Book Cover Image:
Genre:
The book Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day comes from the list of classic picture books and authors. The book was originally published in 1972 and was written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz. The age of the book alone is not what makes this book a classic though. A classic book must be well-written and have a story, theme, or lesson that is relevant regardless of what decade we are in. Simply put, a classic is a classic because it is timeless!
This book could easily be added to the category of realistic fiction. Although the book is a work of fiction, it is a story that could very easily have happened to a real child, thus making it very realistic.
Book Summary:
This story follows a young boy named Alexander who wakes up with gum in his hair and just knows that it is going to be a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” therefore he thinks he will just move to Australia. As Alexander goes through his day he has many different experiences, some of which may not have been so bad if everything else had been a little better. When you are having a terrible day, everything, even if it isn’t that bad such as having to have lima beans for dinner, is that much worse. That night his mom tucks him in and reassures him that everyone has bad days sometimes, even in Australia.
APA Reference of Book:
Impressions:
The great thing about this book is that children and adults can relate to Alexander. We have all woken up and had one thing go wrong and we just know that it is going to be one of those days. Some of the horrible moments Alexander experience are of his own making, such as fighting with his brother and making a mess at his dad’s office. Some of the others, such as his mom forgetting his dessert and his issues with his friends, are things that just happen. The problem is it all happened in one day, which is something everyone will experience in life, often more than once, creating the perfect storm of a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” In addition to the story, the simple black and white sketch illustrations capture the various emotions Alexander experiences throughout the story. Whether a parent is reading the story aloud or a child reading it on their own, the illustrations compliment the story beautifully and add a great deal of feeling to the already well-told story.
Professional Review:
Taken from Kirkus Review, posted online March 12, 2012
“In the spiky spirit of Sunday Morning (1969) but more truly attuned to a child's point of view, Viorst reviews a really aggravating (if not terrible, horrible, and very bad) day in the life of a properly disgruntled kid who wakes up with gum in his hair and goes to bed after enduring lima beans for dinner and kissing on T.V.
At school, "Mrs. Dickens liked Paul's picture of sailboat better than my picture of the invisible castle," and at lunch, "guess whose mother forgot to put in dessert?" After school "my mom took us all to the dentist and Dr. Fields found a cavity just in me," and there is worse to come. It's no wonder the kid's ready to move to Australia, but in the end, "My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia."
If Alexander's mother is smart to offer casual sympathy without phony consolation, Cruz and Viorst accord readers the same respect.”
Library Uses:
This book has great potential to be used for social lessons with children about the simple fact that not everyone has a good day every day. As a librarian, I would prepare a kit for this book to be used by elementary counselors for use with children ranging in age from 5-9 years old. The story would be used with young children when they are having one of those bad days at school to help them understand that everyone has bad days. Storytelling is a calming and soothing way to help a child relax and then it opens the conversation to discuss why Alexander had a bad day. Once they have discussed Alexander’s day, the counselor would be able help the child talk about their own bad day. Additionally, classroom teachers could use the book if he or she sees that a large majority of the class is having a rough day. When you are having a bad day, especially as a child, you may feel like you are the only one who has bad days. This book would help reassure that it is normal, and that tomorrow is a new
Readalikes:
The book Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day comes from the list of classic picture books and authors. The book was originally published in 1972 and was written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz. The age of the book alone is not what makes this book a classic though. A classic book must be well-written and have a story, theme, or lesson that is relevant regardless of what decade we are in. Simply put, a classic is a classic because it is timeless!
This book could easily be added to the category of realistic fiction. Although the book is a work of fiction, it is a story that could very easily have happened to a real child, thus making it very realistic.
Book Summary:
This story follows a young boy named Alexander who wakes up with gum in his hair and just knows that it is going to be a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” therefore he thinks he will just move to Australia. As Alexander goes through his day he has many different experiences, some of which may not have been so bad if everything else had been a little better. When you are having a terrible day, everything, even if it isn’t that bad such as having to have lima beans for dinner, is that much worse. That night his mom tucks him in and reassures him that everyone has bad days sometimes, even in Australia.
APA Reference of Book:
Viorst, J. (1972). Alexander and the terrible,
horrible, no good, very bad day (First ed.). New York: Atheneum Macmillan
Publishing Company.
The great thing about this book is that children and adults can relate to Alexander. We have all woken up and had one thing go wrong and we just know that it is going to be one of those days. Some of the horrible moments Alexander experience are of his own making, such as fighting with his brother and making a mess at his dad’s office. Some of the others, such as his mom forgetting his dessert and his issues with his friends, are things that just happen. The problem is it all happened in one day, which is something everyone will experience in life, often more than once, creating the perfect storm of a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” In addition to the story, the simple black and white sketch illustrations capture the various emotions Alexander experiences throughout the story. Whether a parent is reading the story aloud or a child reading it on their own, the illustrations compliment the story beautifully and add a great deal of feeling to the already well-told story.
Professional Review:
Taken from Kirkus Review, posted online March 12, 2012
“In the spiky spirit of Sunday Morning (1969) but more truly attuned to a child's point of view, Viorst reviews a really aggravating (if not terrible, horrible, and very bad) day in the life of a properly disgruntled kid who wakes up with gum in his hair and goes to bed after enduring lima beans for dinner and kissing on T.V.
At school, "Mrs. Dickens liked Paul's picture of sailboat better than my picture of the invisible castle," and at lunch, "guess whose mother forgot to put in dessert?" After school "my mom took us all to the dentist and Dr. Fields found a cavity just in me," and there is worse to come. It's no wonder the kid's ready to move to Australia, but in the end, "My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia."
If Alexander's mother is smart to offer casual sympathy without phony consolation, Cruz and Viorst accord readers the same respect.”
APA Reference of
Professional Review:
Kirkus Media, LLC. (2012, March 12). Alexander and
the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Retrieved from Kirkus:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/judith-viorst/alexander-and-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-b/
This book has great potential to be used for social lessons with children about the simple fact that not everyone has a good day every day. As a librarian, I would prepare a kit for this book to be used by elementary counselors for use with children ranging in age from 5-9 years old. The story would be used with young children when they are having one of those bad days at school to help them understand that everyone has bad days. Storytelling is a calming and soothing way to help a child relax and then it opens the conversation to discuss why Alexander had a bad day. Once they have discussed Alexander’s day, the counselor would be able help the child talk about their own bad day. Additionally, classroom teachers could use the book if he or she sees that a large majority of the class is having a rough day. When you are having a bad day, especially as a child, you may feel like you are the only one who has bad days. This book would help reassure that it is normal, and that tomorrow is a new
Readalikes:
For children on the younger end of the recommended age range
needing reinforcement on dealing with social/ emotional issues such as
frustration and disappointment, I would recommend Mo Willem’s Don’t let the Pigeon drive the bus. Just
as Alexander had frustration from his bad day, Pigeon is frustrated because he
wants to do something that he is not allowed to do.
Where the wild thingsare is another classic picture book that follows a young boy, Max, who is
getting into mischief and is sent to his room without his super. Children who enjoyed and related to Alexander’s
bad day, will greatly enjoy Max’s adventure after being sent to his room. The illustrations capture his emotions
helping young children feel the story while reading it.
As a mom of three boys, they loved the character Alexander,
therefore when they were younger I searched high and low for another book
featuring the beloved character. My searching found another beloved tale by
Judith Viorst that our family has cherished for many years. Alexander, who used to be rich last Sunday
stars Alexander as he learns the value of money and that life is not always fair.
The wonderful sketch illustrations are paired with humor and a valuable lesson
in life and finances.
Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT.
Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT.
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