Friday, June 18, 2010

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Rating: 4.5 stars

We love this book.  I mean, we LOVE this book.  Lorelei knows almost every word by heart, and the little illustrations--more like intricate sketches or doodles, really--captivate her.  She can stare at a page of this book for a few minutes, just studying it.

Chrysanthemum is a little white mouse who, in her parents eyes, "is absolutely perfect," so she must have an absolutely perfect name, too--thus this super long flower's name that I now know how to spell.  (Even before spellcheck, for all you sassy folk out there.)  She loves her name, too.  Until she starts school.  On the first day of school she realizes everyone has monosyllabic names like Gus or Sam or Max; hers "scarcely fits on her nametag."  (Lorelei will often tell a person that her name is Lorelei, and her name scarcely fits on a nametag.  It always makes grown ups' eyebrows rise and me chuckle.)  She feels pretty sorry for herself when her classmates ridicule her like all little kids--sigh--do.

And then the class meets Mrs Twinkle, the music teacher.  "Her voice was like something out of a dream, as was everything else about her."  The entire class is mesmerized by this "indescribable wonder"--I love when Kevin Henkes and other authors note little kids' naive and beautiful infatuations like this... 

Anyway, back to Chrysanthemum.

The students all giggle and laugh yet again at Chrysanthemum's name until Mrs Twinkle finds out about why they are laughing.  And then she tells him, simply: "My name is long.  My name would scarcely fit on a name tag.  I am named after a flower.  My name is Delphinium."  Of course, Chrysanthemum bursts with pride.  She actually "blooms" according to Henkes. 

This is definitely one of the most clever and witty children's books we've ever read.  And Henkes gets it almost totally right this time with his humor: the wittiness and cleverness is completely child appropriate (he loses me in Julius, Baby of the World).  You've got to read it to appreciate all the flower references sprinkled throughout the pages.  And note the two books her father is reading when she comes home from school, too.  I think my only hesitation is that it does open up the true side of school: the not-so-nice kids who make fun of their classmates just because they can.  I'm in denial that that sort of thing will happen to my kids at some point. 

On the flip side, I appreciate the book a little more because maybe Lorelei will be in a position to be one of the not-so-nice students, and maybe she'll remember Chrysanthemum and be empathetic and kind.  My fingers and toes are crossed!

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