Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Every year, Ravi’s extended family rents a house by the ocean and a lake.  He’s the second youngest of seven cousins, with two uncles, two aunties, Mom, and Dad.  The only other boy is his oldest cousin Dhruv, who has grown several inches and gotten a deeper voice since last summer.  Ravi feels shy around him, but Dhruv still enjoys hanging out with Ravi, helping him to learn to paddleboard and to find the courage to jump into the water from the rope swing for the first time ever.  In turn, Ravi enjoys the role of older cousin with baby Leela.  There’s mini golf, biking, shared cooking, and ice cream–lots of ice cream.  One night the cousins cook, and Ravi finds a way to create his favorite ice cream, banana, with help from the rest of the crew.  “Because,” he concludes.  “Summer is for cousins.  And ice cream.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Just like yesterday’s The Firefly Summer, this lovely picture book perfectly captures the simple joys of a summer spent with extended family. While the illustrations, names, and some of the food prepared indicate that the family is from India (like the author), the experiences of family and summer fun are universal.

Cons:  All the cousins were labeled on the first page, but I wish there had been more of a family tree to show parents and siblings.