L IS FOR LOVE

An alliterative lesson in love, highlighting the 12th letter of the alphabet.

This slice-of-life tale follows a family of Nigerian farmers as they haul their fruit from the lemon groves to the big city of Lagos. The text consists solely of “L is for…” sentences, and the letter L does a lot of heavy lifting in describing a world so large and dynamic, from the family’s nighttime journey through the trees (“L is for Lamp”) to the truck that gives them a ride (“L is for Lift. L is for Lucky”). Atinuke and Brooksbank home in on key details: the crack of lightning across the sky, the “lazy lions” and “lonely leopard” on the savanna, the children playing in a market filled with fabrics. At last, a morning of lemon selling gives way to lunch (“L is for Lick. L is for Lips”), and soon the family starts their long journey back home, past a herd of roaming elephants and through the winding paths beneath the lemon trees. Though the writing is spare, it exudes pure joy: Love is the focus throughout and an Lword worth cherishing. Making rich use of textures, the mixed-media art highlights the family’s affection for one another and for their home and their work; each spread is rife with detail, telling a story all its own.

Luminous illustrations and lively text make for lovely reading.