Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

 
 

Chrysanthemum is an important kids' book.  It has a message which is delivered with wit and grace.  Chrysanthemum is a mouse – when she gets to school she is teased about her name.  She is unsettled by this but reassured by her parents (who would give a child such a hard name to spell?)  And then a teacher comes along whose name is Delphinium.

 

I was teased at school – like almost everyone else – this book would have been magic. It was published in 1991 – too late for me!