Chooch Helped

Chooch Helped, written by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz, is about a big sister and her two-year-old brother, Chooch, in a Cherokee family. Chooch wants to help with everything, whether a relative is painting a mural, sewing moccasins or making dumplings, and his help usually leaves a mess behind. His sister, who tells the story, has had about enough by the time she sits down to shape a clay pot of her own. What she comes to understand about patience, and about how little ones learn by watching, gives the story its heart. The illustrations draw on Cherokee art and design, and back matter includes creators' notes, pinch-pot instructions and a Cherokee glossary. The book won the 2025 Caldecott Medal.