When the Cousins Came

Written by Katie Yamasaki

Hardcover

$17.99

$16.73

4 - 7

Reading age

Page count

480L

Lexile measure

Jul 3, 2018

Publication date

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What's This Book About

Publisher Summary

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year! A multicultural family story that celebrates kindness and differences Lila is excited for her cousins Takeo and Rosie to visit. They’re going to ride bikes, paint, and camp together! But when the cousins arrive, everything’s wrong: Rosie and Takeo are better painters than Lila, have skateboards instead of bikes, and don’t want to camp outside. Lila is terribly disappointed until the cousins make her a surprise: a big banner for their “best cousin” Lila! Inspired by the author’s own large, diverse family, When the Cousins Came is a sensitive story about insecurity, hosting, and friendship. Katie Yamasaki’s tale, paired with bright mixed-media art, reminds children that negative thoughts and anxiety over exclusion don’t always translate to reality, and that even when plans go wrong you can still have a good time together.

What Kind of Book is When the Cousins Came

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Book Lists That Include This Book

Books about African Americans

Those Magnificent Sheep in Their Flying Machine

Books about culture

Books about family

The Creative Behind the Book

Author

Katie Yamasaki

Katie Yamasaki is a muralist, author, and teacher. When she was growing up, the World War II internment of 110,000 Japanese and Japanese American citizens was never discussed in school–even though most of Katie’s Japanese family was interned. Inspired by her family’s history, she wrote Fish for Jimmy to honor their bravery and the memory of those like them. Based in Brooklyn, New York, she travels widely across the world to paint in and work with diverse communities. She is passionate about art as dialogue and storytelling.