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 t... read full description
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Oct 12, 2010
Abigail
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"The day she was born was the happiest day in her parents' lives" begins Kevin Henkes' charming picture-book, Chrysanthemum, which addresses itself to the question of identity and difference, and how it feels to be the object of classroom ridicule. Having always loved her name, and believed it to be "absolutely perfect," Chrysanthemum is shocked and dismayed to discover, on the first day of school, that her classmates do not feel the same. Soon the object of a schoolyard taun
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Mar 29, 2009
R.
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I loved the subplot, told only in the pictures, wherein the father consults archaic psychological texts in order to understand his daughter's distress.
12 comments
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Dec 01, 2007
Tara
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This is just a darling book. Having saddled my eldest with a somewhat unusual name, I used to read this book to him frequently in the hopes that he would absorb the message that an unusual name is something you can be proud of. I can't say for sure whether this story made a difference, but he likes his name and has never let anyone's teasing change his mind.
Chrysanthemum is so much fun to read. I do wish that the epilogue was just a little different. The last page has the mean girl mak More...
Chrysanthemum is so much fun to read. I do wish that the epilogue was just a little different. The last page has the mean girl mak More...
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Apr 27, 2010
Mallory
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Chrysanthemum is a wonderful book about learning to find happiness within one's unique identity. Filled with colorful illustrations, this book is a delightful tale about a young girl who loves her unusual name until her peers at school begin to make fun of her. Throughout the story, Chrysanthemum's parents encourage her to embrace her identity and be happy with herself, but Chrysanthemum is miserable until a teacher gives her the highest compliment. Not only does she like Chrysanthemum's name, b
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Feb 09, 2012
Amy
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For my read-aloud book, I chose Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, I think it’s a perfect book to be read aloud. I would choose it mostly for lower levels such as first or second. Chrysanthemum is a small mouse whose parents wanted to have the perfect name for their new child. They wanted a name as perfect as their little girl already was. Growing up Chrysanthemum loved her name, loved the way it looked, sounded, and written. This is changed when school started and everyone else in her class
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Jan 25, 2012
Kacie
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Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes is the story of a young mouse on her first day of school. She is extremely proud of her name, Chrysanthemum, until she is teased by her classmates. Each day, her classmates make fun of her long name and every night, her parents console her. When in music class, Chrysanthemum's classmates confront her again, but the music teacher steps in. Her name is as long as Chrysanthemum's and she is also named after a flower. Suddenly, the other students are jealous of her
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Sep 13, 2011
teacup_carousel
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Forgive me one, forgive me all, I'm about to do what the school librarian, my teachers and my guardians told me never to do. I'm about to break one of the chief cardinal rules of the internet - I'm going to tell you all my real name.
Acacia.
Hello all, my name is Acacia. It's a romanization of a hellenization of what most scholars probably agree upon was an old Egyptian word, but it may go back farther than that. It's also a type of tree with the best, most delicious lookin More...
Acacia.
Hello all, my name is Acacia. It's a romanization of a hellenization of what most scholars probably agree upon was an old Egyptian word, but it may go back farther than that. It's also a type of tree with the best, most delicious lookin More...
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Jul 19, 2011
Lindy
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Review by Alex:
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May 13, 2011
Kelly
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This is one of my favorite read-alouds.
Often I read it at the beginning of the school year when the kiddos, like Chrysanthemum, are showing up to a new school and trying to navigate adjusting. This year we waited and read the book alongside many others that address issues of teasing and bullying. This particular book makes it easy to talk about the power of tone for impacting how our words are received. (I can say, "Her name is so long" as a kind, non-judgmental statemen More...
Often I read it at the beginning of the school year when the kiddos, like Chrysanthemum, are showing up to a new school and trying to navigate adjusting. This year we waited and read the book alongside many others that address issues of teasing and bullying. This particular book makes it easy to talk about the power of tone for impacting how our words are received. (I can say, "Her name is so long" as a kind, non-judgmental statemen More...
Apr 12, 2010
Connie
rated it:
Chrysanthemum has one of those classic kid-lit plots: Kid is unpopular. Person with influence likes her. Everybody else is jealous and KID learns... some valuable lesson.
I'm not always impressed with these stories. I *was* the unpopular kid growing up. Too often, the lesson seems to be "You should be nice to the unpopular kid because they're really a good person" (but if they're not useful to you, you can pick on them?) or "The bullies you suck up to today will reject More...
I'm not always impressed with these stories. I *was* the unpopular kid growing up. Too often, the lesson seems to be "You should be nice to the unpopular kid because they're really a good person" (but if they're not useful to you, you can pick on them?) or "The bullies you suck up to today will reject More...
Jun 16, 2011
David
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Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes is a story centered on the school experiences of a young mouse with an unusual name who is teased about it at school. Chrysanthemum is verbally bullied until the popular music teacher reveals her unusual name and what she intends to name her new baby.
The text quite nicely depicts Chrysanthemum's nurturing parents and her unhappiness at the way Chrysanthemum's classmates taunt her about her unusual name. The text lets readers know that every child deserve More...
The text quite nicely depicts Chrysanthemum's nurturing parents and her unhappiness at the way Chrysanthemum's classmates taunt her about her unusual name. The text lets readers know that every child deserve More...
Sep 27, 2011
Melissa
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Kevin Henkes really pulls at the reader's heart strings with Chrysanthemum. We meet Chrysanthemum, a spunky young mouse who is proud of her unique name, until she goes to school and her name is made fun of. She then looses all confidence in her unique personality, and tries to fit in with the others. It is not until her teacher, Mrs. Twinkle sets the bullies straight that Chrysanthemum really appreciates the unique name she is given. Henkes transports us into the live of Chrysanthemum with his i
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Sep 04, 2010
Crystal
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I enjoyed this book and reading the discussion about it. I liked the attention to detail in the illustrations. For example, the books Dad was reading or the chalkboard with words. I also smiled at the little mice sleeping, some of them with their arms strait up in the air. Too funny! I got a kick out of the students names listed on the page seeing Kay and Max next to each other. I will have to share this book with Kaylee and her cousin Max when they are old enough to read.
As for the More...
As for the More...
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Feb 10, 2012
Jayetta
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This book has a nice story-line that would help children across all grade levels to feel good about themselves as individuals. In language arts, we could pick out the nouns, pronouns, etc. I would highlight the names, and the students will note that all of them are capitalized. In math, we could count the letters in the two longs names, and count the letters in the names of each student, and graph the results of the count. In upper grades, 4 and 5, the students could form groups and determine th
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Feb 01, 2012
Joy
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Chrysanthemum is a heart warming story that would be a great book to read to your class at the beggining of the year. I think it can teach children that the things that make them unique are the things that make them special. It can also be a great way to teach children how teasing hurts. I think this would be a great book for parents to read as well to see how positive encouragement and love help their child. I loved this book! It is a must have in the classroom.
Extension activity More...
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Dec 04, 2011
Nichole
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This picture book adressess some heavy themes in a non threatning way. Before the first day of school, Chrysanthemum believes her name is perfect. It's a perfect big name for a little mouse. On her first day of school Chrysanthemum is made fun of because her name. Ridiculed on the schoolyard for having a different name, Chrysanthemum is encouraged and supported by her parents who tell her that embrace who she is, but remains miserable. A new teacher at her school, gives Chrsyanthemum a complimen
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Sep 27, 2011
Chrysanthemum is a story of a girl who grows up loving and adoring her name only to be subjected to teasing and taunting when she goes to school. Chrysanthemum's parents comfort her every night to make her feel better, but each day the other children do not stop making fun of her name. It isn’t until her new music teacher shares her name that the students’ taunting turns to jealous because they want a unique name also. It is a great tale to show how to handle bullying in school and how just o
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Feb 05, 2011
Laura
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WOW! What a great children's book-- I have read it several times and remember this being one of my favorites in elementary school. This story follows a young girl, who is a mouse, who loves her long name--Chrysanthemum. She loves it until her first day of school and the other children poke fun at her long name. Feeling sad, Chrysanthemum becomes jealous of her friends who have short names and begins not to like her name anymore. However, she ends up appreciating her name by the end of the st
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Dec 17, 2009
Lisa
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For a basically sweet book, I think it’s a tad too mean at the end, unnecessarily so. But, it can be a helpful book for young kids who have unusual names or get teased for their names, or teased for any other reason. Good also for kids who tease others or those who have witnessed other kids being teased. In other words, just about every young child.
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Aug 01, 2010
Patty
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Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Age: any age (Preschool-Elementary)
Summary: Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.
Applications/Uses: There are many words that describe Chrysanthemum's name and that could start a word wall or vocabulary exploration activity. The book itself could start a name exploration for students on one of their first days of school- what is your name, where did it come from, what does it mean, and show More...
Age: any age (Preschool-Elementary)
Summary: Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.
Applications/Uses: There are many words that describe Chrysanthemum's name and that could start a word wall or vocabulary exploration activity. The book itself could start a name exploration for students on one of their first days of school- what is your name, where did it come from, what does it mean, and show More...
Feb 28, 2011
I love this book and can personally relate to it. In this book, Chrysanthemum begins the story loving her name but when she starts school, the other kids tease her about how long her name is. By the end of the story, the teacher loves Chrysanthemum's name so much that she decides to give her baby that name. The kids follow suit. This book can be good for pre-k through 1st grade. A lot of math games can be derived from this book. Children can count the letters in their name using manipulatives an
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Oct 27, 2011
Barrett
rated it:
**Picture Story Book:
Kevin Henkes's "Chrysanthemum" is an very warming tale about a mouse who's name is Chrysanthemum, and she has the perfect name. The story goes on about how she loved the sound of her name, how it looked on paper, the way it was written on her birthday cake, and how she wrote it with an orange crayon. But once she enters school she is teased by her classmates because her name is too long and she is named after a flower. Everyday she comes home crying to her p More...
Kevin Henkes's "Chrysanthemum" is an very warming tale about a mouse who's name is Chrysanthemum, and she has the perfect name. The story goes on about how she loved the sound of her name, how it looked on paper, the way it was written on her birthday cake, and how she wrote it with an orange crayon. But once she enters school she is teased by her classmates because her name is too long and she is named after a flower. Everyday she comes home crying to her p More...
Feb 04, 2011
Jill
rated it:
Reading this felt familiar. I must have read this during elementary school sometime, but I can't quite place it.
Chrysanthemum loves her name...until the kids at school make fun of it. Then she hates it and wishes it was just like everyone else. Her problem isn't solved right away. She really hurts. Her mom and dad keep telling her they love her and her name is perfect. She wants to believe them and at home feels all right. But at school they keep teasing her - until a teacher More...
Chrysanthemum loves her name...until the kids at school make fun of it. Then she hates it and wishes it was just like everyone else. Her problem isn't solved right away. She really hurts. Her mom and dad keep telling her they love her and her name is perfect. She wants to believe them and at home feels all right. But at school they keep teasing her - until a teacher More...
Jan 27, 2012
Hatka
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The book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes can be used for lessons on data collection. The book can be used for an activity which allows students to collect data on the lengths of their names, comparing them to the length of Chrysanthemum's name. The book can also be used to include more formal data anaylsis through line plots, graphing and identifying statistical elements(median, mode, range) of the collected data. This book can also be used for an introductory reading activity in the beginning of
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Dec 03, 2011
Monica
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SUMMARY:
Chrysanthemum is a delightful tale of a little mouse with a LARGE name. She believes her name is absolutely perfect until the first day of school. Her classmates make fun of her unusual name and hurt Chrysanthemum's feelings. The beloved music teacher saves the day by announcing that she adores the name Chrysanthemum, and is considering that for a name for her baby. Once again, Chrysanthemum is sure her name is absolutely perfect.
THEMES:
All About Me
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Chrysanthemum is a delightful tale of a little mouse with a LARGE name. She believes her name is absolutely perfect until the first day of school. Her classmates make fun of her unusual name and hurt Chrysanthemum's feelings. The beloved music teacher saves the day by announcing that she adores the name Chrysanthemum, and is considering that for a name for her baby. Once again, Chrysanthemum is sure her name is absolutely perfect.
THEMES:
All About Me
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Sep 14, 2010
Kay
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Poor Chrysanthemum! As a parent, I can surely relate to the teasing that children can dish out. My son was much like Chysanthemum, confident in himself and excited about going to school. But he had to deal with being teased too - as son many kids are. What I liked about the book was that it showed how much power grown-ups have to deal with this sort of thing. Mrs. Chud ignored it, but dear Mrs. Twinkle lifted Chysanthemum up as a child who should be envied, not made fun of. And soon, the o
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Sep 01, 2010
Caroline
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This is a perfect book to read near the beginning of school when children are still getting to know one another and accept each other. Attempting to conform and fit in at school can be difficult and pride in the name that you have can play into the dynamics of that. A name can either make you feel special or left out when you are in elementary school so this book emphasizes the fact that every child's name is unique to them and defines who they are as people regardless of their classmates' opini
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May 18, 2010
Ronyell
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“Chrysanthemum” is a cute tale from Kevin Henkes about how a young girl mouse named Chrysanthemum tries to appreciate her long and unusual name when she goes to school and is teased by her classmates. “Chrysanthemum” is a truly heartwarming story that children will easily enjoy for many years.
Kevin Henkes has done an excellent job at both writing and illustrating this book. Kevin Henkes’ story about how Chrysanthemum starts to loathe her name because some kids teased her about her More...
Kevin Henkes has done an excellent job at both writing and illustrating this book. Kevin Henkes’ story about how Chrysanthemum starts to loathe her name because some kids teased her about her More...
Apr 08, 2011
Misty
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"Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum!" Kids can be so crule to each other. In this book three students bully a girl because her name is long and it is also the name of a flower. The students pick on her every day and make Chrysanthemum hate her name. Finally the music teacher makes Chrysanthemum feel wonderful about her name again by saying she was going to name her own daughter Chrysanthemum because she thought it was absolutely perfect. This made the other students see that h
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Aug 04, 2011
Jill
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This is an incredibly cute book with a great message!
Chrysanthemum is a baby mouse with a unique name that she loves ... until she gets to school and people start teasing her about it.
The illustrations are adorable, the writing is amazing (especially for a picture book), and I think kids will relate to it well. They've all felt the way Chrysanthemum felt, and they probably have felt the same way that the bullies felt as well. They could definitely connect to this book in many More...
Chrysanthemum is a baby mouse with a unique name that she loves ... until she gets to school and people start teasing her about it.
The illustrations are adorable, the writing is amazing (especially for a picture book), and I think kids will relate to it well. They've all felt the way Chrysanthemum felt, and they probably have felt the same way that the bullies felt as well. They could definitely connect to this book in many More...
