Sloths live in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. It's sometimes said that sloths are lazy and slow, very slow, but they are certainly not lazy. About once a week, they go on a special journey, climbing down from the treetops all the way to the forest floor. This secretive mission can put them in great danger. And they do it for a very surprising reason. As you'll discover, being s l o w could even be the secret to their survival...
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🌳Ready, Steady, Sloth!🦥
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Follow -- very slowly -- a brown-throated sloth and her clinging baby as they go on a secretive, daring mission...
Did you know that sloths give birth hanging upside down? That they fall out of their tree in the rainforest canopy about once a week? That they're covered with algae and small brown moths that serve as an excellent disguise? Or that it takes them thirty days to digest a single leaf? The animals' slow digestion may account for their weekly long journey from treetops to ground, and their talent for freezing in place helps to keep them safe from predators during this dangerous operation.
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Meet the Creators
Justin Anderson is a zoologist, wildlife filmmaker, and nature writer with a deep passion for animals and the wild places they call home. He has spent years traveling the globe to observe and document incredible wildlife, and he brings his love of the natural world to life in children's nonfiction books. Anderson lives in England.
Manu Montoya was born in Colombia and spent most of her childhood playing with plants and animals and exploring the woods. She studied graphic design and art direction. Her lively, colorful illustrations bring the world of sloths vividly to life. Manu lives in Spain.
Glimpse into the Book
Discussion Questions
How do sloths move differently from other animals?
What is one challenge a sloth faces?
Why is being slow actually helpful for a sloth?
What was the most surprising thing you learned about sloths in this book?
Have you ever had to go slowly in order to do something correctly?
What Is a Sloth?
Sloths are tree-dwelling tropical mammals of Central and South America. They live in the rainforest canopy and are known for their slow and deliberate movements.
There are two living families of sloths: two-fingered and three-fingered. These families used to be called “two-toed” and “three-toed” but that was incorrect– all sloths have three toes on their hind limbs, only the forelimbs have different numbers of fingers.
Sloths are mysterious and unusual animals that scientists still know very little about. They have many adaptations that make them unique among mammals; they have a very efficient metabolism that is excellent at conserving energy, they are masters of disguise that can fool all the senses of their predators, and they are the slowest moving mammals on the planet: a sloth at top speed can cover only 1 meter in 1.5 seconds. That is only 1.5 miles per hour!
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