Mauntie and Me

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Author(s)

Rajani LaRocca

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Nadia Alam

Publisher

Candlewick

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

November 12, 2024

ISBN

978-1536229417

Buy This Book

What grows when you share it?A tender story of extended family, jealousy pangs, and above all love, from the Newbery Honor–winning author of I’ll Go and Come Back.

Every Saturday, when Priya’s aunties and uncles and cousins come over, the other kids run off to play together, leaving Priya behind. But she doesn’t mind, because she gets to have her favorite aunt, Mauntie—short for My Auntie—all to herself. Until, that is, her older cousin Aditi comes to visit and wants to share Mauntie’s attention. Priya doesn’t want to share—she wants things to go back to the way they were! With Mauntie’s help, can she find a way to ease her feelings of jealousy and make room in their family duo for one more? Nadia Alam’s artwork details a cozy home and a big, loving family in this sweet story by Rajani LaRocca of taming cousin rivalry that will appeal to anyone who has ever felt like the odd one out or struggled to share something precious.

Editor review

1 review

A warm bond with a special aunt

March 06, 2025 (Updated: June 06, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Priya is the youngest in her family, so when the relatives all gather at her house, her cousins often leave her out. Luckily, her Mauntie (MY auntie) is also the youngest, and is willing to spend time with her, sharing special snacks and braiding her hair. When Aditi, a cousin who is just a year older than Priya, comes for a visit, she also wants to hang out with Mauntie, even using Priya's special name, Priya puts up with Aditi helping braid her hair, winning all of the games, and knowing the answers to Mauntie's riddles, but when she tells them that she is moving back to the area, Priya is NOT happy. Mauntie offers to spend a special day alone with Priya and asks her a riddle: "What grows when you share it?" Priya enjoys having Mauntie to herself, but finds that she misses Aditi a little bit. The answer to the riddle is, of course, love, and Priya finds that she enjoys spending time with her aunt AND cousin once she gets used to the idea.

Good Points

Change is hard for young children, and giving up a comfortable relationship can be especially challenging. Aditi is a year older, so better at games and riddles, which Priya resents a little bit. Mauntie explains that she spent quite a bit of time with Aditi before her family moved away, which makes Priya the one who is a bit of an interloper, and that, combined with Priya's growing affection for her cousin, makes the change a bit easier.

Alam's illustrations are packed with fantastic details, and it's fun to watch the family grilling out and packing into the house. This makes the moments that Priya shares just with her auntie even more special. They spend time in Priya's bedroom, hide under the dining room table, and share moments of quiet that are hard to find. The cover is especially fun, with the photographs of the two together over a number of years.

My mother had eight brothers and sisters, so there were lots of cousins at our family gatherings. I was one of the youngest, but so was my mother, and I was always specifically told NOT to bother my aunts! Many children crave adult input from someone who is not their parents, and since Mauntie seems to be college aged, I am not surprised that both Priya and Aditi are drawn to her. Celebrate the special role that aunts have in the lives on their young nieces with this book, along with James and Brown's Auntie Loves You, Coyle and MacPherson's Thank You Aunt Tallulah!, Liu and Ansori's Auntie Always Loves You!