Kevin Henkes' title character is a cute little mouse with a very big name. Chrysanthemum loves her name, and can even spell it, but when she goes to school, she is mercilessly teased by a group of nasty little mouselets who use her name as an excuse to pick on her. Chrysanthemum goes home each night to her caring and concerned parents, who tell her she is winsome and winning, and although Chrysanthemum is reassured that she is the center of her parents' universe, her parents' concern doesn't solve the problem. Finally, at school, Chrysanthemum meets a fabulous new music teacher whom all of the mouse children adore. Ms. Twinkle is a ray of sunshine, and when she produces a musical play, Chrysanthemum is chosen to be a daisy.
When Chrysanthemum confides in her teacher about the way the other children are teasing her, Mrs. Twinkle restores Chrysanthemum's confidence, and makes her the envy of all her peers.
Even though Chrysanthemum's friends made fun of her name, she was unique. Identity is a big issue with middle school aged kids, and even though this is a picture book, it is the perfect tool to show students that they are special and unique and have a place in the world no matter what their name is.
Summary provided by: Hub Pages Children's Book Review
Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes. New York: Greenwillow, 1991. Print.
I absolutely love this book! I have seen it in elementary, middle and even college level courses. This is a story about identity and being happy with who you are. I think this would be a great opening book for a new classroom to talk to students about community and respecting each other.
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