Common Sense Media Review
Cute story about the perils of an unusual name.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Hooray! said Chrysanthemum. \"School!\" Her joy is short-lived, however, as students tease her about her name. Reassured by her parents that she is loved and that her name is perfect, Chrysanthemum returns to school the next day, to more teasing. Engaging illustrations captivate young readers, who will be eager to know the outcome.
Is It Any Good?
Children will feel Chrysanthemum's despair, and her hope that each day will be better, and author Kevin Henkes takes care that the teasing students are won over, not put down. Parents and perceptive children will enjoy Henkes' wordplay. Her father is a walking thesaurus, sprinkling synonyms that follow her mother's adjectives: When her mother says, "Your name is beautiful," he follows with, "And precious and priceless and fascinating and winsome."
Watercolor-and-ink illustrations capture Chrysanthemum's moods and the superior attitude of the other mice children at school. One page contains 16 portraits and the names of each of the students written in their individual handwriting. Another shows the worried father surreptitiously reading a book titled The Inner Mouse, Volume One: Childhood Anxiety.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what's in a name. Is your name unusual? If so, do you like it? Why? If your name is more common, do you prefer it that way?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Kevin Henkes
- Genre : School
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : William Morrow
- Publication date : January 1, 1999
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 30
- Last updated : July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate