Lost Sloth

Dozing in an armchair with a three-string guitar in his lap, Sloth hears the phone ring and drags himself across the carpet to answer it. “Hurry, Sloth!” urges the narrator. Sloth learns that he is the winner of a shopping spree, and he has “only three hours to claim his prize” from a distant store. Although Sloth is not sure what “spree” means, he hastens outdoors, misses the bus, and falls asleep on a shortcut through a tree-lined city park (where an Occupy encampment provides a contemporary touch). Seibold (Olive, the Other Reindeer) introduces a quirky protagonist whose innate sluggishness is at odds with frenzied consumer culture. The digital illustrations—in carnival colors of bubblegum pink, white, and tropical blues and greens—have all the asymmetrical charm of Seibold’s earlier work. Sloth’s lethargy provides humor and suspense, but Seibold goes for the easy win when a hang-glider materializes, enabling Sloth to claim a prize that’s ideally suited to his sedate, unhurried lifestyle. Although the story’s ending disappoints, Sloth is a likably absurd character. Ages 4–up. (June)