The Upside-Down Book of Sloths, written by Elizabeth Shreeve and illustrated by Isabella Grott, is currently scheduled for release on September 5 2023. Many find sloths cute, while some find them just plain bizarre. This book shares the less-well-known evolutionary history of sloths and how they became the beloved—and unique—creatures of today. The author pairs and compares the six extant modern species, like the pygmy sloth, the brown-throated sloth, and the ai, with their prehistoric counterparts, such as Thalassocnus, the tough seafaring sloth; Paramylodon, which had armor-like skin and walked on the sides of its feet; and Megatherium, which could weigh up to 8,000 pounds. She even reveals how modern sloths have adapted to hang upside down, how they learned to swim, and even how they poop!
The Upside-Down Book of Sloths is an entertaining, cute, and informative book for readers of all ages that want to know more about sloths. I thought the art work was extremely well done. The sloths looked very real, many images looking like photographs. The skill and work that went into the art is impressive, and frankly makes to book worth flipping through for the art alone. However, that is not to say that the text is not well done or important, it is both. I found the information to be well written and organized. The text is more aimed at the upper elementary and older readers- especially for those loving the sloth or doing a research project on them. However, the artwork and text combined make this a great book to share with he younger readers as well. As someone that loves reading about the less expected animals, including sloths, I still learned a great deal about these creatures and their history. Best of all, the author includes a time line and recommendations for further reading at the end of the book. This is a great addition to public, school, and personal library collections.
