Mauntie and Me

A South Asian child feels her closeness with a beloved aunt may be threatened in this insightful tale about shifting relationships. Each the youngest in their respective families, Priya and Mauntie (short for My Auntie) spend time together when their relatives gather each week: Mauntie “cooked the tastiest treats, fashioned the fanciest hairdos, and told the best riddles.” A visit from cousin Aditi, who’s only a year older than Priya, finds her staying behind with them when the older cousins head off to play. Priya struggles throughout the visit until a reveal from Aditi suggests that more of the new dynamic will follow. Promising a day together, “just the two of us,” Mauntie also presents a riddle, leading Priya to ponder, “What grows when you share it?” Alam’s appealing digital and pencil illustrations show Mauntie and the two cousins amid bustling household scenes, hinting at the way families, and relational dynamics, grow and change. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3–7. (Nov.)