OUR GUNCLE

Rowley adapts his adult novel The Guncle (2021)—a warm and witty tale of loss and family—into picture-book format.

Siblings Maisie, 9, and Grant, 6, are spending the summer with their caftan-wearing GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) under the warm, sunny blue skies of Palm Springs. The kids are still reeling from the death of their mother, while GUP is confronting a loss of his own (in the original book, his partner died; here, a framed picture hints at the source of his grief). But GUP is determined to cheer everyone up with some perfectly fabulous activities: taking a dip in the pool (filled with oversize floats shaped like Popsicles, doughnuts, and fruit), visiting a dinosaur-themed roadside attraction, and adopting a rambunctious puppy. Nothing works—until an impromptu Christmas in July celebration in the balmy heat elicits smiles. And on the children’s last night, GUP reassures them that while in the future, festivities may feel different, “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s okay to make up new rules to help you heal.” Young readers with LGBTQ+ family members who live unapologetically out loud will see themselves in this earnestly told story, though others may be put off by the slow pacing and lengthy, at times didactic text. Though Rowley emphasizes the characters’ collective loss, Kaban’s pencil and gouache art features wide-eyed, expressive faces that typically read as disappointed or bored. The main characters are tan-skinned.

Gently soothing but may struggle to hold readers’ attention.