Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chilean author-illustrator Mena makes his U.S. debut with a playful story about how irresistible a nap can be when the conditions are just right. On a hot jungle day, a breeze drifts over an overheated jaguar. Eager to take a siesta, the jaguar asks a coati to wake him up in 10 minutes, claiming that he has "something really important to do." (The jaguar's plans aren't revealed, but his narrowed yellow eyes suggest that this is an offer that shouldn't be refused.) The breeze proves equally soporific for the coati, who requests a similar wake-up from a cockatiel, who then passes the buck to a sloth. The sloth's struggle to stay awake for 10 minutes is the book's most entertaining sequence ("The sloth was battling sleep more than any other sloth in sloth history"), and her epic, peace-shattering snore wakes everyone up right on time. Mena's crisp, stylized graphics exaggerate the animals' actions and reactions for maximum comedic effect-there are lots of heavy-lidded eyes and big yawns. It's an old-fashioned story at heart, but Mena's art and a sharp translation leave it feeling fresh and funny. Ages 3-7. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A cool breeze blows through the rain forest, and it's all the animals can do to keep their eyes open. A drowsy jaguar enlists the help of a ring-tailed coati to wake him from a catnap. The coati, who looks like a hybrid of a squirrel and Sid from Ice Age, feels a nap coming on as well and asks a cockatiel for a wake-up call. The cockatiel can't resist the breeze, either. With his eyes starting to roll back in his head, he gets the attention of an already sleepy sloth and desperately begs her, "Wake me up! In exactly 10 minutes. It's very important. You have to stay awake!" When the sloth lets out a deafening, terrifying snore, the other animals wake from their slumber and scamper off. The South American characters lend a fresh feel to the familiar cumulative pattern. Mena's swooping and sharply geometric illustrations are perfectly suited to the text. The sloth, who steals the show, is given a close-up spread that includes an endearing stream of drool. VERDICT This solid addition to larger collections would fit perfectly alongside Audrey Wood's The Napping House in a bedtime storytime. Rather than scattering after a single reading, kids are more likely to shout, "Again! Again!"-Kristy Kilfoyle, Canterbury School, Fort Myers, FL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
During the South American jungle's hot afternoon, the jaguar decides to celebrate a welcome breeze with a nap and instructs a coati to wake him in 10 minutes.Scared of the jaguar, the coati agrees but, wanting a short snooze himself, enlists a cockatiel to wake him in time to rouse the jaguar. The story builds as the cockatiel, wishing to take part in the midafternoon siesta, brings a sloth into the plan. Alas, the sloth, who can barely stay awake, cannot find anyone to wake her and must keep her eyes open minute by minute. "This was such torture for the poor sloth! / But she had given her word to the cockatiel, / who had promised the coati, / who had promised the jaguar, (who, no one was particularly thrilled to see angry)." Of course, sloth finally dozes off with a snore so loud that it wakes everyone just in time. The story's repetition creates anticipation for the thunderous surprise ending, which sees the startled animals running away while sloth continues her sonorous slumber. The amusing undertone of the story is enhanced with collage-style artwork resembling large construction-paper cutouts in muted colors. Each animal is native to the region and is depicted with convincingly droopy eyelids. Translated from the original Spanish, this should become a new favorite for multiple readings; kids will enjoy reciting the final countdown of minutes and that explosive, page-filling snore. Snoring usually isn't this much fun. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
