Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Peter and Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths
Graphic Novel
For ages 6 and up
First Second, 2018 ISBN: 978-1626725614
One day two sloths, Peter and Ernesto, are sitting at the top of the tree that they live in and they are looking up at the clouds. One cloud looks like a bear and another looks like a rabbit. Then Ernesto says that he likes the piece of sky that they can see from their tree, and he likes the tree that they live in, but even so he has to go away for a while. Though their piece of sky is wonderful it is only one piece and Ernesto wants to see “ALL of the sky.”
Off Ernesto goes, leaving a sad and confused Peter behind. Unlike Ernesto, Peter has no interest in seeing “other pieces of the sky.” He is quite happy to stay where he is in his tree with the piece of sky that he has.
Ernesto sets off, eager to see what there is to see and to experience all kinds of new things. He walks across a bridge, swims across a river, climbs a high rock (from which he can see a huge piece of sky), and then he swims in the sea, where he befriends a whale. Happily, Ernesto seeks out new pieces of sky in all kinds of places, and makes friends along the way.
Meanwhile poor Peter is feeling miserable. He is worried that Ernesto might get eaten by a bear, and he decides that he has to go and bring his friend back. Terrified of what lies ahead, Peter climbs down to the ground and he encounters the bridge that his friend crossed not that long ago. How did Ernesto cross such a terrifying thing? How did Ernesto cope with being in this frightening world that is full of unknowns?
In this absolutely delightful graphic novel we meet two very different characters. One is adventurous, curious, and brave, and the other is easily frightened and is a home body. Their view of the world is so very different, and yet their friendship is strong, and it is able bend with change.
Delicious touches of humor can be found throughout this book, and readers will be touched when they see how Peter, the sloth who is happy with his life in the tree, digs deep to find the courage to seek out his friend.
