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Primrose Day
From Carolyn Haywood, author of the beloved Betsy series, here are four more classics for young readers. These adorable stories of childhood adventures are as fresh today as when they were written more than a half century ago. And now, thanks to dynamic new covers, they're ready to charm a whole new generation of readers.
Merry Primrose Ramsay is only a little girl, but because of World War II, she must leave her family in England to live with relatives in America. At first it's not easy living in a new place, but life in America is full of fun. There's a picnic with her new classmates, a birthday party, and at Christmas, Merry receives the best present of all!
Merry Primrose Ramsay is only a little girl, but because of World War II, she must leave her family in England to live with relatives in America. At first it's not easy living in a new place, but life in America is full of fun. There's a picnic with her new classmates, a birthday party, and at Christmas, Merry receives the best present of all!
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
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90 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Haywood
64 books80 followersCarolyn Haywood was an American writer and illustrator from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She wrote 47 children's books, most notably the series under the "Eddie" and "Betsy" titles.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 23, 2024
It’s WWII, and while other children are being sent to the countryside, Merry leaves England entirely to go live with her aunt and uncle in America.
She meets friends and has fun on her boat ride to the US, but when she arrives, things are hard.
It is challenging at first, living in a new country, speaking differently than others and even using different words. Merry does not like her first few days at school. Gradually everything gets better.
There are some sweet moments, some hardships and challenges, and a dear ending.
Ages: 5 - 10
Reading Level: 1st - 3rd grade
Content Considerations: gee is said a few times. Some children pick on a girl for talking different/not knowing things. There is an illustration with a child only in his swim trunks. There is an illustration of a girl dressing and you see her dress pulled up and her underwear.
She meets friends and has fun on her boat ride to the US, but when she arrives, things are hard.
It is challenging at first, living in a new country, speaking differently than others and even using different words. Merry does not like her first few days at school. Gradually everything gets better.
There are some sweet moments, some hardships and challenges, and a dear ending.
Ages: 5 - 10
Reading Level: 1st - 3rd grade
Content Considerations: gee is said a few times. Some children pick on a girl for talking different/not knowing things. There is an illustration with a child only in his swim trunks. There is an illustration of a girl dressing and you see her dress pulled up and her underwear.
November 28, 2021
A sweet, wholesome episodic story. There isn't much of a plotline, but my children (age 4 and 6) loved following the adventures of Merry, a little girl from England who shelters in America with her relatives during the war.
June 1, 2010
This is the book that launched my Anglophilia. Also my interest in WWII stories, evacuee stories, Scottie dogs, and hair-dos with ribbons on the sides. Of course, Haywood's story shows an awfully charmed evacuee experience. Can I go stay with Aunt Helen and Uncle Bill, too?
It's interesting to think of this being published in 1942 with no one knowing the outcome of the War or how long the evacuees would be in the States. The story appears to take place in 1940, which means Merry will be about 12 or 13 when she finally goes home.
Childhood fascination: I remember learning the word "lorry" from this, and wanting to learn more distinctly English words.
Last read: 6-6-05
It's interesting to think of this being published in 1942 with no one knowing the outcome of the War or how long the evacuees would be in the States. The story appears to take place in 1940, which means Merry will be about 12 or 13 when she finally goes home.
Childhood fascination: I remember learning the word "lorry" from this, and wanting to learn more distinctly English words.
Last read: 6-6-05
February 11, 2017
Jacqueline Winspear is coming out with a new Maisie Dobbs book soon. An element of the plot will be the evacuation of London children to the countryside.
This made me remember a book I loved as a child about a little girl whose name I remembered as Primrose Patty. A bit of research and I found the book! The little girl was Merry Primrose Ramsey and she was sent to the United States to live with relatives.
I read it last night and loved it again. We have lived in St. Andrews, Scotland on two occasions and I remember walking into woods near our house and finding an undercover growth of primroses. So beautiful! It's just not the same when you buy a single primrose in a pot here in the States!
This made me remember a book I loved as a child about a little girl whose name I remembered as Primrose Patty. A bit of research and I found the book! The little girl was Merry Primrose Ramsey and she was sent to the United States to live with relatives.
I read it last night and loved it again. We have lived in St. Andrews, Scotland on two occasions and I remember walking into woods near our house and finding an undercover growth of primroses. So beautiful! It's just not the same when you buy a single primrose in a pot here in the States!
July 2, 2019
Merry is a 6 year old British girl who is evacuated to the United States to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin Jerry. I tagged this historical, but it was published in 1942, so it was actually a contemporary evacuee story. I found it extremely charming--it has a positive vibe to it, but Merry struggles with missing her parents and not fitting in and being teased for her accent and vocabulary. But her aunt and uncle were wonderful (especially Aunt Helen's birthday and Christmas surprises), the teasing stops with an apology when they get to know her, and the little adventures were a lot of fun. Just lovely, honestly.
September 17, 2020
Merry primrose is a six year old girl who’s almost seven.
Every year her mom takes her on her birthday to pick primroses.
This year it will be her aunt to take her. Thanks WW 2 merry primrose will
Have many adventures! I loved it! Ten out of five!! As a kid books are important. Carolyn Haywood got my interest from the start once I stared I couldn’t stop! It was a great book!
Every year her mom takes her on her birthday to pick primroses.
This year it will be her aunt to take her. Thanks WW 2 merry primrose will
Have many adventures! I loved it! Ten out of five!! As a kid books are important. Carolyn Haywood got my interest from the start once I stared I couldn’t stop! It was a great book!
August 27, 2008
I'm not a big fan of Carolyn Haywood's books--too simplistic for the 8-9 year age group-- but Primrose Day had a little extra interest for me because Merry Primrose is an English girl, evacuated to America during World War II. Some American children tease her at first--especially Bobby--but the arrival of her shipboard friend Molly lends her some support and she is soon an accepted part of the class.
May 16, 2008
Even as a small child, I enjoyed stories about evacuation. In this book, Merry comes to America and is teased in school for her strange vocabulary and English accent, although eventually makes friends and settles in.
February 9, 2025
I remembered this book (particularly the "aunt takes Merry Primrose to a field of primroses for her birthday in the US"), but I didn't remember that Merry had been sent off to the US to her aunt and uncle during WWII. It's typical Haywood (in my memory) - simple, happy childhood stories with minor issues that are easily resolved. For example, Merry is a tiny bit clingy before leaving England, but doesn't seem terribly homesick away from her parents. She did get to bring her dog, which helps.
Glad that I was reminded of this book via a FB group, and that it's on Open Library. I picked the oldest edition to show here, since that's what I remembered, and I think it's the one that was scanned.
Glad that I was reminded of this book via a FB group, and that it's on Open Library. I picked the oldest edition to show here, since that's what I remembered, and I think it's the one that was scanned.
December 9, 2020
Cute book.
April 16, 2021
Delightful.
March 8, 2014
Thoughts before reading: One of my reading challenges for 2014 is to revisit some my favorite remembered books from childhood and young adulthood. My very first favorite book was a picture book about a baby bunny who decides he is tired of carrots and goes around asking the other animals about what they eat. I remember he is quite dismayed by the dog's bone. Eventually he decides it's okay to just be a bunny and goes back home to his very worried mama. I've always thought the title was something like The Naughty Bunny or The Runaway Bunny. But it is NOT The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown nor is it The Naughty Bunny by Richard Scarry. I have searched for this book for 40 years, with no luck. So if it rings a bell with someone, PLEASE let me know. The illustrations were realistic, but cute, kind of like Garth Williams. I used to think it was a Golden Book, but I have searched the entire Golden Book catalog without finding it. It had to have been published before 1960.
Anyway, back to Primrose Day. This was my favorite book in 1st or 2nd grade. I read it over and over. It must have made a big impression. All these years later I have to wonder did my interest in England start with this book or are we drawn to things because of past lives? Or did I identify with Merry because we had moved from New England to Minnesota when I was 5. I'm sure the language differences weren't as great, but there were some. I loved that the British word for truck was lorry, pronounced the same as my name - Laurie. I've always loved learning about other countries and cultures and am still enamored of the British Isles. I love gardening and I have planted primroses in my garden. I do not remember the book cover above - that is a much later edition. I remember it as being orange and probably had the heavy duty "library binding." I requested the original 1942 edition from Interlibrary Loan. It came from the Twin Cities Anderson Library Children's Literature Collection. It is a plain yellow cloth cover and still has the old pocket in the back with the date due card. I have to admit that just thumbing through it and reading a few words here and there brought tears to my eyes. I'll have to read it this weekend, when I can do so in the privacy of my own home!
Thoughts after reading: Still wonderful after all these years. Carolyn Haywood wrote stories about real children doing ordinary things. And even though it was first published in 1942, these are things that children still do today - playing with pets, dealing with homesickness, being teased at school, making presents, going on picnics, going fishing, making friends. I remember the chapter on going to an American school and being teased for using different words for things. And I remember the chapter about Merry's birthday, and learning that primroses don't grow wild in America. Merry would always go and pick primroses with her mother on her birthday and now she can't even pick primroses with her aunt. But never fear - her aunt has a wonderful surprise in store. I did not remember the Scottie dog, although I have always liked Scottie dogs. There were a couple of typos and things that I wouldn't have noticed as a child probably - the cook says she is "pealing" onions. And there is a reference to Mr. Ramsey being a "Scotchman" which made me cringe. I have been doing a bit of "Googling" and decided that Rose Valley must be Rose Valley, PA, which is near Philadelphia (where Carolyn Haywood lived). It is a very small town, but would be within a couple hours train ride of NYC. I'll be expanding this review with a few photos over on my blog, if you want to check it out, at welshbookworm.wordpress.com .
Book Description: Merry Primrose Ramsey lives in England with her parents and her imaginary friend, Molly. At the outbreak of World War II, she is sent to live with her relatives in America, in a small town called Rose Valley. On the way over she meets a real best friend named Molly, who eventually moves to Rose Valley, too. Merry and her American cousin Jerry take to each other immediately and find all kinds of adventures, including rescuing a carrier pigeon and going fishing alone. Merry's new life is not without trials. She misses her parents. She gets teased at school for the way she talks. Her puppy unravels the scarf she has spent weeks knitting for her daddy far away in England. And her birthday just won't be the same without primroses to pick and make into a primrose chain like she always did in England...
Anyway, back to Primrose Day. This was my favorite book in 1st or 2nd grade. I read it over and over. It must have made a big impression. All these years later I have to wonder did my interest in England start with this book or are we drawn to things because of past lives? Or did I identify with Merry because we had moved from New England to Minnesota when I was 5. I'm sure the language differences weren't as great, but there were some. I loved that the British word for truck was lorry, pronounced the same as my name - Laurie. I've always loved learning about other countries and cultures and am still enamored of the British Isles. I love gardening and I have planted primroses in my garden. I do not remember the book cover above - that is a much later edition. I remember it as being orange and probably had the heavy duty "library binding." I requested the original 1942 edition from Interlibrary Loan. It came from the Twin Cities Anderson Library Children's Literature Collection. It is a plain yellow cloth cover and still has the old pocket in the back with the date due card. I have to admit that just thumbing through it and reading a few words here and there brought tears to my eyes. I'll have to read it this weekend, when I can do so in the privacy of my own home!
Thoughts after reading: Still wonderful after all these years. Carolyn Haywood wrote stories about real children doing ordinary things. And even though it was first published in 1942, these are things that children still do today - playing with pets, dealing with homesickness, being teased at school, making presents, going on picnics, going fishing, making friends. I remember the chapter on going to an American school and being teased for using different words for things. And I remember the chapter about Merry's birthday, and learning that primroses don't grow wild in America. Merry would always go and pick primroses with her mother on her birthday and now she can't even pick primroses with her aunt. But never fear - her aunt has a wonderful surprise in store. I did not remember the Scottie dog, although I have always liked Scottie dogs. There were a couple of typos and things that I wouldn't have noticed as a child probably - the cook says she is "pealing" onions. And there is a reference to Mr. Ramsey being a "Scotchman" which made me cringe. I have been doing a bit of "Googling" and decided that Rose Valley must be Rose Valley, PA, which is near Philadelphia (where Carolyn Haywood lived). It is a very small town, but would be within a couple hours train ride of NYC. I'll be expanding this review with a few photos over on my blog, if you want to check it out, at welshbookworm.wordpress.com .
Book Description: Merry Primrose Ramsey lives in England with her parents and her imaginary friend, Molly. At the outbreak of World War II, she is sent to live with her relatives in America, in a small town called Rose Valley. On the way over she meets a real best friend named Molly, who eventually moves to Rose Valley, too. Merry and her American cousin Jerry take to each other immediately and find all kinds of adventures, including rescuing a carrier pigeon and going fishing alone. Merry's new life is not without trials. She misses her parents. She gets teased at school for the way she talks. Her puppy unravels the scarf she has spent weeks knitting for her daddy far away in England. And her birthday just won't be the same without primroses to pick and make into a primrose chain like she always did in England...
July 13, 2008
I remembered this very fondly from childhood, and just had the opportunity to read it again. It's not particularly funny or captivating. It is however, a chapter book that I'm pretty sure even young readers could handle. As a first grade teacher, it is often hard to find material for children that read above grade level. Often books that are the right level of difficulty are not about things that would interest the little ones, or are not necessarily appropriate for young readers. This book is entirely wholesome, and would make a nice bedtime read aloud for kindergartener or first graders with a good attention span and is completely family-friendly for parents looking for books for first graders who read beyond their years but are not mature beyond their years.
July 29, 2011
Upon re-reading this book as an adult, I found it absolutely sweet and charming. I remember checking this out from the special paperback section of my elementary school library. Every so often, at least a dozen times, I checked this book out, until it mysteriously disappeared from the library. I suppose it is possible that this is the book that launched my fascination with history and the World Wars despite it's light brushing of the facts and the emotions that went with parting from your family. I find it especially interesting, as an adult, that this book was written at the beginning of the British involvement in the war, a story based on a current event, if you will. I don't know whether to shelve this one with my children's book collection or WWII.
August 31, 2016
Sweet book for younger readers. A little background information of WWII may be needed and explaining why children were being sent (evacuated) from England to the United States. I appreciated that the book took a look into how some people respond when others are different even in the smallest of ways. The love of family was also quite heart warming. My only fault with this book is that I think the book ended quite abruptly. I was wondering where the rest of the book was!
May 24, 2025
This was one of my favorite books in 2nd grade. I think of it every time I hear about primroses. I finally looked it up a few days ago after hearing something mention the flowers and found it. I received it today and reread it. Still delightful and sweet. One of the many reasons I’m an Anglophile, I’m sure.
July 30, 2009
A sweet story about Merry Primrose Ramsay who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in America during WWII. She and her pet Scottie travel from England on a big ship with lots of other children. At first, she has trouble adjusting to her new school, but soon she makes friends and begins to have fun. At Christmas, she receives a wonderful surprise.
April 18, 2023
I read this with my 4 year old. We laughed when merry went boating, were sad when her dog ate the present she made and unraveled her scarf. Such a good book with fun, engaging stories and uplifting characters!
April 23, 2008
Very different from the typical Carolyn Haywood book. This was one of my favorites when I was a kid.
February 28, 2012
I can remember reading this driving down telegraph with my mom, going somewhere in Brownstown.
July 18, 2012
This was one of my favourite books in early elementary! I loved all the books by this author.
February 10, 2013
A treasured gift I received as a young girl. It remains in my collection today.
September 8, 2009
Any books by Haywood are really charming. I read them aloud to my girls.
April 11, 2015
Read with my first grade daughter. Very old fashioned , we enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews