Go, Sloth, Go!

by Toni Yuly

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Nature, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

Toni Yuly is the author-illustrator of the picture books Early Bird, Night Owl, and Cat Nap. After many years as a librarian, she now dedicates herself to designing, painting, and writing all day. Toni Yuly lives in Bremerton, Washington.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute and a quick read

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, strong shapes and minimal, rhythmic, rhyming text make this a great read aloud for young animal lovers. A sloth awakens and moves towards food. Words arranged slowly ascending across the page and a participatory chant add interest, as the engagingly smiling animal makes its way to the tastiest leaves. A good bedtime or pre-nap read. The rich matte greens of the first pages transition to blues and peaches, then deepen to orange, as sunset colors darken to dusk.

[Peg O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and sloths-Geisel contender I think and young readers will love it. Fun-different art.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple title that makes me want to do a sloth storytime.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect storytime book about sloths.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read aloud! The ivory text and the dark sloth contrast nicely with the soothing rain forest images and colors. Kids can spot silhouettes of birds, like a toucan, and different lizards. And they will all enjoy encouraging sloth to Go, Sloth, Go! Loudly at first and then more softly at the end. In contrast to the chorus, the text is true rhyme in some places and almost rhyme in others which adds to the fun of reading it out loud to a group.

Take a peek under the cover to find a yawning sloth.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always looking for books that would work for my youngest students (2.5). This book is cute. I love the way the author stretches the reality of the movement of a sloth. That worked so very well. I hope it will also play well for my students. I think that will help my students as they read it, even if they have not seen a sloth in person.I did find the illustrations a bit dark. I will hold off on worrying about that until I share it with children. I may come back to this review and share their reactions. I have been wrong before on my first look at a new book.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not a huge fan of the illustrations (the sloth is black and hard to see?), the simple, rhyming text and repeated refrain, "Go, Sloth, Go!" will have readers & listeners alike rooting for sloth to keep going.

Themes: sloths/animals, stories that rhyme
Ages: preK-1st grade
Pub year: 2025

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

Really simple book about a sloth. The repetition of "go, sloth, go" will encourage young readers to join in. Not sure if I'd use it in elementary school. Maybe kindergarten but it would be a super quick read. I think a sloth obsessed kid would like it. I also think the way that the words move across the pages in different ways is kind of cool.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a story in this repetitive tale about a sloth’s sloooooooooooooooooooooooow climb into the canopy of a tree to grab a bite to eat and then sleep off the meal. Colorful illustrations cleverly depict the passage of time from the green hues of dawn to the orange tints of dusk to indicate how slow sloths actually go.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love it like The Pelican Can! but it's a nicely illustrated book with a catchy refrain.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good repetitive story for toddlers. New words are introduced and silhouettes of other animals can be spotted - all good for talking with a child as you read.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well sloths are slow and this story is slow with not much go to it. I have read several of Yuly’s titles and given ratings from two stars to five stars and this is a three star rating.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to save this for Storytime

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure that I will use for Mock Caldecott, but will definitely add to my sloth lessons. And it's short and rhyming and has a chorus, so a good PreK readaloud as well.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story, perfect for babies and toddlers.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kid likes it & I like that it's short & still clever.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetic text takes readers on a journey as Sloth slowly climbs to find tasty leaves.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni Yuly writes such perfect books for toddlers

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bold, luscious illustrations, though I wanted just a touch more from the narrative.