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Module 1 Picture Books - ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY - Written by Judith Viorst & Illustrated by Ray Cruz

 


Review of Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Viorst, Judith. (1972). Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Ill. By Ray Cruz. Atheneum. ISBN: 0689711735 


2. PLOT SUMMARY 

In this story, Viorst introduces a boy named Alexander who is having a bad day beginning with finding gum in his hair. His day progresses with the continuous mishaps and problems that every child and adult seems to inevitably deal with at some point in life. The difference for Alexander is he must deal with each problem back-to-back and all in one day! With each struggle, Alexander soon says that he should move to Australia, where life would certainly be better. At the end of the day, his mother comes to reassure him after his bad day, that sometimes, “days are just like that.” As the story ends, the message for the reader that everyone has bad days, and it is okay to feel disappointed and sad; the reader is left with the message through the mother that family still offers love and support through it all. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Viorst’s writing focuses on several themes including emotional expression, perspective, attitude, perseverance, and the support of family. The narrative followed by the author is conversational and meant to be relatable for young children. The style is represented by the use of literary devices such as repetition, first-person point of view, foreshadowing, and descriptive language. 


Ray Cruz provides the perfect accompaniment of illustrations for the story by providing expressive pictures that truly represent Alexander’s emotions and challenging experiences throughout his day. The illustrations use bold lines in shades of black, white, and grey with cartoonish depictions of the setting and characters. The layout of the pictures also has an impact on the pace of the story. At times, the pictures are full pages and then there are pages where the images are smaller with more text. Because the use of illustrations varies throughout the story, it also mimics the rhythm of Alexander’s day. One major point regarding the illustration of Alexander’s character specifically is the illustrator’s detail in facial expressions.  


My oldest son, who is seven, is in first grade and learning to read with a two-year delay due to being deaf and having cochlear implants at the age of two. My second-born son is 3 years old and is about to have his fourth birthday. I had never read this book and the first night I read it to my children, I was surprised at the discussion it began, specifically with my oldest. Behavior, perspective, and understanding the daily routine and life of a student is something we have consistently addressed due to my son’s hearing loss.


While my oldest son is intuitive and what would be considered a people watcher, he sometimes struggles to regulate his emotions and fairness in comparison to others in his daily life. He, like his drama teacher mother, tends to be dramatic and loves to tell stories with the humor and exaggeration Viorst employs throughout the story. This book was humorous and opened doors of communication in ways that I, as a parent, did not know how to address. This was a reassuring story that made an impact on not only my children but myself as a parent. 


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Horn Book Guide (Fall 2014): “This is an oversize board book edition of the classic story about a boy encountering injustice and just plain rotten luck all day long.” 

Horn Book Guide (Spring 2010): “This new edition of the classic story about a boy encountering injustice and just plain rotten luck all day long includes a preface by the author and the illustrator. 

Publishers Weekly (July 31, 1998): “Objecting loudly to his family’s plans to relocate, the hero of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day “makes a gratifying return.” 


5. CONNECTIONS 

  • Related Books - Other books for children about having a bad day and learning about mistakes and managing big emotions. 

  • Adams, Jennifer. ALL’S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD. ISBN 0062962485 

  • Bang, Molly. WHEN SOPHIE GETS ANGRY – REALLY, REALLY ANGRY. ISBN 0439598451 

  • Henkes, Kevin. LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE. ISBN 0688128971 

  • Enrichment Activities -  

  • Personal Bad Day Stories – Relate to the main character, Alexander, and ask children to write or draw about their own bad days and how they handled what happened. 

  • Create a gratitude list – Have children talk about and list things they are grateful for even on a bad day. 

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