Life is funny this past week Charlie’s cousins and my niece Lily and nephew Jason came over to celebrate the end of school. We spent a lot of time at the Library. I wish had remembered I had the Cousins are Coming! by Kay Jones Illustrated by Peter Trimarco from Notable Kids Publishing for a review which hadn’t arrived when they were here. But we could have looked for a copy of the book at the library to read together. As they have to read for 30 minutes every day.
Today my copy of the Cousins are Coming! arrived. Charlie and I sat down to read the story then we placed the book in our Homeschool Library shelf for Lily and Jason to read when they return at the end of Summer. In the meantime, I believe this book is for lower elementary children or toddlers if their parents will read the story to them. Charlie who is 16 enjoyed the story just as much as I did.
The cover of the Cousins are Coming! is so cute with children doing all kinds of activities including driving a purple car my favorite color. Reminding me of Charlie when he was little and had a red Corvette and a black Jeep as well as a Harley Davidson thanks to my mom. Did you children have cars as well? If so what kind of car?
Look at the child in the Tree which I’m sure Charlie would pass on climbing because he is afraid of heights. The race flags of black and white checks is cute and would have looked nice in Charlies room when he was small and had the walls decorated in Cars, Trains and Buses. Do you have children if so how did they have their room decorated?
Now let’s read the story… You should see how excited everyone is because the COUSINS are coming. Here comes the hugs and laughter and a kiss. There is no, stopping the Cousins as they race to put their stuff upstairs just as Lily and Jason do when they visit. They put on a show just like Charlie does in his Homeschool Drama Class.
Would you like to play rock paper scissors like they did? Then it’s time to spy on the parents just don’t get caught and next is hide and seek which will get us outside and can be played in our Homeschool PE Class. Would you like to join us? Now let’s go get a drink before we finish reading the book.
Charlie said when we let Lily and Jason read the book we should make and Ice Cookies like the children did in the book for our Homeschool Cooking Class. As for water play, we can’t do that here unless the Swimming Pool opens up or we go visit Lily and Jason instead of them coming here. Would you like to go with us?
On the way to their house, we can pick up Mac and Cheese and have the same dinner as the children in the book did. Although, I would like to prepare my mom’s homemade Mac & Cheese. Would you like to help Charlie and I by setting the dining table for dinner? Next its Ice Cream. I would like Vanilla and Charlie would like Chocolate. Would you like some as well?
Now, I am not going to tell you what else the Cousins do because I think you should pick up your own copy of The Cousins Are Coming! to share with all the children in your lives and don’t forget to pick up a copy or two to give as gifts or to donate to your children’s school for their library and classrooms.
About: The Cousins Are Coming Copyright ©2023 by Kay Jones
ISBN 9781735853543 Picture Book – ages 3-8 32 Pages / Pub Date May 16 2023
What happens when the annual family ‘get-together’ commences? Humor, mischief, a twinge of jealousy, an abundance of mayhem, and a healthy dose of pure joy! Through lyrical rhyme and colorful, humorous illustrations readers will realize that “The cousins are coming!”—followed by a “dash out the door to meet the crew…with hugs and laughter and a kiss or two.
“YUCK!” From ‘rock-paper-scissors’ to unauthorized spying on the parents, the gathering of two families presents relatable interactions between children, some coming-of-age moments, a touch of tenderness, and the building of memories. Kay Jones’ first picture book is more than a playbook for friendship, it also captures the gift of family.
Meet the Author:
Kay Jones is a forty-year educator having taught in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and currently in Dallas, Texas. If not the kids in her classroom, then her five grandchildren are inspiring her to think and learn, but most importantly to laugh. The Cousins are Coming is Kay’s first picture book and it shows the love, the hilarity, and the struggles that occur when the Cousins in her family join forces.
Kay originally wrote this rhyme as a piece for children to perform as a reader’s theater, while encouraging them to add their special touches to the performance. With roots in Little Rock, Arkansas and as an educator in Dallas, Kay brings her wit and zest for literacy to classrooms each day, and now her own unique touch to the printed page.
Peter Trimarco started his professional doodling career as an editorial cartoonist before turning to commercial art and designing packaging for the music industry. While staying in the entertainment field, he published a trade magazine for the film industry and brought his creative juices to the printed page for youngsters. Peter is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed “It’s Just So” book series (Lizzy’s World) which he co-wrote with his wife Brenda Faatz.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
