Sugar in Milk

By Thrity Umrigar

Book Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Thrity Umrigar and illustrator Khoa Le comes a story of a young girl who felt alone in her community after recently immigrating to America to live with her Auntie and Uncle--where she finds solace and joy through her Auntie's retelling of a classic Persian myth of acceptance and compassion between strangers.

This timely and timeless story about immigration, refugees, and tolerance is now in paperback for the first time

When I first came to this country, I felt so alone.

A young immigrant girl joins her aunt and uncle in a new country that is unfamiliar to her. She struggles with loneliness, with a fierce longing for the culture and familiarity of home, until one day, her aunt takes her on a walk. As the duo strolls through their city park, the girl's aunt begins to tell her an old myth, and a story within the story begins.

A long time ago, a group of refugees arrived on a foreign shore. The local king met them, determined to refuse their request for refuge. But there was a language barrier, so the king filled a glass with milk and pointed to it as a way of saying that the land was full and couldn't accommodate the strangers. Then, the leader of the refugees dissolved sugar in the glass of milk. His message was clear: Like sugar in milk, our presence in your country will sweeten your lives. The king embraced the refugee, welcoming him and his people. The folktale depicted in this book was a part of author Thrity Umrigar's Zoroastrian upbringing as a Parsi child in India, but resonates for children of all backgrounds, especially those coming to a new homeland.

An ALSC Notable Children's Book
A Kirkus Best Books
A School Library Journal Best Books
Winner of the 2021 Ohioana Book Award
An Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award, 2022

"Lush illustrations and a strong message of hope and perseverance make this a standout title." --School Library Journal, Starred Review

"An engaging, beautiful, and memorable book." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0762495197
• ISBN13: 9780762495191
• Release Date: October 2020
• Publisher: Running Press Kids
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.5" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 6 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 3

Customer Reviews

Delightful story about refugees entering a new country

I am a homeschool mom of three children six and under. Recently I began to prioritize the introduction of foreign language study to my children's homeschool routine. It has naturally progressed into our social studies subject matter and we are reading about people's cultures and traditions from very different places than our home. This story is told from the perspective of a young girl who moved away from her immediate family to live with extended family in America. While struggling with loneliness and homesickness she is told a story about ancient refugees seeking a new home. The story was simple enough for my children to understand. The pictures are absolutely lovely. The story shows persons initially reluctant to welcome newcomers into their own country ultimately welcoming them warmly, a value I would want my children to share as they meet new and different people here in our home country. It also paints a picture of those newcomers entering that country with peace, friendliness and other positive attributes to share which is a value I would want my children to travel to new places with someday if they choose to travel. I absolutely adored this book and its promotion of human kindness and hospitality.