Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night

March 15, 2020
This third entry in the charming series takes Peter and Ernesto on an exciting journey to find a lost friend. When highly mobile sloths Peter, Ernesto, and their friends realize that Bernard, one of their own, is nowhere to be found, the anthropomorphic pals must figure out what to do. Enigmatic Ernesto convinces nervous Peter and the others that Bernard is definitely with the mysterious dragon that is rumored to be in the forest temple and that the other sloths should follow suit--after all, why would you go anywhere else when there is a dragon to be seen? After an unfortunate zip-line incident leaves Peter separated from the group, he meets a river otter captaining an abandoned boat. Together, they journey to the forest temple, where they reunite with Ernesto and the gang. They even discover the dragon--a Komodo dragon shipwrecked far from home. But no Bernard! The gang travels back home, leaving the otter to sail the dragon back to Komodo, only to discover--spoiler alert!--that Bernard was napping in their home tree the whole time. Thick lines, white space framing panels, and a large font make this perfect for readers newer to graphic novels. The sloths are stylized beyond recognition, looking more like tall, furry stumps with arms, legs, and eyes than the familiar tree-dwelling mammals, and they are adorable. Their big expressions and body language perfectly complement the dialogue's sweet, silly humor. Delightful. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

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