Mauntie and Me

Mauntie and Me is a heartwarming early chapter book that gently explores the common childhood emotion of jealousy within the context of a loving extended family. Priya cherishes her exclusive bond with her favorite aunt, Mauntie, until her cousin Aditi arrives and seeks the same attention. The story beautifully normalizes Priya's feelings of not wanting to share and shows how, with Mauntie's patient guidance, she learns to navigate these emotions and discover that love can expand to include everyone. It's an excellent book for initiating conversations about sharing, family dynamics, and understanding that it's okay to feel big emotions.

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.