Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wild, written by Margarita Engle with photographs by Sam Trull. National Geographic Kids, Penguin Random House. 2023. $22.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Down on the ground there was the 
soft ah, ah of a frightened baby sloth
who had fallen and could not climb 
back up to find her mother. She heard
the cree, cree of a poison dart frog and 
the ssssss of a deadly bushmaster snake.

The little sloth was hungry, weak, and sick, 
with thin hair, itchy skin, and a sore eye." 

Margarita Engle is a poet and storyteller whose work I greatly admire. Destiny's story is told with such joy and wonder, little ones are sure to feel elated by her journey to good health and an eventual return to the Costa Rican rainforest that is her home. 

The tiny sloth is discovered by concerned people who contact an expert in sloth care and rehabilitation. At the rescue center, she is given sustenance, medicine, love and a name. Sam Trull calls her Destiny and does her level best to help the baby recover. With attention, food, and encouragement to learn what she will need to know, the staff watch Destiny as she works hard at climbing (despite falls caused by her lack of keen eyesight), at using her senses to make her way through busy days, and at showing confidence in learning. With bravery and that confidence, she learns all she needs to know to ensure making her way in her natural world. 

This true tale is warmly told, and accompanied by countless photos taken by scientist Sam Trull. It requires a full year of care and constant preparation to release this brave, confident, curious sloth back into the wild. In the end, every minute is worth it! 

The following comes from a blog post written by Margarita: 

"I wanted to write Destiny’s story in a way that might inspire young readers to learn more about wildlife conservation. The tropical rain forest has its own rhythm, and poetry is musical language. However, nonfiction is usually presented in a more detailed prose style. I decided to combine poetic devices with facts." 

She has done just exactly that! 

Other books in the Baby Animal Tales series include A Friend for Lakota, Jimmy the Joey, Natumi Tales the Lead, A Leap for Legadema, Saving Yasha and Little Larry.