Picture Book

“Chrysanthemum” is one of my favorite books (as far as children’s picture books go). It was an ALA notable book in 1991, and made the Horn Book Fanfare List.

In “Chrysanthemum” a perfect little mouse baby is born, and her parents find the perfect name for her, Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum thinks her name is perfect, until she goes to school and is teased by the other girls in her class (who have much more mundane names). Chrysanthemum is crushed and goes home to be comforted by her parents. She is teased every day at school until her music teacher, Delphinium Twinkle tells the children her first name. After that, Chrysanthemum knows her name is perfect.

What I love most about “Chrysanthemum” is the pictures. The story line is sweet, and helps children learn that differences aren’t bad – but the pictures turn this story into a stellar picture book. Henkes uses repetition to draw children into the story, and I enjoy that he uses some more advanced words in places – children can infer the meanings from the story and expand their vocabulary. Words like winsome and jaundiced are rarely seen at all these days, never mind in a children’s book. One interesting little tidbit, Henkes does his own illustrations and ‘hides’ pictures in each of his books. Children can have a blast searching for Chrysanthemum’s seven lost pencils.

Chrysanthemum grows up believing that her name is just absolutely perfect! Until one dreadful day, when Chrysanthemum begins kindergarden. The other children tease her because her name is so unsual and long! Chrysanthemum begins to hate her name and going to school everyday. Kevin Henkes makes the reader feel Chrysanthemum's pain as she is teased daily for her name. This is the perfect story for children about excepting those that different from others.

Chrysanthemum loves her name-until she starts school. The kids make fun of her. She doesn't know what to do. She enlists the help of her teacher, and in the end, everything turns out just fine.

Book level 3. This story begins with the birth of Chrysanthemum. When she is born her parents think she is perfect and decide to give her a perfect name, Chrysanthemum. It seems her father likes to use “big words’ throughout the book and perhaps that is why he felt it was the perfect name for his new little girl. The little mouse loves the way her name sounds when her mom wakes her up. She also likes the way it looks when she writes it and when it is on an envelope. When Chrysanthemum is old enough she goes to school and is confronted with a lot of new feelings about her name. She is the only student with a long name and one that is named after a flower so she get a lot of teasing every day. She becomes sad and doesn’t want to go to school anymore because of how the children are treating her. Then her teacher saves the day and tells the students she likes her name and that her own name was also a flower. Then all the students love Chrysanthemum’s name and wish their own names were taken from the names of flowers. After reading the book Chrysanthemum I want you to give many, varied single words to describe someone’s/something’s feelings to complete the following sentence. I feel __________ when________________ because_____________________. Using as many different feelings as you can think of. Create a picture below each blank that shows your feeling, the event that caused the feeling and why it made you feel that way. Put the pages together and make your very own feelings book. ( )

This is one of my favorite books that I read! I thought it was so cute, and had a great message to children! ( )