Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysamthemum!

books:

	• Chrysanthemum Kevin Henkes Mulberry Books, 1996 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 81 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is a wonderful book that helps children understand feelings and how to accept ones self despite thoughtless children and hurtful comments. As an elementary special education teacher, I enjoy reading this book at the begining of each school year.

Chrysanthemum

This is my favorite children's book. I use this book in middle school to teach them how to use cornell notetaking. The students love it and even start getting into the book.

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Possibly my favorite children's book ever

Henkes' books really are fabulous and Chrysanthemum tops them all. He captures the language of children so well and always seems to include little details designed to make any adult laugh. I have an unusual name that I now love, but I spent most of my childhood wishing my parents had named me Sarah. It sounds silly but the first time I read this book (at 25 years old) I honestly felt like it helped heal some of the "trauma" I experienced as a child from people who didn't know how to handle my name. I now give this book to any mom I know who has given her daughter an unusual name. I know I wish I would have had this to read when I was younger.

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Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysamthemum!

This book is "absolutely perfect". Just like Chrysanthemum; and her name, of course. A little mouse gets a flower-y name and she absolutely flourishes under the love of her wise and doting parents. All is right with the world! It's so fun to see the cute little mouse do all the small child things: eating in her highchair, riding her bike, looking at books, sleeping and growing. Each colorful page practically pops with joy! Like the day Chrysanthemum hops off to her first day of school.

But when she gets to school, she finds that the other children have short, one syllable names. Then there is Victoria. Vic-tor-i-a (hah! four syllables, too!) is a bit of a bully, and she makes fun of Chrysanthemum and her name and she gets the other little mouse-children to laugh at her, too. For the first time, the little girl with the big name has self-doubts. After a difficult first day, her parents meet her with open arms and re-assuring words, "Your name is beautiful," said her mother. "And precious and priceless and fascinating and winsome," said her father. The powerful love in this mouse-family is, in my opinion, the best part of the story. And I like the adjectives, too. Like the next day when her mom says, "They're just jealous.", and the Father adds, "And envious and begrudging and discontented and jaudiced." (Reminds me a bit of William Steig.)

When wonderful Mrs. Twinkle, the music teacher, praises Chrysanthemum's name, the other children begin to think differently, and soon everyone wants to be "named after a flower". Chrysanthemum blushed, beamed and bloomed. Her name was perfect, after all! Really she knew it all the time, with all the love and self-assurance she learned at home. But no one enjoys being laughed at, and this little story has good lessons for both those who laugh as well as those who sometimes endure being laughed at.

Wonderful story, delightful pictures--a joy to read, again and again!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

She was a perfect baby, and she had a perfect name. Chrysanthemum. When she was old enough to appreciate it, Chrysanthemum loved her name. And then she started school. "I'm named after my grandmother," said Victoria. "You're named after a flower." Chrysanthemum wilted. Life at school didn't improve. In fact, it got worse. Then the students were introduced to their music teacher, Mrs. Twinkle. Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle. And suddenly, Chrysanthemum blossomed....

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