Chrysanthemum (book)

Chrysanthemum

Paperback cover
Author	Kevin Henkes
Language	English
Series	Mouse Books
Genre	Picture book
Publisher	Greenwillow Books
Publication date	September 16, 1991
ISBN
Preceded by	'Julius, the Baby of the World'
Followed by	'Owen'

Chrysanthemum is the title of a 1991 children's picture book by the American writer and illustrator Kevin Henkes.

Chrysanthemum was chosen as an ALA Notable Book and the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and it is on the Horn Book Fanfare Honor List. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.

The plot deals with a young mouse named Chrysanthemum, who loves her long name until a girl named Victoria and her friends, Rita and Jo, tease her about it. However, a pregnant music teacher (named Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle) defends her, saying how a lot of people have long names. Chrysanthemum's family comforts her as well. At the end of the story, Mrs. Twinkle gives birth to a girl and decides to name her Chrysanthemum, too.

In 1998 Weston Woods developed an animated story based on the book's illustrations, which was narrated by Meryl Streep. In 2002 it was produced by Newvideo and Scholastic and bundled with 5 other animated stories on a "Scholastic Storybook Treasures" DVD.