Oh No, the Aunts Are Here

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. (May)

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.