That's Not a Daffodil!

by Elizabeth Honey

A playful story that children will enjoy again and again about an inventive boy, a kindly gardener, a growing friendship, and the promise of a bulb





When Tom's neighbor Mr. Yilmaz gives him a brown bulb, Tom can't believe it will flower. "That's not a daffodil!" says Tom. "Well," says the old gardener. "Let's plant it and see." Tom plays a game of imagination as the daffodil bulb given to him by his kindly neighbor grows first into a green beak, then turns into a rocket, and finally into a trumpet of gold. A satisfying tale, playful repetition, and building anticipation will make children request this story again and again.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Gardening, Nature, Friendship, Plants, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Elizabeth Honey was a weedy child who always seemed to have a sore throat, so her parents didn't send her to school until she was nearly seven. The Honeys lived on a farm in the bush near Wonthaggi, Victoria. There were four kids and Elizabeth was number three. With her younger sister Mary, Elizabeth puzzled over jigsaws, played with the dogs, climbed trees and one way or another did a lot of pretending, on horses or tractors, in dress-ups or with glove puppets, round old trucks, cubbies, dams and hay sheds.
Following Swinburne art school, adventures overseas and a variety of jobs Elizabeth became an illustrator, then also a writer, for children. Her first book, 'Princess Beatrice and the Rotten Robber' was published in 1988.

She lives in Richmond, Melbourne in a house of books: picture books, poetry, art (Matisse particularly) zines and strange books. Fortunately, her retired graphic designer husband is also a bibliophile. They have two grown-up children and a granddaughter in Amsterdam. All her life Elizabeth has zoomed around on her bike - not a lycra rider, just a charging-round-the-place rider - and that vibrant bike city in the Netherlands has become an inspiration. She's also passionate about streets for people not cars, public parkland and place-making, and an abiding passion is habitat for wildlife, for the survival of our unique Australian animals.

Reviews

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

An irresistible title with an irresistible story to match.

Not only is this Tom's story about what he learned from kindly gardener Mr. Yilmaz. Readers benefit from the equivalent of a how-to book about how to grow a daffodil.

My favorite line accompanies an illustration of Mr. Yilmaz, who gives the planted bulb a good soaking:

"So they made it rain and put it [the flowerpot containing the bulb] in the sun."

By my standards, the rest of the dialog is also pretty darned irresistible. And I love-love-love the ending, even though no spoiler from me, no no.

FIVE STARS of praise to Elizabeth Honey.

[Sarah Mayor Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this picture book about a little boy called Tom and his neighbour Mr Yilmaz. They have a charming relationship which Honey explores so fully in her gently text and muted watercolour and pastel illustrations. This would be a great book to but as a gift, and a great book to read aloud with parents or grandparents.

Tom and Mr Yilmaz plant a daffodil together and as Tom watches it grow, incredulous because he doesn't think the little bulb is a daffodil, Honey cleverly weaves the concepts of imagination, learning about plants and metaphor together through her written and illustrative text.

This would make a fabulous read aloud in pre-school and Early Years classes, and would be a great way to review the concept of literary metaphor for older classes.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet and creative and fun.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars I liked this book a whole bunch. I like the pictures and the story. I also like the tiny note in the back explaining that Mr Yilmaz from Turkey and when he moved to Australia there was no dot on his I so it was pronounced Yuhlmuz.. The Turkish alphabet is different that the English Alphabet.... you learn something new every day!
I got a amaryllis bulb at the store and it looked like an onion too, but then after a months or two the onion grew, and grew and became a beautiful Amaryllis....so I get the whole "That's no a daffodil"

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book with my whole heart. The illustrations are charming, the text is delicious. This book is just like my childhood in so many ways. The skeptical kid? Check. The wise adult with the acerbically cocked eyebrow? Check. The miracle of a daffodil? Check.

This is so hopeful, so sweet, so wonderful. Go read it. Go read it to your favorite small person, then plant them a bulb & create the next generation of gardeners.

This is a book I have to own. Maybe you do too.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy waits impatiently for a small bulb in a pot of dirt to become a daffodil, and lets his imagination discover that it is like so many other things too.

[Lara Bate · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's Not a Daffodil by Elizabeth Honey is a great book! It teaches children how to grow flowers and what they need. The boy in the story was given a Daffodil bulb by Mr. Yilmaz and thought it was an onion to begin with. Mr. Yilmaz was there teaching the boy the journey of growing the Daffodil from putting it in soil, watering it, putting it under the sun, and waiting until the plant grew. It compared different phases to known objects (E.g., the bud looked like a street lamp). I would highly recommend this book to teach children about the process of growing a Daffodil.

[Rahma · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely book about patience, giving, appreciation and watching something grow

A Turkish neighbour, Mr Yilmaz (who also owns an energetic dog), visits the main character and gifts him with a Daffodil bulb. Together they watch the daffodil grow

[Kristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story of a boy and his neighbor. The neighbor, Mr. Yilmaz, gives Tom a daffodil bulb. Tom plants it but it doesn’t look like a daffodil yet.
It’s a sweet story of a lovely relationship plus and a gentle understanding of bulbs.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative, intergenerational story for spring.

[Krislyn]

This was a good story to add to my collection of stories about spring, growth, and plants.

[Jenny Esots · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a child sees.
The illustrations are delightful.

[Megan Gery · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet, and absolutely gorgeous.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Honey never disappoints. In this picture book she deftly combines an engaging story with facts about how to grow plants and multicultural characters. It's a story to enjoy!

[Samantha Prodromou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story that captures the joy that comes from watching things grow.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Tom’s neighbor gave him something that looked like an onion and said it was a daffodil, Tom was very skeptical. Mr. Yilmaz told him to plant it to find out. So they planted it in a large pot and Tom waited, and waited, and waited with nothing happening at all. When Mr. Yilmaz asked how the daffodil was doing, Tom answered that it was not a daffodil, it was a desert. So the two watered the pot. Later, Mr. Yilmaz asked again and Tom said that the small green point sticking out of the dirt was a green beak, not a daffodil. The beak slowly began to open. Soon the daffodil looked more like a hand, hair, and even a rocket! It even survived being toppled over by a dog. Until finally, Tom gets to show Mr. Yilmaz exactly what that onion turned into.

Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of mistaking a growing daffodil for different things is a good enough concept for a picture book that teaches kids stuff, but the story lacked punch. Too much focus on educating, not enough on entertaining. Plus, I found the last page to be confusing, because it finishes with this sort of "reveal" that seems to disconnect with the plot. I guess a daffodil could look like a sort of trumpet, but why does anyone care?

Still, a good one for anyone who wants to garden with very young children.

[Readingdad · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I enjoyed this book immensely:
First the paintings (pastel?) are impeccable, engaging, and simply nice to look at.
Second, the story is well told with many themes hidden behind a ‘simple’ line:
Diversity: the Turkish elderly man and the young boy (Tom).
Imagination and creativity: The young boy plays with the daffodil being something else than a daffodil.
Friendship: over this short book (in text) kindness and friendship are shown and developed.
Overall a feel good book, enjoyable, agreeable to look at and to read, both for dad and son (5 y.o.).

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: K - 2nd grade
Season: Spring

"When Tom's neighbor Mr. Yilmaz gives him a brown bulb, Tom can't believe it will flower. "That's not a daffodil!" says Tom. "Well," says the old gardener. "Let's plant it and see." Tom plays a game of imagination as the daffodil bulb given to him by his kindly neighbor grows first into a green beak, then turns into a rocket, and finally into a trumpet of gold. A satisfying tale, playful repetition, and building anticipation" (Goodreads feature review).

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever. A little boy receives a daffodil bulb from his neighbor and thinks it looks more like an onion than anything that will become a flower. As it grows, he informs his neighbor that it is still not a daffodil but, at various times, his grandpa's hair blowing in the wind or a traffic light. The excitement when the daffodil blooms jumps right off the page, and it is fine seeing the little boy use his imagination.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Tom and his friend Mr. Yilmaz first see it, it looks like an onion. "That's not a daffodil," Toms says, but Mr. Yilmaz convinces him to plant it and see. Later, it looks like a little green beak, a hand with five green fingers, etc., until it blooms and looks like a daffodil. Straight-forward, but nice for spring.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It starts off looking like an onion. This puzzling thing grows frustratingly slowly and goes through many stages. Beautifully relatable, a good book for preschool!

It gently (and non-didactically) introduces ideas about good neighbours, respect, diversity and love for the garden as well as the science and art thinking around growing a flower. Playful. Lovely!

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome story about a little boy and his neighbor who helps him plant and promises a daffodil. Wish the illustrations were a tad bit brighter so I could read in storytime, but the gentle watercolors fit the text well.

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this is a book to share and share and share. I love the creative imagery used in the child's voice as he describes what a daffodil looks like over time from bulb to flower. Can't wait to use this to inspire descriptive writing and quiet observation about the natural world.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining story that shows the different stages of a daffodil as it grows from a bulb to a flowering plant. The narrative is short and fun to read aloud and the illustrations complement the story nicely.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Tom watches a daffodil bulb grow and his imagination fills in the pieces as he waits. Lovely little spring book and it can be paired easily with books on seeds and plants.

[Mylinh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spring, flowers, growing

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Tom's neighbour gives him a brown bulb, he can't believe it will flower. That's not a daffodil, says Tom. Well, says the old gardener. Let's plant it and see.

[Emkoshka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about friendship, imagination and transformation. I liked the blend of watercolour and pastel illustrations and the splash of ethnic diversity in Tom's neighbour, Mr Yilmaz.

[Buxmont Uu]

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