Use Chepecho’s story to start conversations with your kids about acceptance of others.
Chepecho’s story can help parents start conversations on a variety of difficult topics. The lessons learned in Chepecho can help parents discuss schoolyard bullying, race relations, LGBT families, immigration policy, refugees, the development of self-esteem and about the importance of embracing diversity in our community. Stories like this help children learn about empathy and emotional intelligence. Here are some questions that you can use to talk to your kids about some of these issues when reading Chepecho.
Try asking…
- How did Chepecho feel at the beginning of the story?
- Why didn’t Chepecho play with the other animals at the beginning of the story?
- How is Chepecho similar to the horses, the birds and the sea lions?
- Why don’t the horses the birds and the sea lions want to play together?
- How are the horses, the birds and the sea lions different? How are they same?
- How are you and your friends different? How are you and your friends the same?
- How did you feel when the horses were talking about the birds, the birds were talking about the sea lions and the sea lions were talking about the horses?
- Why were the animals saying mean things to each other?
- What did Chepecho do to help bring the animals together?
- How did you feel at the end of the book when all of the animals were playing together?
This is just the beginning. This story can help to start conversations with your kids about bullying, race relations, LGBT families, and immigration issues. Make up your own questions and talk to your kids about self-acceptance about being friends with those who are different.