Sloth Sleuth

Sloth Sleuth #1

by Cyndi Marko

On an island crawling with crime, everyone's a suspect. Luckily, its resident sloth can solve crimes in her sleep (and often does!). Meet Paz, the world's first sloth sleuth. She may be slow . . . but she's always one step ahead of the bad guys. This hilarious graphic novel mystery is perfect for fans of The Bad Guys and Investigators. Pssst . . . hey, you! Welcome to Winklefuss. Don't get too comfortable—this tropical paradise is crawling with criminals. Luckily, Paz, the world's smartest sloth detective, lives here, too! She can solve the toughest crimes in her sleep (and often does). A mysterious illness is striking the customers of Cookie’s Diner. Could it be something they ate? (Spoiler It is.) As she investigates, Paz fills her fanny pack with clues. But who's the culprit? Is it Mayor McSqueak, who was caught breaking into the diner? Is it Lacie Flamingo, fired after messing up orders? Is it Louie the Shark, who works for the toughest crime boss this side of the Bermuda Triangle (a fish in a bag)? Well, kid, you’ll just have to read the book to find out!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Mystery, Middle Grade, Animals, Juvenile, Humor

192 pages, Hardcover

Published June 7, 2022

Reviews

[Tim Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonably funny, but the mystery makes no sense.

[Stephanie Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute graphic novel which is perfect for kids who love mysteries and of course cuddly animals involved in the mysteries. Paz is the world’s first sloth sleuth on Winklefuss island which is crawling with criminals. A mysterious illness is striking the customers of Cookies Diner; Paz is on the case trying to figure out which of the various criminals on the island are responsible. This was a really fun read.

Thanks to Clarion Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Raena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review from daughter: 3 stars because it wasn’t good but it wasn’t bad. And I didn’t really understand it but I liked it.

I agree with her review. Lots of characters but none of them mattered. It wasn’t a great read aloud book and the graphics didn’t fill in what the dialogue lacked well enough. Some parts were funny but not as good as other graphic novels of similar genre.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are way too many characters to keep up with, and the story is confusing and frenetic at times. This graphic novel will appeal to kids who like Dog Man and similar series, but it's just for elementary-aged readers, without any broader appeal.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

That you Goodreads for the arc! This book was super cute for an elementary age reader. I can't wait to see what the finished graphics look like in color!

[Abbie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this is a mystery book.

[Basketball Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super funny love the mystery.

[Alexx Burris · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this being a graphic novel about a sloth detective (how was this not written for me???), I found it a little disjointed. Kiddos will love it though.

[Librarylady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sloth Sleuth is sure to be another winning series from Cyndi Marko, creator of Kung Pow Chicken. The island of Winklefuss is filled with criminals. When the customers at Cookie's Diner all start falling ill with a mysterious illness, will Paz, the Sloth Sleuth be able to solve the crime? Adorable illustrations, appealing main character, and appealing graphic novel format will make this super popular with kids of all ages in elementary. I can't wait to order a copy.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Psssst. Hey you, kid. Wondering what a sloth is doing parasailing? And why there's a long line outside the diner?

Premise/plot: Set on the tropical island of Winklefuss, Sloth (and friends) always have plenty of mysteries to solve. Winklefuss, so we're told, is home to plenty of criminals--criminal animals to be more exact. Though some of the residents are human. (Including a librarian and a police officer). So what kinds of cases are ongoing in Sloth Sleuth? Well, someone is stealing all the nuts, but, that is more of a back-back-back burning story. The main mystery story is WHY so many people are being poisoned at the local diner.

My thoughts: This one has half-a-dozen gimmicks or so. Don't expect tons of character development. Do expect plenty of sloth jokes--sloths falling asleep, sloths going slow, sloths pooping, etc. Paz, our sloth sleuth, is adorable. I won't lie. But the story wasn't much. The cast of characters has/had potential. But that same cast is also very large. So very few are developed. They do offer limited comic relief. Like the island's biggest crime boss being a goldfish still in the bag. But overall, as an adult reader, and an adult reader who isn't all that enthusiastic with graphic novels, I was a bit disappointed. I would be curious if kids in the actual actual target audience (mid-elementary) liked this one. Or perhaps they might even love it?

[Jaymie · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

3.5 stars = Good +

Cute story with lots going on. There's a character introduction early on that feels a little overwhelming. I think I might have enjoyed this even more if the action started sooner. Lots of sloth-based humor and information. I think kids will have fun with this one.

[Deena Lipomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When animals on the mysterious and remote Winklefuss island start getting sick after eating at Cookie's Diner, Paz is set to solve the case with her fanny pack, sloth moths, speed assisting devices, and librarian assistant. Silly antics and bright colors make this book a pleasure to read, and those who take the time to look closely at the illustrations will get even more joy out of it. A fun start to a new graphic novel series.

[rowan ꩜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

my little sister picked this up at the library, and because it looked cute I started reading it. It was! A crime solving sloth = cuteness all around. I'm not the target audience (elementary school kids will love it) but I do think it was a fun read. Plus, you get some cool fun facts about sloths at the end of the book!

[Shavona Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book for ages 8-12. My 8-year-old granddaughter adored the book and my 6-year-old grandson also enjoyed it. With lots of illustrations and his recognition of site words he was able to figure out the story on his own - but of course, grandma helped when needed.

[Timofey Marko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will find this a great introduction to the mystery genre! A variety of characters make for a fun challenge, helping readers improve.

P.S. “The bushy-tailed vermin won’t stop until the entire planet is as nut-free as school lunch.” made me laugh out loud! 🤣

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute mystery with stereotypical kid humor. Basic theme but young readers will get a kick out of it.

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this book as much as I was hoping, but kids are sure to enjoy it. I found it a little confusing and disjointed at times. Coming June2022. #ETCH #ClarionBooks #HarperCollinsPublishers

[Lori Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute book for the younger audience. Great cartoon pictures and characters. It was a fun read and nice change of pace from my usual reads. I enjoyed it.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exceptionally silly graphic novel about a sleuthing sloth on an island called Winklefuss.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an odd book. My 9 year old daughter loved it. I found it silly and meandering but cute.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9-year old son thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cute story with good illustrations.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Too cute!

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book for young readers! I mean who doesn’t love a sloth as a main character much less a sleuthing sloth?!? (How fun is that to say?!?) I loved it as much as my little one.

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up from 2.5 because I'm not the intended audience--see https://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/202... for details!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
Interesting mystery with a sloth sleuth and librarian sidekick

[Krystle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute and funny graphic novel!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started it, but didn't finish it. But that's not because it wasn't a nice book. I think the middle grade child would really like this.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Great for fans of the Bad Guys books.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and HarperChildrens for this Giveaway book. This is a cute graphic novel for young readers. The author uses a sloth as the main character and implements the characteristics of a sloth in the story. It is a cute idea. At the end, the author shares fun facts about sloths. The storyline did have a lot of characters to keep up with but it just made the story funnier.

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

(read July 6th, 2023.)