
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." Awards and honors Twinkle gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Chrysanthemum. The three apologize to her, and Chrysanthemum’s confidence in her name is restored. Twinkle confronts them, and reveals that her first name, Delphinium, is also long and inspired by a flower. Chrysanthemum is assigned to be a daisy, which makes Jo, Rita and Victoria tease her once again. Twinkle to help them with an upcoming musical. One day, her class gets a new music teacher named Ms. Chrysanthemum expresses her sadness to her parents, who comfort her with her favorite meals and a game of Parcheesi while her father secretly reads a book on child psychology. Her main tormentors are three girls named Jo, Rita, and Victoria, who ridicule her for being named after a flower and point out that her name is so long it barely fits on a name tag. Summary Ĭhrysanthemum is a young mouse who loves her unique name until she is teased about it by her classmates.

Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.


Ĭhrysanthemum 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. Chrysanthemum is a 1991 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Kevin Henkes.
