Goodnight, little sloth by Amanda Wood. Illus. by Bec Winnel and Vikki Chu

Similar in concept to the Ten Minutes to Bed... series, Goodnight, Little Sloth is one in a series of simple bedtime stories designed to send little ones off to sleep. The longish, nonemphatic text is notable for its predictable storyline and calm tone. Sweet, earthy, watercolour art is punctuated with photographic illustrations of a baby sloth watching the world pass him by.

The busy parrots in the forest try to get him moving but he likes to take life slowly and he loves looking around and seeing what he can see. "Have you ever seen any of those things" he asks the parrots after he recounts all the creatures he has seen from his branch. They admit they haven't, but they still want to hurry Little Sloth along. When Little Sloth sees something truly remarkable from right where he is the parrots are busy sleeping after all their flapping and are very disappointed to miss it. "I really think it's time I took a nap after all that excitement" says Little Sloth at the end of the story - and he does. There is a lovely message within the story about having patience and about slowing down and noticing the little things and changes in our environment. This is beautifully illustrated through the sloth being present in the very moment an orchid opened one of its petals. 

This is a gentle and soothing story that ends with Little Sloth settling down for a lovely long snooze. This peaceful ending along with simple, flowing language makes it perfect for bedtime or nap time.

Themes: Sloths, Bedtime, Patience.

Nicole Nelson