MY BOOK (NOT YOURS)

A sloth and an interfering fox vie for control of the book.

Lento, a sloth, strides across the opening page, announcing, “This is MY BOOK,” but before there’s time to tell the story, a “little nap” intervenes. Seizing the moment, Fox boldly swings across the gutter on a rope, challenging the inert Lento for the book’s ownership, yelling, “You snooze, you lose, sloth,” initiating instant rivalry. Ignoring Lento’s claim that Fox and his takeover are not part of the script, Fox insists the book needs a more dynamic lead character. Protesting vehemently, Lento proceeds to compete with Fox to prove who’s the best lead. Lento yodels. Fox blasts out of a canon. Fox soars in a hot air balloon only to be felled by Lento in a plane. Warning Fox in an O.K Corral–style showdown that “this book ain’t big enough for the both of us,” Lento devises a plan to get Fox out of the book—maybe. Presented in bold, individualized type in the dialogue-only text, Lento and Fox’s contest to control the book becomes the story. Their hilarious, attention-getting, action-filled antics play out in simple, eye-catching red, green, yellow, black, and white shapes and backgrounds. Slow Lento’s distressed, anguished, and determined expressions and body language prove the perfect foil for nimble Fox’s mercurial demeanor, outrageous behavior, and arrogant bravado.

Very clever in concept and execution.