Bibliography
Viorst, Judith. 1972. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY. Ill. by Ray Cruz. New York: Aladdin Books. ISBN 0689711735
Plot Summary
Alexander is the star of this classic picture book by Judith Viorst, and the reader joins him as he describes an especially difficult day in his young life. On this particular day, absolutely nothing seems to go Alexander's way. From the moment he wakes up with gum in his hair at the beginning to his realization that the cat would rather sleep with his brother than with him at the end, poor Alexander cannot seem to catch a break. The day that started off in such an unpleasant way continues to go downhill, and when Alexander tries to communicate his frustration to others, he is confronted with indifference and a complete lack of sympathy. Only near the end of his day does Alexander mention that his mom explained that "some days are like that." Although this story is hopelessly frustrating for Alexander, the reader is given the opportunity to watch a young boy learn a valuable lesson - there are many times in our lives when things simply do not go our way, and despite what we may think, everything will be okay in the end.
Alexander is the star of this classic picture book by Judith Viorst, and the reader joins him as he describes an especially difficult day in his young life. On this particular day, absolutely nothing seems to go Alexander's way. From the moment he wakes up with gum in his hair at the beginning to his realization that the cat would rather sleep with his brother than with him at the end, poor Alexander cannot seem to catch a break. The day that started off in such an unpleasant way continues to go downhill, and when Alexander tries to communicate his frustration to others, he is confronted with indifference and a complete lack of sympathy. Only near the end of his day does Alexander mention that his mom explained that "some days are like that." Although this story is hopelessly frustrating for Alexander, the reader is given the opportunity to watch a young boy learn a valuable lesson - there are many times in our lives when things simply do not go our way, and despite what we may think, everything will be okay in the end.
Critical Analysis
A wonderfully amusing story about the endless problems that a little boy encounters on a particularly bad day, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a book that everyone can relate to. Both children and adults have lived through the experience of having awful days where everything that happens to them seems to be getting worse and worse. When reading this story, the connection becomes so personal that the readers almost feel as though they can pinpoint the exact day that they experienced the feeling of overwhelming frustration Alexander describes in this story. The story's first person point of view is exceedingly effective in helping the reader feel the same emotions that Alexander himself is experiencing. The timeless quality of Judith Viorst's story is surely the reason that this children's book has won over the hearts of readers for nearly 40 years.
A wonderfully amusing story about the endless problems that a little boy encounters on a particularly bad day, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a book that everyone can relate to. Both children and adults have lived through the experience of having awful days where everything that happens to them seems to be getting worse and worse. When reading this story, the connection becomes so personal that the readers almost feel as though they can pinpoint the exact day that they experienced the feeling of overwhelming frustration Alexander describes in this story. The story's first person point of view is exceedingly effective in helping the reader feel the same emotions that Alexander himself is experiencing. The timeless quality of Judith Viorst's story is surely the reason that this children's book has won over the hearts of readers for nearly 40 years.
In addition to the subtle humor found throughout this incredibly appealing story, the meticulous illustrations by Ray Cruz are instrumental in expressing just how horrible this day really is for Alexander. The precise black and white pencil sketches are realistic renderings of people we know in our own lives - our mom, dad, siblings, and friends. The illustrations beautifully express Alexander's aggravation and complete dissatisfaction with his horrible day, even down to the smallest details of his various pouts and frowns. The ultimate message that children will discover from Alexander's story is that although bad days and bad moods are a part of everyone's life, they teach us to look forward to better days in our future.
Awards
- ALA Notable Children's Book
- George G. Stone Center Recognition of Merit
- Georgia Children's Book Award
Review Excerpts
“This book scores high on the reality meter; just about any school-age child has had at least one terrible, horrible day. As a bedtime read for any kid who has just had one of those days, this one's a winner - it's almost guaranteed to chase away the blues.” – Common Sense Review
“Judith Viorst flawlessly and humorously captures a child's testy temperament, rendering Alexander sympathetic rather than whiny. Our hero's gum-styled hair and peevish countenance are artfully depicted by Ray Cruz's illustrations.” – Amazon.com Editorial Review
Connections
After reading aloud this picture book, children can write stories describing what their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day would be like. Just like Alexander's, their story can begin when they get up in the morning and continue until bedtime. Encourage children to come up with a creative title for their story using different adjectives (for example, Jennifer and the Stressful, Awful, Dreadful, Very Rotten Day). For something a little different, children could also rewrite the story by changing everything bad that happened to Alexander into something good. For example, before going to sleep Alexander remembered to take the gum out of his mouth and cleaned his bedroom, so when he woke up he was happy.
Rather than creating their own stories, children can simply reflect about a time when they had a horrible day at school and write about it in their personal journals. They can answer questions such as, What happened? Did the day get better? How did it change? Who helped make it better? In the story, Alexander decided that moving to Australia would solve all of his problems. Have the children decide where they would move, and write about why they would choose that place and how moving to that place would solve all of their problems. Once they are finished, all of the places they chose can be shared and pointed out on a world map.
As a class, brainstorm a list of things that might turn a good day into a bad one. Next, the children can conduct a survey and vote on which one of their ideas they agree with the most. Once they have finished, they can turn the survey results into a graph.
The way Alexander deals with the difficult situations he finds himself in throughout this story make this children's book suitable for philosophical discussions. Issues including moods and emotions, envy, fight and flight responses, and making mistakes are all addressed within this story. The following website includes more detailed information about these issues, along with a set of discussion questions that can be used after reading this book with children.
Rather than creating their own stories, children can simply reflect about a time when they had a horrible day at school and write about it in their personal journals. They can answer questions such as, What happened? Did the day get better? How did it change? Who helped make it better? In the story, Alexander decided that moving to Australia would solve all of his problems. Have the children decide where they would move, and write about why they would choose that place and how moving to that place would solve all of their problems. Once they are finished, all of the places they chose can be shared and pointed out on a world map.
As a class, brainstorm a list of things that might turn a good day into a bad one. Next, the children can conduct a survey and vote on which one of their ideas they agree with the most. Once they have finished, they can turn the survey results into a graph.
The way Alexander deals with the difficult situations he finds himself in throughout this story make this children's book suitable for philosophical discussions. Issues including moods and emotions, envy, fight and flight responses, and making mistakes are all addressed within this story. The following website includes more detailed information about these issues, along with a set of discussion questions that can be used after reading this book with children.
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