Book Review – Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
(Image obtained from the Lancaster Veterans Memorial Library website: http://www.lancastertxlib.org/)
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Viorst, Judith. 1972. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Ill. by Ray Cruz. Antheneum, NY: Children’s Publishing Co. ISBN 0689711735
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This was just not Alexander’s day. Everything seemed to be going wrong. From waking up with gum stuck to his hair, falling in the mud and being called a “crybaby”, to biting his tongue before bed as his cat rejects his company, and all the eventful happenings in between, this proved to be a rotten day for the young grade school boy that wishes he could just escape to “Australia.” At the end of the day, one could gather he realizes that running away is not the answer, because his mom reminded him that “some days are like that. Even in Australia.”
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The outline of Alexander’s single day events, though unfortunate if experienced on separate occasions, seemed to be hilariously outrageous. On one hand you want to feel sorry for Alexander, but on the other hand you may secretly laugh at the humor covertly included in this text. It is not as though you want to chuckle at his many mishaps, but may find yourself smiling with embarrassment as you reflect on how you felt when you had days like this. People could totally relate to the theme of this story.
The word choices and storytelling of Viorst gives “voice” to Alexander, and allows the reader to imagine him as someone that they may have known. The repetition of the line “It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” really stresses that Alexander means what he said. Vintage and detailed black-and-white illustrations by Ray Cruz wonderfully highlights the very different emotions the young boy felt: anger, sadness, disregarded, embarrassed, frustrated, and more. Thankfully we all don’t have to escape to “Australia.” This classic picture book teaches us to hang in there during tough times, because tomorrow is a new day.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Georgia Children’s Book Award
Georgia Children’s Book Award
AMAZON.COM REVIEW: “Alexander…is a great antidote to bad days everywhere.”
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE BOOK REVIEWS: “Alexander… is a timeless picture book that can be enjoyed by all ages for years to come.
5. CONNECTIONS
· How ironic, I am having a tough time posting my Blogs today. I am trying to make a deadline for my class, but I am having technical difficulties. What a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” situation I’m in. Oh, well. I can’t go to “Australia,” so I’ll keep trying.
· Other books for children related to persistence:
Polacco, Patricia. 1998. THANK YOU, MR. FALKER. ISBN 0399231668
Ahlber, Allan. Briggs, Raymond. 2002. A BIT MORE BERT. ISBN 0374324891
· Websites with lesson plan ideas:
Other resources used:
This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.
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