Daffodil

By Emily Jenkins

Book Overview

It's time for a change - of clothes! Daffodil had two sisters, and they all three looked alike. People couldn't tell them apart. When Daffodil and her sisters go to parties, Mommy puts them in fancy dresses of different colors so that people will know "who is who, and which is which." Violet's dress is violet, with lots of lace. Rose's dress is pink, with little bows all over. Lucky ducks. Poor Daffodil's dress is a horrible yellow, with weird fake pearls. She hates it "very extremely hugely much." One day Daffodil finally has enough - and when she rebels, she learns something surprising from her sisters. This funny story about individuality is given a lively twist by Tomek Bogacki's colorful illustrations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374316767
• ISBN13: 9780374316761
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 4.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.3" x 0.3" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Great story for multiples

As a mother of triplet girls I see first hand how hard it can be for the individuality of my three to be seen by others. All too often they get lumped together as "the triplets" or "the girls". This book focuses on recognizing individuality, which is important to foster in all chidren, but especially in multiples. I can't wait for my trio to get a bit older so they can better enjoy this book and the message it sends to other families with triplets.

I'll stick up for this book... we really like it!

"Daffodil," by Emily Jenkins, is a clever, complex story of three sisters who are triplets learning to assert themselves and express their own needs and their individuality. Your children don't need to be twins, triplets, etc., to benefit from the message, which is more about children asserting independence from their parents than about being a multiple birth child -- the message is universal. The point of the story is that the triplets' mother dresses them the way that *she* wants to, and the way *she* thinks is so clever and cute, and that the girls -- who are sick of the dresses they always have to wear -- finally learn to assert themselves and express their own needs, and not just let their mother live her life through them. It's not about fashion or vanity or "being made happy by clothes", but about young children learning to communicate their own wants and emotions, and about a parent learning when it's time to back off and let their kids make some of their own choices. As far as the language goes, I think Ms. Jenkins is trying to speak in the voice of a young (5-8 year-oldish?) girl, and her mode of expression is not grammatically incorrect, so what's the problem? Repetition? If you condemned every childrens' book that used repetition as a writing device, I think you'd have a very narrow selection. As far as the objectionable word -- "pee" -- I didn't read it aloud when I read this book, and the story worked just fine. However, as a word that a little kid would choose to describe a shade of yellow that they hated and felt oppressed by, "pee yellow" seems like a pretty likely choice. It's clearly negative and conveys the girl's feelings. Personally, I just don't see any need to freak out about it. Just edit as you go along, and don't take everything so darn literally. This is a cute book with a unique sense of humor and a valuable message. It may be a bit too emotionally charged for some readers, but for open-minded readers, it's definitely worth checking out! (ReadThatAgain!)

Daffodil

Daffodil, Rose, and Violet are triplets that are dressed in clothes the same color as their names. This is because their mother and a others have a hard time figuring out who is really who. Until Daffodil tells her mother, "that enough is enough very extremely hugely much, enough". The three girls have their say and mother is sorry that she never thought about it that way and the girls get to wear whatever colors they want "They all felt very lucky ducky indeed". This book uses expression very vividly with words and colors. It would be good to use in the classroom to teach that everyone is an individual.