Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Girl grows to accept her brother in sweet sibling tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In CHOOCH HELPED, older sister Sissy says she's annoyed that when her 2-year-old brother, Chooch, spills or breaks something he gets away with it because, the adults in the family say, he's just trying to "help." After her anger boils over into yelling and tears, her parents explain that she is Chooch's best teacher. "I am?" she wonders. It's a turning point. Sissy then shows Chooch how to make a clay pot and put it on a high shelf. "I helped," she says.
Is It Any Good?
This relatable story shows the frustration of dealing with a younger sibling and models teaching kids how things work. Author Andrea L. Rogers sets her story in a Cherokee family and includes Cherokee words in the text and in a glossary of terms at the end of the book, along with an author's note and an illustrator's note, plus instructions for how to make a pinch pot. A warm palette of earth tones predominates in Rebecca Lee Munz 's mixed-media illustrations that blend Cherokee patterns, designs, and symbols as they portray a loving extended family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Sissy's frustration in Chooch Helped. Can you understand how she felt? Have you ever felt that someone got easier treatment than you in your family or at school? What happened?
Have you ever helped someone younger learn how to do something? How did it go?
What Cherokee words in the story were new to you? What did you learn about Cherokee life? How do they catch crawdads? How do they make clay pots?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Rebecca Lee Kunz
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Cooking , Arts , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Levine Querido
- Publication date : October 8, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Awards : Caldecott Medal and Honors , Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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