She's Got It! When My Cousins Come to Town by Angela Shante'

EVERY SUMMER MY COUSINS COME TO VISIT ME IN THE CITY. THEY ARRIVE AFTER SCHOOL IS OUT AND LEAVE AFTER MY BIRTHDAY.

THIS SUMMER I WANT SOMETHING WORTH MORE THAN ALL THE GIFTS IN THE GIFT WORLD.

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I WANT A NICKNAME.

All of the cousins have great nicknames. The oldest cousin is called "Spice" because of her more than generous use of curry powder. Germaine is called "Stone" because he's so strong. The twins get applause for singing in the subway, so they are "Star" and "DJ-E." Sharise is called "Swift" because she can outrun everyone. Natasha is so funny that she's nicknamed "Giggles," and when the cousins quarrel, Wayne knows how to keep the peace, so he's called "The Ambassdor."

As the summer goes by with tons of fun with the cousins, she tries to star in everything they do. But it's hard to stand out in this crowd. She worries that they'll all go home without giving her a special nickname, and when her birthday rolls around, the cousins outdo themselves. Spice cooks up a great meal for the guests and Stone puts up the best decorations ever. Star and DJ-E plan the music, and Giggles cracks everyone up with her jokes. But the birthday girl is sad.

ONCE THE PARTY IS OVER AND MY COUSINS GO HOME, I WILL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR FOR A NICKNAME.

But just before the guests arrive, the cousins discover that her birthday present is missing. The Ambassador leads a search.

Finally the gift package is found in the kitchen, wedged between the refrigerator and the side of the counter. The space is so small that no one can pull it out!

"WE NEED SOMETHING SMALL!" SAYS THE AMBASSADOR.

"LIKE A SMURF!" GIGGLES JOKES.

And it's the birthday girl who finally squeezes far enough to retrieve the gift, and the cousins christen her with her new nickname:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SMURF!

"It's the best birthday gift ever in Angela Shante's just published When My Cousins Come to Town (West Margin Press, 2021). There's something special about cousins, and these cousins are a hard act to follow, but Keisha Morris's charming illustrations do justice to the specialness of each of the cousins and to their biggest admirer, Smurf!

For more cousin fun, share this one with the Caldecott Honor-winning The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant and Steve Gammell.