My First Best Cousin Friend

What is a cousin? And how do you explain that to a little kid? This book is a great story for young kids who are learning about different family members and explaining how we are all connected. It was prefect for my little girl who has her own "first best cousin friend" and is always excited for her to visit.

The story line is as expected for a children's book - La-La is looking forward to her best friend, Gabby, who is coming to visit only to be disappointed when her mom explains that Gabby is her cousin and not her best friend. Confused La-La spends almost the entire book confused why they can't be best friends anymore until she confronts Gabby at the end of the story.

We loved the illustrations. They were vibrant and bright. I love that the characters are diverse and represent different cultures. I also love that Gabby comes to visit La-La from the island of St. Croix - because we also have family that lives far away and it really helped my own family relate. I also really the bonus pages at the end of the book such as the "What is a Cousin?" Page that talks about the definition of a cousin and how to pronounce cousin in different languages. There is also a family tree where we can fill out our own family history and explain who our cousins, aunts, and uncles are, and how we are all connected. Not only is this story great for kids but also really good for explaining family dynamics.