Kirkus Review

A wide-eyed little sloth solicits extra TLC getting to bed in this interactive snoozer. A hairy, winsome tyke with huge googly eyes stares up fixedly at viewers while inviting them: to help with toweling off after a bubbly bath, to tap pajama bottoms that match the top, to join in a "slo-mo" sloth dance party, to turn lights on and off, to sing a favorite lullaby, to deliver a back rub, and finally to send the now-droopy drowser ("I'm still…not…sleepy…") off to dreamland with a kiss. Sanitary considerations notwithstanding, younger yawners will definitely enjoy the role reversal and appreciate the little sloth's constant protestations of wakefulness even as they recognize said assurances as blarney. Illustrations are simple and, for the most part, amusing; in one spread the sloth models hairstyles including 18th-century curls, a mohawk, a unicorn horn and a ponytail, and an Elvis-style pompadour. Some readers may find themselves creeped out by the staring eyes of the sloth and an entire shelf full of plush bedmates (for some reason the stuffed hedgehog scowls ferociously). Still, following all the tipping, tapping, shaking, and other participatory activities, little readers may better appreciate being on the receiving end during their own bedtime routines. A touching gateway to Press Here and its many offspring. (Picture book. 2-4) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.