Jake Gyllenhaal makes literary debut with a children’s book 'The Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles'

Jake Gyllenhaal will be highlighting the special bond of uncles and aunts with their nieces and nephews in a children’s book.

On Thursday, November 10, 2022, Feiwel and Friends and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group announced that it will publish Gyllenhaal's picture book The Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles on September 5th, 2023.

Along with Nightcrawler actor, the book will be co-authored by his longtime writing partner and friend Greta Caruso. The book will also feature illustrations from Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle), reported People Magazine.

While talking about his inspiration behind the book, Gyllenhaal told the outlet that he wrote it for his nieces "and for all the nieces, nephews, uncles, and aunts out there."

“There is no shortage of books for kids about their relationships to parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, neighbourhood fire trucks, aloof cats, and loyal dogs… but what about aunts and uncles?" Gyllenhaal noted.

“As a lifelong nephew and seasoned uncle, I wanted to write a book that shined a light on the singular relationship between an aunt or uncle and their niece or nephew — and the unsung (but essential!) craft of Auntistry and Uncleology,” he added.

The Donnie Darko star shared aunts and uncles have a “unique perspective” in their bonds with nieces and nephews that he finds is “less acknowledged” than that of the parent-child relationship.

“Parents can often be blinded by absolute parent love, and they make rules that sometimes get in the way of fun," Gyllenhaal told People Magazine. “The kind of fun that uncles and aunts can bring, along with a safe loving place to be oneself.”

According to the synopsis, the story will follow 10-year-old Leo, his Uncle Mo and “a secret society determined to make their relationship bloom.” The book is a “a madcap, magical adventure into the heart of what it means to have an aunt or uncle—how we learn to keep each other close and how we find love in the simplest things.”

The Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles hits bookshelves September 5th, 2023.