Slow Loris

Slow Loris by Alexis Deacon
Illustrated by Alexis Deacon
2002

     Slow Loris is the story of a slow loris, a mammal that's sort of a mix between a lemur and a sloth.  Slow Loris does everything slowly, very slowly.  So much so that the other animals and the zoo visitors think he's just plain boring.  But they don't know his secret.  There is a reason why Slow Loris is so tired during the day. He has some crazy nights!
     The pacing of the story is fantastic.  It builds up and keeps surprising you.  And not only the text, but the illustrations as well, which vary from dark tones, to fold-outs, a lift-the-flap, and even an extreme close-up that practically looks like an out-of focus photograph.  It's fun to imagine what happens when the lights go out.

PS: Alexis Deacon is also the illustrator of the awesome book I wrote about earlier this week, Jitterbug Jam.