A COUCH FOR LLAMA

When the Lago family has sat, spilled, and jumped on their beloved couch one time too many, a misadventure equal parts practical and absurd begins.

The racially mixed family of five (dad has brown skin and straight, black hair; mom is white; children are brown) piles into their cramped car and travels through the rural setting into town, where the furniture store is having a sale. They find their new couch and strap it to the roof. On the way home, unbeknownst to the Lagos, the couch slips off the roof and into a field, where a curious llama awaits. At first the llama doesn’t know what to make of the couch. It’s unfriendly, tastes terrible, and won’t move. Exasperated, he flops down on the couch—and then understands its function. When the Lago family returns to the field to claim the couch, the llama refuses to give it up. The family is too thoughtful to leave the llama empty-handed, so they come up with a plan to satisfy everyone. The sweet and silly premise comes to life through the illustrations. Small details express the family’s tenderness and frugality. The llama is endearing, and his curiosity and playfulness shine. Readers may wonder, however, how the family manages to get this stubborn creature off of the couch, as this part of the action is conspicuously absent.

A fun blend of realistic and ridiculous that will appeal to a broad audience.