Fifty LemonsFifty Lemons

Follow a young Ethiopian child as they gather too many lomi (lemons) and discover the truth behind the Ethiopian parable "For one person, fifty lemons is a heavy load. For fifty people, fifty lemons are adornments." The lomi is a lucky fruit in Ethiopian culture, and yellow dots can often be seen floating in the Nile River, each one attached to a wish and thrown from a bridge into the water. Side by side text in Vietnamese and English support emerging bilingual readers. Simple, sweet watercolor illustrations follow the Ethiopian child as they gather more lemons than they can carry and help us count how many friends will help carry the load on the fragrant journey home through the beautiful Ethiopian countryside.