Logo image
  • BookDragon
  • About
  • The Blogger
  • Review Policy
  • Smithsonian APAC
 
44156
post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-44156,single-format-standard,stardust-core-1.1,stardust-child-theme-ver-1.0.0,stardust-theme-ver-3.1,ajax_updown_fade,page_not_loaded,smooth_scroll

BookDragon Blog

20 Jul / When the Cousins Came by Katie Yamasaki [in Shelf Awareness]

“The night before the cousins came, [Lila] couldn’t sleep,” anticipating the fun she’d have with fellow “big kids” Rosie and Takeo. As soon as they arrive, Lila notices differences: unlike her own “two flat braids,” Rosie has “two puffy balls on top of her head” while Takeo sports “a little shark fin”-Mohawk. Happy to share their stylish ways, the cousins readily give Lila “a little shark fin too.”

Groomed to match, the threesome venture outdoors – Rosie on her bike, while the cousins, who “‘brought [their] own wheels,’” ride skateboards. Dinner is noodles, which means chopsticks for the cousins, with Lila eager to learn. At Lila’s suggestion of an after-meal stroll, Rosie hesitates – “Night is scary” – but with Lila’s gentle assurance, they’re rewarded with a firefly glow show. As their visit continues, Lila notices that “[e]verything the cousins did was a little bit extra special.” Their final night together – a camping adventure forced indoors by rain – morphs into a memorable evening of familial bonding.

International muralist Katie Yamasaki (Fish for Jimmy) deftly enhances When the Cousins Came with cultural, social, and emotional layers for lasting beyond-the-words effect. Her characters’ names and detailed illustrations suggest the cousins are mixed-race with a shared Japanese heritage. Lila’s comfortable country home contrasts sharply with her cousins’ apartment, where they don’t go out in darkness because “[s]omething might get you.” The giraffe height ruler reveals the cousins’ visit is a first, or at least the first in four years, when the initial height tick marked Lila’s wall. Even as Lila acknowledges brief moments of wishful envy as the non-sibling among the trio, all her thoughtful planning ultimately connects the cousins with lasting love.

Discover: When Lila’s two city cousins come to visit her home in the country, the trio share unexpected adventures both inside and outside.

Review: “Children & Young Adult,” Shelf Awareness, July 20, 2018

Readers: Children

Published: 2018

By Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Children/Picture Books, Fiction, Hapa/Mixed-race, Japanese American, Repost Tags > BookDragon, Family, Katie Yamasaki, Kiddie fun, Shelf Awareness, Siblings, When the Cousins Came
No Comment

Post a Comment
Cancel Reply

Smithsonian Institution
Asian Pacific American Center

Capital Gallery, Suite 7065
600 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20024

202.633.2691 | APAC@si.edu

Additional contact info

Mailing Address
Capital Gallery
Suite 7065, MRC: 516
P.O. Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012

Fax: 202.633.2699

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

SmithsonianAPA brings Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture to you through innovative museum experiences and digital initiatives.

About BookDragon

Welcome to BookDragon, filled with titles for the diverse reader. BookDragon is a new media initiative of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC), and serves as a forum for those interested in learning more about the Asian Pacific American experience through literature. BookDragon is inhabited by Terry Hong.

Learn More

Contact BookDragon

Please email us at SIBookDragon@gmail.com

Follow BookDragon!
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Looking for Something Else …?

or