LEEVA AT LAST

Stephanie Willing's performance is full of vim and vigor that amps up the absurdist humor in this charming fairy tale. Leeva's parents are villains. They never tell Leeva her birthday or let her leave their property. She learns about the world through soap operas and the local newspaper's word-of-the-day. One day, Leeva squeezes through the hedge and discovers the library next door with its friendly librarian, her nephew, and a limit of 10 books a day. Willing's pacing and tone are perfect. She keeps the story light as she shows listeners Leeva's big heart, can-do attitude, and need to right the wrongs her parents have done to the whole town--along with the magic of friends, books, cookies, and toast. A.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]