Author: Keiko Kasza

Grades: Pre-K, Kindergarten

Synopsis: Choco wishes he had a mother, but who could she be? He sets off to find her, asking all kinds of animals, but he doesn’t meet anyone who looks just like him. He doesn’t even think of asking Mrs. Bear if she’s his mother-but then she starts to do just the things a mommy might do. And when she brings him home, he meets her other children-a piglet, a hippo, and an alligator-and learns that families can come in all shapes and sizes and still fit together.

Debrief Questions:

• What makes a family a family?
• How did Mrs. Bear make Choco feel? Do you think she’ll make a good mother?
• How is Mrs. Bear different from the other characters in the book?