Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536229415
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
Priya’s Poornima Auntie is “Mauntie” (My Auntie). Priya’s relationship with Mauntie is blissful. In Priya’s house, she is “too young” to play with her older siblings and the cousins who arrive every Saturday, along with the aunties and uncles. Who needs cousins when Mauntie is there to play games, style hair, and tell riddles? And then cousin Aditi arrives from far away and Priya has to share Mauntie.
Mauntie’s riddles provide a throughline for Priya’s emotional rollercoaster as she struggles with overwhelming feelings of jealousy toward Aditi, and being on the outs, because Aditi is just enough older to make Priya feel like she’s too young to understand. Eventually, Mauntie asks the riddle, “What grows when you share it?” Once Priya figures that out, things get better.
The illustrations in Mauntie and Me cleverly reflect the story through depictions of an extended South Asian family, with generations of relatives on the pages, and peeks into family traditions. Readers will enjoy detailed pictures that show characters of many different skin tones filling Priya’s house at family events.
LaRocca’s picture book contains a story many readers will identify with, if they’re lucky enough to have a “cool” aunt who dotes on them and makes time and space to give that child their full attention. The resolution is satisfactory, if predictable, and allows for growth and understanding on Priya’s part, without too much sacrifice.
Highly recommended for school and public libraries.
Deanna Contrino, K-2 School Resource Librarian, Scarborough