Genre 1 - PICTURE BOOKS

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY

written by Judith Viorst

illustrated by Ray Cruz

Atheneum, New York

1975

ISBN - 0689711735

Summary

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a realistic account of a day in the life of a young boy.  Alexander woke up with gum in his hair, which was the start of very bad day.  It seemed everything that could go wrong did, and Alexander appeared convinced that if he could move to Australia everything would be better.  The reader follows Alexander through all of his trials, and, in the end, his mother explains that people have bad days even in Australia.

Critical Analysis

Most children can relate to Alexander’s bad day and are eager to share the bad things that have happened to them.  Ms. Viorst handles these disappointments in a positive way; Alexander is upset but doesn’t become aggressive.  She has used repetition, which encourages children to participate in the reading, chiming in with every “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”  The theme of life’s disappointments runs throughout the book, and, at the end, Viorst uses Alexander’s mother to let children know that everyone has bad days sometimes.

In spite of the fact that Alexander is Caucasian, I think everyone could relate to this story.  The events and emotions are something everyone, even young children, feels at some point in their lives.  The events and emotions are universal.

Ray Cruz used what appears to be ink, creating simple black and white illustrations.  This is fitting for a story about a bad day; color might have a cheerful effect and Alexander was definitely not feeling cheerful.  The illustrations follow the story well, depicting each page of text, helping young children visualize the text on each page as the story progresses.

Review Excerpts

COMMON SENSE:  “The plot, though simple, presents an interesting take on everyday childhood problems. The text is written in a conversational style from the viewpoint of a young boy, so it's by far more entertainment than English lesson. Ray Cruz's black-and-white line drawings lend themselves well to the story's mood. Cruz has an undeniable knack for realism, and he captures Alexander's emotions wonderfully.”

Connections

This would be a great book to open discussion on disappointments and how to deal with them.  What a great way to open a writing activity: children could write about a terrible day or they could go to the opposite end of the spectrum and write about an amazing day, one where everything goes right.

This could be a book counselors might use when discussing emotions with older elementary of intermediate grade students: What is Alexander feeling?  Have you ever felt that same way?  How did you handle it?  What might you do differently now that you are older?

Awards
ALA Notable Children's Book
George C. Stone Center Recognition of Merit
Georgia Children's Book Award
Reading Rainbow Book  

Viorst, Judith. 1975. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Ill. by Ray Cruz. New York: Atheneum.  ISBN 0689711735