In the modern Russian literature, especially in the children’s literature, few books become a sensation. Not every year it is possible to find a book, which is read and discussed almost by everyone. Olga Gromova’s Sugar Child, first published in 2014, has been reissued several times, and its 2017 reissue differs from the others: it’s a “grown-up” version, it has new cover. The author of the new cover is Ksenia Dereka. Her illustration won the reader’s competition held by KompasGuide and Illustrators.ru site in social networks in June 2017. Sugar Child tells the story of a 5-year-old girl Elya, who was sent with her mother to a camp in Kirgizia as family members of an “enemy of the people”. Settling into a new place is hard, looking back on happy days in Moscow is painful and getting to know strange people is scary. However, this novel, despite its difficult subject, is its own way bright and optimistic: new place will be settled into, a grown-up Elya will see Moscow again and good people can be found anywhere.

book published with the financial support of the Institute of Tranalsation, Moscow, Russia (www.institutperevoda.ru)