Chelsea Clinton wows South Providence students with tales from the White House

PROVIDENCE — Chelsea Clinton, who played hide-and-seek in the West Wing, says living in the White House was both ordinary and extraordinary.

“I never forgot that I lived in the White House,” the best-selling author told 40 children Tuesday at the South Providence Public Library. “But I also had sleepovers and homework and had to clean my room.”

Clinton spent the day talking about her latest children’s book, “Start Now!” — the elementary companion to the 2020 Reading across Rhode Island book, “Rising.”

Anika Aldamuy Denise, a Rhode Island children’s author, shares the same editor as Clinton, and she used that contact to invite the former First Child to share her illustrated book with students here.

Her first stop was the library. Later, she spoke at Lincoln School in Providence.

When Clinton arrived in South Providence, the children — who came from Highlander charter school, Bishop McVinney Elementary School and Bailey Elementary School in Providence — greeted her with a boisterous rendition of “Happy Birthday.” It was her 40th birthday Thursday.

Clinton opened by answering questions about climate change and one of her pet projects — preserving endangered species.

The questions — from second, fourth- and fifth-graders — reflected their innocence and their curiosity.

“We have so much in common,” she told one little boy. “My favorite color is blue. My favorite cake is red velvet.”

“What was it like being the daughter of a famous parent?” a child asked.

“I don’t know what it’s like not to be a daughter of famous parents,” Clinton said.

“Do you have a pet?”

“I have a dog. She’s 12 years old and she’s going to live forever.”

“How is Hillary?”

“I think she’s good,“ Clinton said. ”I see a lot of my parents now that they’re grandparents.“

Chelsea Clinton, who lives in New York City and has written five children’s books, has a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and a baby, who is 7 months.

“Have you ever been bullied?”

Here, Clinton’s tone turned serious.

“I have been bullied, and I am still being bullied,” she said. “I was first bullied when I was younger than you. But I always understood it was about the bully and not about me.

“I feel it’s important to stand up to bullies. Asking for help is still relevant, even when you are an adult.”

Then, she asked the children, “Why do bullies bully?”

Because parents hit their children, one said. To get attention, said another. To make themselves feel like they have power over other people.

Clinton shared a story about a little girl who was bullied because she was dark-skinned. Her older sister, Taylor, made her sister a T-shirt that said, “Flexin’ in your complexion.”

The shirt was so popular, Taylor turned it into a cottage industry, supporting other children who were bullied.

If Clinton had an underlying message, it was asking what you can do for your country.

She told a story about a boy named Isaiah, who lived in Virginia. When he heard that children in Flint, Michigan didn’t have access to clean, safe water, he began raising money to buy hand-sanitizer for one school.

He raised enough money to provide sanitizer to all of Flint’s schools. He’s still raising money five years later.

Clinton issued a challenge to the children. It’s still legal to sell ivory in Rhode Island, she said.

“You can write your legislature, your governor, and tell them you don’t think it should be legal. Tell them you agree that ivory looks better on elephants.”

One of the final questions was, “What do you want your children to know?”

“I want them to know they are loved,” Clinton said. “I want them to know that if they’re brave and kind, they will be really good people.”

lborg@providencejournal.com

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