The children’s book Chrysanthemum written by Kevin Henkes is a classic piece of literature with an essential meaning within. Using the simple moral of the Golden Rule, Henkes shows this through the adventures of a mouse in a very social oriented time in children’s lives, pre-school. By using realistic fiction to depict a normal child’s experience through school, Henkes shows the ups and downs of having differences through the 13 letter name of the protagonist, Chrysanthemum. Even though the vocabulary is simple for matured ones, it is a new world for young ones using words such as “blushed” and others such as “bloomed” when used as a feeling. The book Chrysanthemum begins with Chrysanthemum growing up with love and affection from her parents.
