12 So Cute

CHAPTER 1 That's so Cute! "OH! THAT'S SO CUTE!" HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR THESE WORDS? Do we all think the same things are cute? Yes, mostly we do. Babies, even the ugly ones, are cute. So are adults with round, childlike faces— big eyes, small chins and noses, and big foreheads. Small animals are cute. Babies learning to walk are cute. The question is why? Well, it's because being cute helps you to survive. Something in our brains tells us what's cute, and what's not cute. We want to help cute people and animals. Is it only living things that are cute? No! Pictures can be cute, too. Here's how to draw a picture of a cute person: big forehead big eyes no neck fat tummy short legs round face big head small chin long body

CHAPTER 2 Babies, Adults, and Older Adults WHAT MAKES PEOPLE CUTE? It's funny, isn't it? Babies can't do anything but eat, cry, and stop us from sleeping at night. But we think they're very cute, and we want to do everything for them! OK, so babies look cute with their fat legs and arms and their big round eyes. But it's not only how they look that makes them cute. It's also the things they do. When babies learn to speak and walk, we find them cute. This is partly because they make mistakes. They say the wrong word or say a word in a funny way. They fall down. And it's the same with animals. Think of a giraffe learning to walk lots and lots of mistakes! But mistakes aren't always cute. Think about it. You ask a friend to dinner. He gets food on his face and orange juice on your kitchen table. You're not happy. You think your friend is disgusting. But a baby does the same thing, and you think it's cute. Babies' mistakes are cute because they are young and helpless. We humans know our babies can't survive without our help. And animals know that their babies need help to survive, too.

Like all living things, babies grow up— they get bigger! Do they stop being cute? Maybe a little. But kids, adults, and much older adults can still be cute. Small children often play at being adults— they dress up in adults' clothes or put on makeup or do adult things, like "being a doctor" or "teaching school." Parents can be cute, too. When we see the love between a parent and child, our brains tell us, that's cute! And then there are cute old people. What makes them cute? Often, it's their behavior. Older people sometimes do funny things. They behave like young people. They show that they're in love, they start new sports, or they like to use modern things like computers or smartphones. Older people are also cute because they are a little like babies. They can be innocent, and they often need more help than younger people. Again, something in our brains tells us to protect them.

CHAPTER 3 Kittens and Puppies WHICH IS CUTER -A KITTEN OR A PUPPY? There are "cat people" and "dog people," but usually everybody thinks baby cats and baby dogs are very, very cute. When animals are newborn, they're small and helpless. But only a few days later, they're walking and looking at the world around them. They make us laugh because of the funny things they do. When we think about kids, we often think about kids playing with toys. Puppies and kittens play, too. When they play, they're having fun, but they're also learning. They're learning how to be good cats and dogs. Sometimes puppies and kittens play with things that we don't want them to play with. For example, your puppy eats your homework or your new shoes, and that's a bad thing! Do you get angry? Yes! But not for long.

Kittens and puppies get things wrong. Like people, they make mistakes. For example, they learn to jump and run, but they fall down easily and walk into things. One minute, they're playing; the next minute they're sleeping. Their behavior makes us say, "Aww!" But why? Maybe because we like it when animals behave like we do. And sometimes, like little children, animals behave badly. A very bad puppy, one who doesn't behave well, is really cute! And of course, don't forget, THE LOOK! Puppies and kittens can melt our hearts when they look at us with their big eyes. It almost looks like they have human feelings! Animals like cats and dogs are our friends. We feel they can understand us. They almost talk with their eyes. This is why we train, or teach, cats and dogs to be "helper animals." Helper animals help sad or sick people feel better. Some dogs help blind people to see or deaf people to hear. Other dogs use their noses to tell doctors when people are sick!

CHAPTER 4 A World of Cute What makes animals cute? Is it just furry animals that are cute? No! Think of baby birds. Every spring, there are little birds high up in trees. They sit in their nests waiting for their parents to give them food. They're cute. Things with spikes aren't usually cute, but how about baby hedgehogs? Are they cute? And think about dangerous animals like alligators with their big teeth. They aren't cute. Or are they? When people really don't like each other, we say, "They fight like cats and dogs." Usually, cats don't like dogs, and dogs don't like cats. Dogs chase cats. And cats swat at dogs. Everyone knows that! But it's not always true. Animals sometimes live together in the same house, or on the same farm. And different species don't always fight. They can learn to play together, sleep together, and even share the same food. Sometimes different species can be friends. And that's really cute.