Our Gunkle by Steven Rowley

GUP was not like anyone they knew back home. Or like anyone they knew anywhere.

After the loss of their mom, siblings Grant and Maisie have come to visit their Guncle who they call GUP (for Gay Uncle Patrick) in Palm Springs. GUP can't bear how sad they all feel, and he tries everything he can think of to make them happy. But swimming pools and milkshakes and new animal friends are only temporary fixes. It isn't until one quiet night, under the stars, that they come to realize what they've been searching for has been with them all along.

A moving exploration of the lessons we learn as we journey through hard times together, and the importance of family--in all its unexpected forms.