The book was chosen as an ALA Notable Book and the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and it is on the Horn Book Fanfare Honor List.[2] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."[3] It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.[4]
Plot
Chrysanthemum is a young mouse who loves her unique name, until she is teased about it by her classmates. Her main tormentors are three other girl mice named Jo, Rita, and Victoria, who ridicule her for being named after a flower and point out that her name is so long that it barely fits on a name tag. Chrysanthemum expresses her sadness to her parents, who comfort her with her favorite meals and a game of Parcheesi while her father secretly reads books on child psychology.
One day, her class meets their music teacher, named Mrs. Twinkle, who is expecting and helps them with an upcoming musical. Chrysanthemum is assigned to be a daisy, which results in her being teased once again by causing Jo, Rita, and Victoria. However, Mrs. Twinkle points out to them that her first name, Delphinium, is likewise long, barely fits on a name tag, and is based on a flower. Jo, Rita, and Victoria then admire Chrysanthemum's name (and give themselves flower nicknames), and Chrysanthemum’s confidence in her name is restored. Later, Mrs. Twinkle gives birth to a daughter, whom she also names Chrysanthemum.
Notes
Victoria doesn't realize that even though Chrysanthemum's name is longer than her own, they each contain four syllables.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews said Chrysanthemum is "another winner from this perceptive artist," saying "Henkes's language and humor are impeccably fresh, his cozy illustrations sensitive and funny, his little asides to adults an unobtrusive delight."[5]
↑ Handy, Bruce (May 13, 2007). "Getting Better All the Time". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
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