Funcles

About this book

At school, a little boy’s teacher announces that they’re going to make family trees. The problem is that the little boy has so many uncles that he can’t see how he’s going to fit them all on one piece of paper – there’s Bus Uncle, who waits when the little boy and his dad are running for the bus, Supermarket Uncle who restocks the shelves at the shops, Haircut Uncle, the Uncle that makes fried rice at the food stall… even a poster won’t cover all the uncles in the little boy’s life! 

Yet, when his parents explain that these uncles (and aunties) aren’t actual relations, and that “uncle” is a respectful term for people in the community, the little boy feel betrayed. He doesn’t have lots of uncles after all – but he does have “funcles”: fun-uncles. In fact, it’s a marvellous thing to have so many people in the community to look after him! 

This endearing and lovely tribute to honouring the people in our wider community is a delightful read, and particularly relatable for any children from a culture that calls men and women in the wider community “uncle” and “auntie” as a term of endearment (the Philippines, Latin America and Hawaii, to name a few). However, it’s also making a point about the ways that we can build community for ourselves and interact positively with the people around us.