Oh how I wanted to enjoy this book…As someone who is very close to her cousins and considers them her best friends, I was so excited to see the title of this book. But to be honest, the book itself wasn’t very interesting and sort of skimmed the whole part about being cousins (aka the kiddos spent the day playing and every once in a while, the main character would question what it meant to be a cousin). The illustrations were also a little scary and not my favorite style—I actually think the style of the kids’ artwork in the illustrations would have worked better for the story, but alas. I had high hopes for this one (even going so far to see if it was something I could purchase for a cousin’s birthday!), but after reading it, I will have to pass on this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the independent publisher for accepting my request to read and review My First Best Cousin Friend.

Author: Lynn Page
Published: 05/12/21
Genre: Children's Fiction | Parenting & Families

The question is can a best friend and cousin be all in one. The answer was given at the end of the book. I would have liked the answer addressed throughout the story. As it stands now, the main character, a little girl, is stressed and confused the whole book.

I tripped over the wording as I read, and some sentences I has to read twice. This just doesn't work for me.

The illustrations are bright and okay.

Cute story. The kindle edition looks a bit funky though. I loved the illustrations and the writing style. Super easy to follow plot

Very sweet read! You never see books for cousins, this was a first! I’m so happy to be able to share it with our young readers.

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.