THE STORY

Tessa : While pregnant with my first daughter, my husband and I brainstormed a name for our baby bump until she was out of the womb and answering to her name proper. “Coco” became my daughter’s nickname and while I promise my little girl DOES know her legal name, I love how she smiles when we call her by this one! Infact, “Coco” was one of her first words - and it came out, clear as crystal! A magical year of seeing all things through the eyes of a child, resulted in the writing of this book and the honoring of all of the “cousins” Coco has been fortunate enough to grow alongside.

Brayden, Wyatt, Caden, Gavin, Adriana, Luca, Isla, Jack, Grady, Jane, Hank, Mack, Arden, Reghan, Remi, Penelope, Luke, Nick, and Estelle - thank you for gracing Coco’s world and being her favorite playmates!

CHELSEY HILL

THE ILLUSTRATION

Chelsey: One evening, while babysitting at the Plaza hotel, I drew a portrait of Tessa and her newborn baby daughter, Coco. The style was simple and sweet. I sent the illustration to Tessa, and she loved it. Throughout the last year, I would text Tessa these little characters in the illustration style I had created when drawing her portrait. It seemed only natural for a collaboration to take place, and give the vivacious real life “Coco” an illustrated story. Thus, COCO COUNTS HER COUSINS, our first children’s book, was born!