TOO TIRED

The sloths are on Noah's list but can't be bothered to come: ``Tomorrow,'' they mumble, going back to sleep. The cats say ``Who cares? Let them drown,'' but Noah and the other animals are determined; as the waters rise, Ham steers the Ark to the lazy sloths' tree, and though at first the elephants can't reach them, when everyone (except the cats) crowds to one side the Ark tips enough so that they can pull the sloths aboard. Clark's watercolors add to the humor of this amusing story with their whimsical caricatures; in spectacles and broad-brimmed hat, Noah is the picture of an earnest 19th-century naturalist, while the self-absorbed, still-curious cats are a sly comment on the 20th century's lack of concern for the several rainforest creatures depicted here. An entertaining tale with an unobtrusive subtext and delectable art. (Picture book. 4-8)