DAISY THE DAYDREAMER

Daisy’s daydreaming always seems to get in the way.

Mrs. Dill announces that the class’s best listener will be the line leader on the field trip to the aquarium. Yearning to be line leader, Daisy tries to concentrate but becomes engrossed in drawing pictures of the lesson’s subject: octopuses. Her inattention results in another student being appointed line leader. But when Daisy shows her drawings to Mrs. Dill, her teacher announces that Daisy will be the class’s official aquarium artist. Without overtly labeling learning disabilities, Goldfinger offers sensitive yet hilarious reassurance about differences and creativity. The author/illustrator describes Daisy as having her “head in the clouds,” and a series of delightful images bring that statement to life. Daisy’s head is often obscured by an irregular blue cloud, and clouds gather as she tries to pay attention to Mrs. Dill. Early on, understated text mentions simple activities in Daisy’s life, while the illustrations show her imagination taking flight: As she brushes her teeth, she imagines herself as a rabbit; as she braids her hair, she envisions herself with Rapunzel-esque locks. The cartoonlike, mixed-media art is increasingly funny as it depicts the problems that accompany Daisy’s often scattered comprehension. In one scene, her mother tells her to fold her socks and feed her brother; a distracted Daisy ends up attempting to feed her socks and fold her sibling. Daisy is light-skinned, Mrs. Dill is brown-skinned, and the class is diverse.

Sweet, funny, and encouraging.