Oh No, the Aunts Are Here

Starred review from March 20, 2023
Via a quartet of unconditionally, relentlessly loving aunts, Rex (Gladys the Magic Chicken) and Cho (It Began with Lemonade) breathe new life into a staple of kid humor: the older, oblivious-to-personal-space relative. Exasperatedly observed second-person text and bustling watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil art brim with warmhearted exaggeration as the boisterous aunts, shown with varying skin tones, practically bust down the door to swarm their beloved nibling, a child portrayed with brown skin. Commandeering the following spreads and kitted out with fanny packs, lip balm, and sun visors (yes, one wears a “World’s Best Aunt” T-shirt), they brandish “a dollar and a mint... a newspaper article... and a very small packet of peanuts”; pepper their overwhelmed charge with questions (“Do you still like toy horses?” “When did you stop liking horses?”); and fill the air with the smell of their lotion. In a turn of events that melds comedy and fantasy, the child realizes that the aunts are good people to have on one’s side—they’re mighty hand-sanitizer-wielding champions whose care makes one feel “warm as a coconut.” It’s a high-spirited, high-comedy portrait of intrusive, effusive relatives one can count on. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

Starred review from April 1, 2023
Oh no, here they come! A small brown-skinned child braces as four of their aunts (two are brown-skinned, one presents as Asian, and one is light-skinned) cheerfully burst through the front door. Soon, the child is overwhelmed with hugs, pinched cheeks, the smell of coconut, and rapid-fire questions. To the dismay of the child, the aunts are here, they're there, they're everywhere! But as the adventure takes a more fantastical turn, the aunts become fiercely protective, fighting a wolf ("They read an article about this") before reassuring the child in a loving embrace. Then, just as the child warms up to their presence, they leave in a fashion as dramatic as their entrance. Armed with sun visors, hand sanitizer, and fanny packs, the aunts have undeniable charm--it's hard to not be swept away by their shenanigans. The pacing and rhythm of the text make it a joy to read aloud, with streams of repeating lines, occasional rhymes ("Fanny packs. A snack. Pack that snack back in the fanny pack"), and varied use of fonts contributing to the hilariously over-the-top energy of the aunts. Cho's vibrant illustrations and mastery of perspective perfectly capture the eccentricities and exuberance of each aunt, contrasting the child's concerned expressions to humorous effect. Keen-eyed readers will delight in finding clues in the illustrations that foreshadow what's to come. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A gleefully fun take on the loving chaos of family reunions. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from April 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* The aunts are marching, and any young reader belonging to a large or even middle-size family will know what's coming. No fewer than four of them--notably diverse in race as well as gender--burst through the door, depicted by Cho in appropriately riotous cartoon illustrations. The aunts surround a dismayed child, depicted with chubby, all-too-pinchable cheeks, before whisking her away on a sightseeing tour. Unsurprisingly considering the author (whose gems include Why?, 2019; Unstoppable, 2020; and On Account of the Gum, 2020), events that night and the morning after then take a surreal turn involving aunties on horseback, fighting off a wolf with squirts of hand sanitizer, then turning into chattering tropical birds to fly away just as a new slew of houseguests gallops into view: "OH MAN, IT'S THE UNCLES." Along with eliciting universal nods of recognition as a common family experience, this slots nicely into themed storytimes with any number of like reunions, from John Yeoman and Quentin Blake's Meet the Family (2022) to the Cynthia Rylant/Stephen Gammell classic The Relatives Came.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 24, 2023

K-Gr 2-The aunts have officially arrived. Carting fanny packs, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and lotion, four effervescent women descend on their niece's house and smother her with love and affection. Though chaos reigns in their presence, moments of true connection make the visit pleasantly memorable, and the aunts depart just in time for the family's next guests to arrive. Anyone who has ever hosted several high energy family members at once will recognize the intensity that is pervasive throughout. Clever use of lines of sight, repetitive phrases, and varying font gives the story a frantic feeling, especially since the book is told from the perspective of a young niece most overwhelmed by the visit. Rhythm and onomatopoeia are incorporated at opportune moments within the narrative, which gives the book a playful quality, particularly when read aloud. Though dialogue is not a primary feature, word bubbles are occasionally used to give the aunts distinct voices. Watercolor illustrations form the backdrop of the story, and they work in tandem with the book to enhance the frenzy of the aunts' visit. Each page includes a great deal of detail, as well, which will invite readers to investigate the book more closely with each read. VERDICT This is a high-energy picture book that will appeal to families with extended relatives who are larger than life.-Mary R. Lanni

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