Rogers, Andrea L. Chooch Helped. Rebecca Lee Kunz, Illus. Levine Querido, 10/2024. [40]pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-1-64614-454-9. GRADES Kindergarten–1. ADDITIONAL.
Two-year-old Chooch wants to help with what others are doing, which always results in messing something up, no matter who in the family he is “helping.” After Chooch helps various adults in the extended family, his big sister gets mad when he destroys her clay pinch pot, before being counseled that messing up is how usdi (little ones) learn. Each page’s brief text narrates who Chooch helps, identifying them with transliterated Cherokee relationship names, such as edoda and elisi. Watercolor, gouache, printmaking, collage, and digital illustrations infused with Cherokee iconography accompany the brief text, with a cloud-like effect focusing the attention on Chooch. Includes four pages of back matter about Cherokee culture, the art style, how to make a clay pinch pot, and a glossary with Cherokee words and translations.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library