Tato
COMFORT — *when a friend feels sad, a gentle hug or a soft 'I'm here' can help them feel better.*
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Tato is a soft brown otter with warm round eyes and little open arms. Tato floats and plays in the Helping Garden pond.
One cloudy day, a small friend sat by the pond, crying. His block tower had fallen, and he felt very sad. Ozzie noticed and looked at Tato.
Tato did not rush or say "don't cry." Tato just came close, slow and warm. "I'm here," said Tato softly, and opened two gentle arms. "Would a hug help?"
The little friend nodded, and Tato gave the gentlest hug. They sat together while the sad feeling grew smaller. Soon a tiny smile came back. Tato's little rhyme is: "When a friend is sad, a hug can help."
That is Tato's cozy secret. You do not have to fix a sad feeling — you just have to be there. A gentle hug, a soft "I'm here," and a friend feels a little less alone.
The HelpPals ensemble
Tato is part of HelpPals's distributed-narrative cast. Each character embodies a different curricular primitive; together they teach the full subject.
