Child hears their aunt and uncle with cystic fibrosis  are having a baby with genetic engineering. They do not know what this means so at first have a fear of this baby, thinking it will be some kind of superhuman. The child goes to bed, has a dream. In the dream, their stuffed animals teach them the benefits of genetic engineering (produce healthy children to infertile couples).(we can also include disadvantages but state that it often goes as planned)

 They heard one of the parents talking about it over the phone before going to school. When they arrive at school they tell their friends what they had heard and the friends basically help to set the fear of this procedure in the child. Could be by saying they know someone who did it and the child is weird or something. Then the child goes home, gets into an argument with parents about not wanting to be related to an ‘alien’ baby. And has the dream that night. The bear, mushroom and penguin all help to explain the benefits of genetic engineering. After the dream the child is excited for the baby. And tells the aunt and uncle to hurry up and make the baby and everyone laughs and the story ends.(we can also use the stuffed animals as examples of genetic engineering like to grow plants)

Page count 16-20 pages, cover page, title page

Children’s book -my superhuman cousin

Superhuman baby, alien baby, 

c/n -child name

One morning , James heard his  mom talking on the phone. She was smiling ear to ear and the voice on the phone sounded like his aunt, Susan.

*Illustration of kid eavesdropping on mom’s conversation and mom talking on the phone*

I sneaked closer and closer until I could hear both my aunt and mom. ‘I can’t believe you are having a baby, Thank God for genetic engineering!’ his mom shouted. Her smile growing bigger and bigger. 

genetic enginee-who, what? 

“James, time for school” his Dad said walking to the car. James followed  behind still confused by what his mom was talking about. 

*At lunch*

James couldn’t play that day at lunch.

*Illustration of kid sitting under big tree with school in background and kids playing and 3 kids walking towards him*?

‘Hey James, come play with us’ c/n says.

 James shakes his head and takes a bite of his peanut butter sandwich. 

‘What’s wrong James?’ c/n asks.

‘I just don’t feel like playing today.’

‘Why?’ 

‘I heard my mom talking to my aunt this morning about jean engine.’

‘What?’ 

‘Gene Engineer, I don’t remember his name, my aunt is having a baby with him ’ *James sighs*

‘I think you mean genetic engineering’ c/n says. 

*James face lights up and he stands up* ‘Yes, that’s his name.’

‘ It’s not a he ,James’

‘What is it then?’

‘My mom’s friend did it to have a baby, my big brother told me she went to a mad scientist, the baby has super strength and can shoot lasers from his eyes’.

‘Woah!’ kids say in unison.

‘That can’t be true,’ c/n says.

‘Yeah! your pants are gonna catch on fire.’

‘Nuh-uh, I saw it with my own eyes, he had big muscles and picked up a car’

*Illustration of James imagining a baby with muscles lifting a car, his face showing fear*

‘James’ cousin is ET.’

‘No! I hate ET!’ James shouted. *bell rings and the kids run back to school while james is sad*

James couldn’t focus on anything after lunch. He was so afraid of having a superhuman cousin.

‘What if he throws a car at me? Or steals all my toys?’ he thought to himself. He just wanted to go home.

*Illustration of James in class and in the car, sad thinking about the baby throwing a car at him*

*at home*

‘Hey James’, his mom greets him with a smile ‘How was school?’

Just as he was about to answer his aunt came into the room. He got so angry he couldn’t control himself and shouted ‘How could you have an alien baby? I hate you!’ he burst into tears and ran upstairs.

*Illustration of him running away and his aunt and mom looking worried*

James lay on his bed, crying into his pillow and hugging his stuffed animals.

‘I don’t want an alien cousin’ he sobbed. He cried so hard and for so long he fell asleep.

‘Is he alive?’ a strange voice says.

‘I don’t know’ another voice says.

James opens his eyes. He is laying under a big oak tree. A mouse; teddy bear and big pig look down at him. He gasps, it was his stuffed animals he slept with. (Names for each )

‘Hey James, we heard you were unhappy’ they all hugged him. 

‘Yeah’ 

‘What’s wrong?’

‘My aunt is having a baby with genetic engineering’

‘Oh, that is wonderful!’

‘no it isn’t! I don’t want an alien cousin’‘My friend told me the baby will have laser eyes and superstrength and I am scared.’

‘What do you mean James?

‘James, do you know what genetic engineering is?’

‘No James, genetic engineering is ][when we change the genes of plants, animals and humans. 

‘This is usually a good thing.’

‘How?’

‘Well, look at me, do you think all mice glow in the dark?’

‘no’ 

‘Well, I can glow in the dark because of genetic engineering and light up your room at night keeping the creatures in the dark away. Pig also is so big and strong because of genetic engineering.’

‘With these muscles I can fight off all those monsters under your bed’

‘Genetic engineering can also help people with special conditions which stop them from having children to have healthy babies, like your aunt’ teddy bear says.

‘Ohhhh’ 

James is put at ease thanks to his toy pig and mouse and wakes up.

James 

Story ends with him accepting the fact that his aunt is having a baby.