L Is for Love

Atinuke and Brooksbank (Baby Goes to Market) reteam for an L-focused story about two adults and four children setting off to sell lemons, leaving two elders behind. In an opening scene (“L is for Leaving,/ L is for Linger”), the family members embrace one another, conveying abundant warmth. They get ready while it’s still dark, and after a mishap, catch an unplanned ride in a red bus (“L is for Lift./ L is for Lucky”). Throughout, repeating L sounds provide a continuo that grounds the scenery they pass through. At last, they arrive, and “L is for LAGOS!” A magnificent spread pulses with the life of the market as stalls crowd sidewalks and buses snake through streets. Lemons are sold and lunch is eaten before the family makes its way home, this time on foot, arriving at last in the arms of its waiting members (“L is for Late,/ and L is for...// Love!”). It’s a family portrait that underscores rich relationships surrounded by the natural world. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)