Home, Home

In this uplifting picture book debut, Sibu T.P. spins a story of belonging through a cup of tea. After “a long year of being the different one” at school, narrator Ajesh, an artist, feels most comfortable at home, where the family drinks chaiya, “warm, comforting... the color of treasure and honey.” When summer comes, Ajesh’s parents say they’re headed “back home” to Kerala, but Ajesh feels different there, too. Following an outing to the hills of Munnar (where the tea leaves that make “all the chaiya we drink all the time in America and here” grow), a visit to Ammachi and Appacha’s house and a cup of tea (“golden and warm, just like us. Just like home”) catalyzes Ajesh’s understanding that “this is home too.” Digitally finished, smartly lit acrylic and graphite illustrations portray domestic spaces against sweeping landscapes, exploring an emotional push-pull through a daily ritual. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)