Sloth and Squirrel on Vacation - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

Maria Marshall
5 hours ago
3 min read

Managing vacations for a family or a play date for a few friends can be challenging when trying to balance different personalities and energy levels. In this joyous, funny, and touching picture book, two best friends discover that the very best part of a vacation is spending time together.

Book cover - Squirrel riding a wave of a surf board, with a beach ball on the waves crest. Sloth floating at the bottom in a unicorn floaty.

Sloth & Squirrel on Vacation

Author: Cathy Ballou Mealey

Illustrator: Kelly Collier

Publisher: Kids Can Press (May 6, 2025)

Ages: 4 to 7

Themes:

Friendship, teamwork, adventure, and adaptability.

Synopsis:

When a speedy squirrel and a slow-moving sloth discover they want different things from their vacation, things do not go smoothly, but solving problems together is what counts.

Finding a destination that best friends Sloth and Squirrel can agree on for their vacation is tough, until they learn that Paradise Park has ”Something for Everyone!“ Perfect! While Sloth happily lazes on the sand, Squirrel enjoys rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding, ziplining … until he starts to miss Sloth, and heads back to find him. Meanwhile, Sloth, finished with his nap, is missing Squirrel, and begins searching for him ― in all the places Squirrel has just been! Will the friends ever have fun together?

Young readers will appreciate how the two lovable, mismatched friends always find a way to work things out. This endearing story makes a funny and engaging read-aloud, offering lessons on caring for others and being adaptable.

Opening Lines:

Sloth and Squirrel’s pickle pop stand was always

busy. Almost too busy.

Sloth often longed for a l-o-n-g nap.

And Squirrel was eager for adventure. “I wish we

had time to do something together besides sell

pickle pops.”

That gave Sloth an idea.

What I LOVED about this book:

I fell in love with Sloth and Squirrel in Cathy Ballou Mealey's first book, Sloth & Squirrel in a Pickle, when the adorable two-some developed Pickle Pops - pickles on a stick! What a genius idea. I was so excited to see them get a sequel and love the opening spread of them cooperatively working in their booth.

Internal spread - on the left, a donkey, porcupine, fox, dog, rabbits, cat, duck, and pig line up at the "pickle pop" stand. On the right, Squirrel and Sloth, in aprons, in their stand selling pickle pops.

Text © Cathy Ballou Mealey, 2025. Image © Kelly Collier, 2025.

When the best friends decide to take a vacation, their opposing interests and energy levels (slow and steady versus zipping speedster) make the destination selection a challenge. Until they happen upon an ad for "Paradise Park: Fun! Sun! Something for Everyone!" And it does seem to satisfy Sloth's love of lounging and Squirrel's desire to dash about and do everything.

Internal spread - on the left, sloth is blowing up a unicorn floatie as squirrel excitedly stares at the welcome sign. On the right, vignettes of sloth lounging on his floatie while squirrel splashes in waves, builds a sandcastle & thows rocks - popping sloth's floatie.

It definitely does seem to be the perfect vacation. Until Squirrel accidentally pops Sloth's floatie. Leaving his buddy napping on the beach, Squirrel zips off to buy Sloth a new floatie. But in true Squirrel fashion, he is instantly distracted and captivated by rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding, ziplining, and waterskiing. Immensely enjoying each activity, until he spies the next one. Finally, "tired...queasy...[and] waterlogged," Squirrel flops on the beach and realizes he misses Sloth.

However, Sloth, who woke alone on the beach, has followed an activity trail, guided by amazed animals commenting of the adventures and actions of a squirrel - but did so in true Sloth style. Such as using this amazing rock-climbing system, devised by Kelly Collier.

Internal image - sloth dangling along a rock fact in a sling, holding a remote control, meeting a mountain goat.

Trying to catch up with Squirrel, Sloth succeeded in also kayaking and paragliding. I adore Kelly Collier's colorful, inventive, and expressive digital illustrations. She and Cathy do such a great job of juxtaposing the adventurous, speedy actions of Squirrel (zipping through the waves in a kayak) with Sloth's steady (sitting in a still kayak, next to a frog and dragonflies), determined attempt to catch up to Squirrel. When suddenly, Sloth spots a shape sitting alone on the beach - Squirrel! Their joyous reunion and joint activities create the very best vacation for both of them.

This is such a tender and humorous celebration of friendship, adventure, empathy, and spending time together. It is a perfect sequel for Sloth and Squirrel, and I hope the first of many more adventures for these two adorable best friends.

Resources:

make a toilet paper roll sloth and squirrel. Where would your two friends go for a vacation? What activities would they do there?

where would you go on vacation? Who would you take with you? Why?

have you gone on a vacation or trip with your family and discovered something you never expected to like? Did you have to compromise on the trip?

If you missed my interview with Cathy Ballou Mealey on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.