. The book is by Adam Lehrhaup with illustrations by Benson Shum. The art tells the story, while the words are sparse and used as a way to fill in the big movements. Kids love sloths, even if they don’t know much about them. Our kids didn’t even know what a sloth looked like. They knew that they liked them in theory, but didn’t really know what they looked like and sure didn’t know their diet or digestion.

Because of this, Sloth Went actually gets better the second time that you read it. You’ll be curious or possibly confused about what the big deal is about a sloth going number two is. Once you know how rare it is, the book takes on a new life and is more enjoyable to read. Kids will be patient with the story and if they’re slightly confused during the first read will hang tough and enjoy it more the second or third time they have it read to them. It also might be beneficial if those adults reading Sloth Went read the last two pages first. In this case it’s a spoiler that will add texture and depth to this moving story about a sloth going number 2.

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