Daffodil

by Emily Jenkins, Tomek Bogacki (Illustrator)

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family

Hardcover

First published May 3, 2004

About the author

Emily Jenkins is the author of many books for children, including the recent picture books Tiger and Badger, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay, and Princessland, illustrated by Yoko Tanaka. Her chapter books include the Toys series, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky; she is co-author of the Upside-down Magic series. Emily Jenkins lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Campbell Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book you see the story of three little girls who all look very similar. So to tell them apart at parties they would wear the color that matched their names. Yet not one of them liked the color that they had to wear so they ended up getting to change after bring attention to it.

This book is a good book yet I was not a huge fan mainly because I can not relate. Yet the story and art I would bet that many girls could relate to. I would use this book to help kids see that they can speak up against things they do not like they may not be the only ones.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clever, funny book. I could feel Daffodil's pain...having to do what grown ups want because they think they are doing the right thing for you, but how could they when they didn't give you any input? I think the story turned out just right. Very enjoyable book.

[Misbah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Triplet sisters are named after flowers and they have to wear clothes that correspond with the color of the flower they are named after. They are annoyed by this and speak up about it.

[Elissa Genry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a set of triplets that look exactly the same. When they'd go out to parties, they all had to wear different dresses describing their name in order for people to be able to differentiate them. Daffodil hated her dress and felt so sad whenever they went to parties. Then, the three sisters confessed that they all hated their dresses, so they ended up wearing whatever they wanted, even though no one could tell them apart.

I liked the message of this book because it showed children to not worry about what others think of you but do what makes you happy.

This book could be used in a classroom to encourage embracing your differences.

[Kathleen Lance]

The story about Daffodil was a book that talked about a set of triplets. The triplets were three girls who everyone always got confused. People would try to associate their names with what color dress they wore. Daffodil's mom always bought her yellow dresses, Violet always wore purple dresses, and Rose always wore pink dresses. The girls eventually grew tired of this, and finally told their mom. In the end they wore clothes that fit their personalities and they were all happy.

I liked this book because it reminded me of my best friends growing up. My friends were twins and people used to associate their names with colors too. Abby always got pink and Emily always got blue. I enjoyed this story and I thought the illustrations were good.

This book would be useful for a teacher if there were twins, triplets, etc. in the grade she was teaching. The book would help the kids to understand how important it is that each person is an individual and that we need to think of them that way. Many times we just say, "Oh which twin/triplet/etc. are you," instead of teaching the kids around them to learn who they are because they are an individual as well as the twin/triplet/etc.

[Megan Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daffodil has two sisters, Violet and Rose, and they all look alike. The sisters can tell each other apart, and their mother can (for the most part). Their mother likes to go to parties, and when they go, Violet always wears a violet dress with lace, Rose always wears a pink dress with bows, and Daffodil always wears a yellow dress with pearls; but Daffodil cannot stand to wear her yellow dress. Daffodil discovers that her sisters, Violet and Rose, don't like to wear their dresses either. So, after they grew out of their dresses, their mother let them pick out their own party clothes, and they were much happier.
I liked this book! I enjoyed seeing the party dresses and how pretty they were through the illustrations. I like the colors violet, rose, and daffodil (yellow)!
I could use this book to talk about how it feels when you get big enough to make your own decisions. When you start making your own decisions, you feel confident and feel like you can be yourself (which is how Violet, Rose, and Daffodil felt).

[Ruhama · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story about triplets. Mommy sometimes has a hard time telling her daughters apart, so when they go to fancy parties, she dresses them in colors that match their names—
Violet gets a purple dress, Rose has a pink dress, and Daffodil has a yellow dress. But Daffodil HATES her dress, and one day explodes that she’s never going to wear it again!
This leads the other two sisters to say they actually hate their dresses, too, so Mommy agrees to let them do whatever they choose, even if she can’t tell them apart. This book is
perfect for siblings who want to state their independence, especially twins or triplets. The illustrations are colorful and bright. The faces are a little bizarre, and the page layouts leave a little to be desired, but overall, this is a well done book.

[Emily Houtchens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a set of girl triplets that people often get confused with who is who. So when they go to parties, their mom makes them wear certain colors and dresses so people know who is who. The girls all end up not liking their dresses though and eventually speak up and get to wear what they want.
I liked the book's underlying message about not stereotyping people, but I think the girls show some negative attitudes that might not be received well.
This book could be used to teach kids that they can be whatever they want to be, and our unique and special. I probably wouldn't use this as a class read, but it could be a better read for kids to enjoy in their own reading time.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable story of triplets named Daffodil, Rose, and Violet. Daffodil dislikes the yellow dress her mother makes her wear so people can tell the girls apart--her sister Rose wearing pink while Violet wears violet. Eventually, Daffodil discovers, as does her mother, that Violet and Rose hate having to war the same colors all the time too. A lesson to be learned is here for children and parents alike, as well as bright, expressive illustrations and concise, personable writing to bring depths of pleasure to the simple tale.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soren said, "I thought this book was funny because when they were describing the yellow dress they said it looked like pee."
Leave it to a young boy to think that "pee" is hilarious. But this is really a great little picture book. I loved it as well. Perfect for families of multiples who are trying to assert their own individuality.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be used in the classroom in several ways. It teaches about personal identity, it has good word choice, and for children struggling with peers, it shows how siblings can work together.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daffodil is one of a set of triplets. Rose gets the pink party dress, Violet gets the purple one, and Daffodil gets yellow. Turns out, none of them like their assigned colors. And also, if people look a little more closely, they'll discover that the three are not identical.

Library copy.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book with a strong message - be careful what you dress your kids in - and how to jump and down if you don't like your parents choice.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

An overall theme of spoiled, ungrateful girls and a few crude references made this a no-keeper for me.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Imogene's Antlers)
This was a pretty standard picture book about kid's that want to be themselves until the description of the yellow dress as "pee" colored and then it was a big hit! Kids!

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org

[Tim Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

People who have identical twins, triplets, quints, etc. should be forced to have the children tattooed with their names to spare the rest of us these confusing and embarrassing situations.

[Carly Warren]

Summary:
This book is about a little girl named Daffodil with two sisters named Rose and Violet. They all look very similar. Whenever their mother takes them to parties, they all wear dresses the color of their names. Daffodil hates her's and throws it off demanding never to wear it again. She is so jealous of her sisters' dresses and then finds out that they were jealous of her's. They decide to switch dresses whenever they would like, and then when they grow out of it they all pick their very own different outfits.

Analysis:
I like the way that this story depicts the fact that sometimes things are not what they seem. Daffodil never knew her sisters were feeling the same way she did. If they had talked earlier, it would have been fixed. I also like the emphasis on individuality.

How I Will Use This:
I would use this when discussing conflict resolution. This is a good lesson on addressing issues earlier and talking them out with loved ones.