Daisy /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

When Daisy the warthog's classmates tease her, she finds comfort collecting lost and forgotten things. She knows they're special - and soon she meets a friend who knows it too.

"Daisies seem so simple on the surface, but when you look closely you see their hidden beauty."

That's what Daisy the warthog's mom always says, and it's the reason she got her name. But when Daisy goes to school, she doesn't feel like her name. The other kids, Rose, Violet, and Petunia, make fun of her and call her "Thistle."

Daisy spends a lot of time with her head down, but she doesn't need her classmates to have fun. When she looks at the forest floor, she starts to find all sorts of treasures, beautiful things that were once special and have since been forgotten. The other kids might make fun of her pastime, but it turns out she's not the only one who appreciates the hidden beauty of forgotten things when she meets a like-minded new friend.

With vibrant, sun-dappled art, this is a book for any kid who has trouble fitting in and marches to the beat of their own drum, from the acclaimed author and creator of Boats for Papa , Laundry Day , and Henry and Bea .

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A CCBC Choice

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

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however, are unwilling to do so--they say Daisy looks "more like a thistle" than a bloom, and Daisy spends her days withdrawn and alone.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. (Feb.)

Booklist 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.

Horn Book Review

Daisy, a quiet warthog, is named for her mother's favorite flower: "They seem plain, but when you look closer you see their beauty." Daisy knows a thing or two about finding beauty in what appears ordinary. Saddened by being called "Thistle," with her head hanging down, she finds a "magical world" of forgotten treasures. She collects these things -- old teacups, buttons, empty jars, and the like -- in her own hidden outdoor fort. When she finds objects in the woods that seem placed there just for her, she also makes a happy discovery -- and a new friend. In a sunny, vivid palette dominated by green in nearly every shade, Bagley creates a detailed world of school-going forest creatures and myriad lovingly rendered discarded items. Readers will enjoy examining each object in Daisy's collection as they cheer her newly flowering friendship. With her yellow crossbody bag (for collecting) draped over her shoulder and her shy demeanor, Daisy is a memorable character. One for the misfits, this story is an ode to the art of paying attention and honoring and appreciating not just overlooked objects but also overlooked classmates for their "special beauty." Julie Danielson March/April 2021 p.51(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Jessixa Bagley has written and illustrated multiple award-winning picture books, including Before I Leave and Boats for Papa , winner of an SCBWI Golden Kite Award for best picture book text. Her book Laundry Day was not only a Junior Library Guild Selection, but also a recipient an Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award for writing. Her book Henry and Bea received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She lives in Seattle, Washington