Slow Days, Fast Friends [Hardcover]

Erik Brooks (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005 | Grade Level: K and up

Howard the cheetah loves being fast. To him, every day is a race--and he always wins. But when Howard hurts his leg and can't run, the only animal he can keep up with is a sloth--the slowest creature around! How could anyone like being slow?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–This simple story conveys several complex messages about friendship, healing, and perspective. Howard the cheetah lives life fast–until he hurts his leg. He is humbled by his injury and must move slowly, more slowly than the slowest creature, Quince the sloth. Now moving with Quince at his pace, Howard learns the joys of dew on orchids, a splendid sunrise, and of pleasures gained from watching, listening, and thinking. As time passes, his leg heals, and he takes Quince on a whirlwind tour of the joys of being fast, such as wind in their hair and running circles around everything that moves. In the end, they achieve a balance together. The color cartoon illustrations, full of expressive animal faces, prettify the jungle animals and give a sense of the wilds of Africa as neat and clean. This quiet story is an additional purchase.–JoAnn Jonas, Chula Vista Public Library, San Diego, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"This simple story conveys several complex messages about friendship, healing, and perspective."

School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807574376
• ISBN-13: 978-0807574379
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,449,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thanks for visiting this page and for investigating a little bit more about me and my books.

As and author AND illustrator, I often have the terrific job of illustrating a story for someone else. I spent most of my elementary school years living in Anchorage, Alaska so I have a special (although certainly not exclusive) place in my heart for all of my polar bear/arctic oriented books!

Illustrating several books a year keeps me very busy, but I also love sharing my work with schools and libraries around the country.

POLAR OPPOSITES (Fall 2010) and WHO HAS THESE FEET? (AUG. 2011) are my two latest creations, and I'm very proud of the story/concept and artwork in both. Check 'em out, and let me know what YOU think!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet story with excellent pictures, August 21, 2006

By 

Heather Martin (The Republic of Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow Days, Fast Friends (Hardcover)

My son picked this up at the library tonight and we HAD to read it before bed. All three kids crowded around and sat quietly for the whole book. I saw them looking through it many times before they went to bed.

The illustrations are excellent. All the kids commented on how much they liked them and I was equally impressed. The story was sweet and appropriate for our family (the oldest can't slow down either!) I know that this will open many talks about slowing down to see the details we miss when we run too fast.

As the 6-year-old was going to bed he pointed to the picture of the cheetah and said, "I'm going to be that guy." That's his highest compliment to a book - wanting to become one of the characters.

Read this book to any child who runs fast or moves slowly. Both will benefit from the lessons taught here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Story, Exuberant Art!, November 23, 2005

By 

Erik Brooks (Winthrop, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow Days, Fast Friends (Hardcover)

From the publisher: Howard the cheetah loves being fast. To him, everyday is a race - and he always wins. But when Howard hurts his leg and can't run, the only animal he can keep up with is a sloth - the slowest creature around! How could anyone like being slow? It's up to Quince the sloth to show Howard how wonderful slow can be!

Erik Brooks' engaging story and exuberant art celebrate an unusual friendship as well as the beauty of life at a different pace.