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Chrysanthemum | July 28, 2015

by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1991)

A story of acceptance, love, and the universal feeling of other-ness, Kevin Henkes’s Chrysanthemum is a story for every child. Our titular heroine loves her one-of-a-kind name. That is, until her classmates point out its length and eccentricity. Suddenly, the happy little Chrysanthemum is self-conscious and hyper-aware of her difference. With a little help from her teacher, Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle, however, Chrysanthemum learns to find the melody in her unique name.

After two decades of teaching kids that their differences are not flaws, Chrysanthemum remains an important story for young readers today. Henkes has a knack for creating silly characters in important stories, told with beautiful words. To this day, I can remember my mother’s exact cadence when she read the refrain of this book: “Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum…”

Often, books with themes of self-acceptance can be cheesy. Henkes avoids this pitfall with charming characters, beautiful illustrations, and a message that resonates with subtlety. Chrysanthemum perfectly captures the fine line between feeling strange and feeling special as a child.

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