A review by snowelf
Sparky! by Jenny Offill

4.0

This was one of those 2015 Caldecott contenders I had had no interest in picking up for the longest time, because 1) How could reading about a sloth be all that exciting, 2) Why would I want to read a book with the title "Sparky!", 3) I honestly found the cover illustration both bland and dull. Well, I read it and now I like it. The story is actually interesting in a quiet sort of way, and although the idea of getting an unusual pet is not all that original per se, I thought the storyline managed to carry the anticipation of discovering something unforeseen at the end. The illustrations, while fairly muted, are actually really cute, expressive and funny, and nowhere as bland as the cover had led me to expect.

I still don't get why she had to call him "Sparky" however, unless it was to illustrate how generally unrealistic the expectations of the little girl were for her pet sloth. If so, that's quite funny too.