Yashika Mody’s story and Adriena Fong’s illustrations combine to create a picture book that will appeal to any child with a HUGE extended family — whether by blood or not. Like the young boy in this book, I grew up with dozens of family members — uncles (funcles here) and aunties — who loved me and my family. I wish every child could have the fun and love we see in this stellar book.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Lantana Publishing.

Funcles was such a sweet book. I love the family aspect! I enjoyed learning about another culture when it comes to who and how they consider others family.

FUNCLES is such a lovely book! Well written words flow believably throughout. Bright, cheerful illustrations are created digitally and there’s a lot to see in each spread. I love how no one talks down to the child when he’s confused. From his parents to his teacher to the uncles themselves, they all have a respectful attitude and use a considerate tone. A sweet story of traditions that encourage community. There’s a nice note from the author and I love the endpapers, too!

Funcles
by Yashika Mody
Yashika Mody shows the nature of social awareness that is different for many other cultures. The book highlights the respect and understanding of many cultures around the world. Children are raised with this idea of respect that may not be understood in Western culture. This book is a great social emotional book, not only for connection between similar cultures but connections within the community. It is a good conversational starter for social emotional lessons on community and respect

I really enjoyed this children's book and it is one I can definitely see myself reading for storytime.
I call all of my friends uncles and aunts to my kids and they now think they have (as the book says) "a gazillion uncles".
Fun and vibrant illustrations and it includes great diversity.

This is such a wonderful book! I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into a culture that's different than the one I grew up in. I loved how the story showed the feeling of community that's created when all of the adults, whether actually related to or not, are called "uncle" and "aunty". The illustrations are warm and inviting, and the perfect match for this feel-good story. This book is a great read-aloud for children who use these terms of endearment in their everyday lives and those that don't!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. When a young boy needs to do a family tree assignment for school her learns that there are different kinds of family.

Book 229 of 365 ~ 2026

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First, this is written by a Singaporean! Weee....

And it is such an adorable story...

The minute the kid mentioned many uncles, I wondered if the author was Singaporean or Malaysian :))

Loveeee thissssss!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book229of365 #amreading #thisbookfairyisreading #theSGtrekkiereads #netgalley

This book was truly mesmerising. The story itself it’s super cute and my library’s kids loved it! The illustrations are beautiful and truly captivating. Gonna keep an eye on this author!

This was such a warm and heartwarming story! I loved the idea of showing how family and community can extend beyond people we are related to by blood. The playful illustrations and humor make the message especially accessible for young readers.

This was just beautiful. A little boy needs to make a family tree for a school project and learns that the many wonderful people in his life he calls uncle aren't actually related by blood. So sweet!

Funcles is an adorable and heartfelt story about a boy and his chosen family. Touching on community and global culture many readers will connect with the young boy and his family. The illustrations and vibrant and whimsical.

This is a heartwarming stort that beautifully shows how a community members can feel like a family. It shows that family is not only about the people we are related to but also about the neighbors, teachers, friends, and other people who care for and support us.

It is a nice book for families to use to start conversations about kindness, belonging, and community within their culture and how it relates to.other cultures as well.

In this story, a boy believes that he'll need to make a massive family tree for his school project, since he has so many uncles. Then his parents tell him that these men aren't really related to him, and are just community members that they call uncles because of their cultural background. The boy is upset at first, but then he sees that all these people are like his family, and he feels grateful to have such a strong support system. This charming story will appeal to people from similar cultural backgrounds, and to anyone who has honorary aunts or uncles.

I enjoyed this wholesome, sweet story, and the illustrations are colorful and cute. This book is a great read-aloud for families, and it's also great for educational settings. This story can start meaningful conversations about family bonds and friends who are like family, and can help children reflect on the meaningful bonds that they have with adults throughout their communities.

I grew up in South Africa, where it also common to call older people "Aunt" and "Uncle", especially if they are friends of the family! This took me right back to calling other grown ups aunt and uncle. I loved this, and it is a great way to share with kids about different countries and cultures.

What wonderful funcles--this book will make you want some too!

i lived in Hawaii for awhile and loved the tradition of "funcles", so to speak. It really brings the community closer together and makes children feel special and wanted. This book picks up on that beautifully.

The illustrations are marvelous and multiracial.

This is a lovely and enlightening book that belongs in all libraries. The artwork is very expressive and shows the main characters' confusion so accurately when his parents say "but we don't have any siblings?" Such a sweet book.

Thank you to Publisher Spotlight and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a cute story about what makes someone family. The story itself is sweet and I loved the colorful illustrations. I especially enjoyed learning about another culture and the focus on community. Overall, a great story and a beautiful lesson about family being more than blood relations.

This is a very cute book about how different cultures show respect to their elders but also the importance of community.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. These thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
This book was about a boy who is making a school project about his uncle's, only to get a shocking revelation from his parents.
When my 3-year-old was asked what he thought of the book, he said "This book was fun."
This was a cute story that helps showcase cultures where people within the community are thought of as family. I really liked the way that theme was presented, so a child can understand that family doesn't have to be based on blood.
No language. No spice, obviously.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of Funcles by Yashika Mody in exchange for a honest review.This is a very cute story about a little boy who realizes that family is more than blood relations..It’s the people in our community who we surround ourself with who protect and look out for us.Great community helper story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher Spotlight for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.


This was such a cute story about a child who has lots of "Funcles" (fun uncles, people in his community he calls "uncle" out of respect who aren't actually related to him) in his community. It was sweet, and the illustrations were adorable!

Our main character is swimming in uncles...or so he thinks. This title explores the cultural practice of calling your elders 'uncle' or 'auntie' and the confusion that can ensue. This is a cute and fun story about the power of community and family.