Author: Eric Carle

Illustrator: Eric Carle

Publishing Information: Philomel Books, 2002

Number of Pages: 24

Tags: Animals, Fiction, K-1, Picture Book

Genre: Fable

Analysis:

This book tells the story of a sloth living in the jungle, and going about his daily activities. The other animals wonder why he does things so differently than the other animals and start to ask him questions about it. Finally, the sloth explains that he enjoys his lifestyle and does things at his own pace.

This story is illustrated with bright watercolors, as the plot is fairly lighthearted. It also provides both a picture of each animal that is featured in the story, along with their name on the back pages. An interesting thing to note, however, is that the sloth is always featured on the left page of the book, until the other animals start to question his lifestyle. This shows readers that the sloth is secure with himself until this point. Once the other animals begin questioning him, he is featured on the right page, indicating that he is less secure and faces more of a conflict than he did prior.

My initial perception of this book was that it was merely a simple children’s picture narrative, for beginning readers. I felt this way because the text was fairly simple, and there was not an elaborate storyline to go along with the pictures. Furthermore, the illustrations were very eye-catching, leading me to believe that they were the intended focus. However, when analyzing the text on a deeper level, I was able to see a more important message reflected by the sloth and his story. The story provides children with a window to see that different people have different ways they like to do things, and that is perfectly acceptable; different people like different things. It is also a mirror to show them that they are unique and have a unique way of going about things that they like best. This book teaches children the importance of accepting your differences, and being happy in what you choose to do. As a result, I’ve found that while the illustrations are certainly to be admired, there is a deeper context to be found in this simple story of a sloth in the jungle.