SlothLove: An Inspiring and Intimate Visual Journey into the World of Sloths

By: Sam Trull
Publisher: Inkshares
Publication Date: April 2016
ISBN: 978-1941758496
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 11, 2016

Thanks to the movie Zootopia, Sloths are enjoying a spat of unprecedented attention. Are they really that slow? That hairy? That cute? Check out the new book SlothLove to find the answers to these, and many other questions about sloths (and yes, they really are that cute).

In 2007, author/photographer Sam Trull experienced two personal tragedies that would change her life forever. Feeling lost, she traveled, switched careers and basically tried to 'find herself.' After several false starts, she eventually found herself in Costa Rica, where she started working for 'Kids Saving the Rainforest' (KSTR). It's while at KSTR that she discovered sloths and she freely admits that "...sloths saved my life."

Trull's first experience with a sloth was with holding a baby sloth as she learned to feed the fragile creature. There must have been something that connected between that little baby and Trull, for she's been caring for the gentle creatures since that time. With SlothLove, the author uses her abilities as a photographer to share these amazing animals with those of us who have not had the pleasure of meeting these slow-moving, expressive-eyed animals up close. SlothLove, is replete with a wonderful assortment of Trull's photographs of sloths, from the tiny, adorable babies to full-grown adults doing what they do best - sleeping. But do they really sleep as much as we're led to believe? The photographs are accompanied with facts about the mammals, and you'll learn a lot about them as you scroll through the pages.

Along with the wonderful photos and facts, Trull includes six accounts of sloths she has cared for and loved. You'll meet 'Monster' who is anything but a monster, 'Kermie,' the first baby sloth the author cared for, and 'Elvis,' the sloth with "...seriously flexible hips." SlothLove is a very informative and truly enjoyable book that left me with a smile. Your dad would be very proud of you Sam!

Quill says: Love sloths? SlothLove is the perfect book for both the sloth lover as well as the person who simply wants to know more about these amazing animals.