Eli and the Uncles
by Jehan Madhani, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh
Interest age: 2 to 3
Reading age: 4+
Published by Walker Books, 2025
About this book
This is a very funny and beautiful picture book which celebrates the importance of a wider family beyond parents and grandparents, particularly uncles.
Eli has eight uncles, who are all big and tall with elegant beards. They each have their own talents, such as cooking and singing. Uncle Aman can dance! They are powerful, kind, and lovely – and great role models for a young boy.
This is a fantastic bedtime countdown book as Eli says goodnight to each uncle. And it’s so funny to see the world through Eli’s eyes with his uncles being so fabulous.
In real life, the uncles would just be normal men and probably don’t live together with the longest, fluffiest unique beards in the world, but to a little child this is what it seems like, and it’s so charming, sweet and funny.
The illustrations are fantastically beautiful and, of course, integral to what makes this a lovely book. A great book for an uncle to buy his niece or nephew... especially if bearded!
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