Daisy

November 9, 2020
Daisy the warthog is named after her mother’s favorite flower. Daisies may seem plain, Mama says, “but when you look closer you see their beauty.” The young warthog’s animal classmates, however, are unwilling to do so—they say Daisy looks “more like a thistle” than a bloom, and Daisy spends her days withdrawn and alone. She finds solace in collecting buttons, lost marbles, and other “old and useless items” that she believes have a hidden beauty like her own; they become decorations for the forest fort she creates, which Bagley (Curious Encounters), working in watercolor and pencil, draws as a place of play and wonder, with the everyday items strung throughout the tree canopy. When items that Daisy hasn’t scavenged begin appearing around the fort, she discovers that they’re from a classmate and new friend named Fern, a skunk who looks at the world the same way Daisy does. Some readers may feel that the mean girls are let off the hook or wish that Daisy was more defiant in the face of exclusion. But Bagley, always the soul of empathy, doesn’t focus on fixing Daisy or her situation. The story’s power—and genuine hope—comes from an author acknowledging and validating her protagonist’s feelings. Ages 4–8. Agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary.

December 1, 2020
Preschool-Grade 1 *Starred Review* This story about a young warthog named Daisy offers keen insight into how casual teasing can have a great impact on the victim. Daisy's mother explains that, while her namesake flowers may look plain, they have great beauty if you look closely. Kids at school seize on Daisy's name, calling her "Thistle," and she withdraws, keeping her head down (literally) so as not to deal with her classmates, but in doing so, Daisy discovers discarded treasures on the forest floor, sees the beauty in their imperfections, and creates a secret hideout to store her finds. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations lend a softness to the story and are filled with charming details, like the sumptuous double-page spread of Daisy's collection of tea pots and cups, lanterns, books, and a lost teddy bear. When someone starts leaving objects outside of Daisy's fort, she soon discovers Fern the skunk admiring her treasures, and the two become friends. A good spur to help children realize how hurtful teasing can be.

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December 15, 2020
Finding friendship is the greatest treasure. Daisy is a shy little warthog eager for friends. But at her forest school, which is filled with woodland creatures of all sorts, her bristly, tusked appearance draws sneers and teasing from some of the other girls. Who knew a raccoon could be so catty? Ostracized and feeling alone, Daisy creates her own world in a verdant thicket of the leafy forest, hidden away from others. And while the other children play and make fun, Daisy collects broken, discarded bits and pieces that she carefully displays in her little forest fort. To her the finds are treasure. As her treasures accumulate, she realizes that someone is leaving objects for her to find. "Hi, I'm Fern," says her visitor, a shy little skunk. Bagley engages with lovely, soft colors that perfectly pair with the quiet, gentle heart of her story, an opening scene of Daisy making her way through a field abloom with her namesake establishing the tone. Daisy is a perfectly adorable warthog with a winningly expressive snout; she, like all the animals, goes unclothed but on hind legs, using human tools and accessories. The language and message resonate like a whisper in the woods--Daisy's fort is described as "a magical place, hidden from the eyes of others." (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 35.3% of actual size.) This sweet tale of being overlooked and recognizing value others don't is a perfect treasure. (Picture book. 4-8)

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