Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day By Judith Viorst Illustrated by Ray Cruz

-


BIBLIOGRAPHY
Viorst, J., & Cruz, R. (2014). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. NY, NY: Little Simon. ISBN 0812405751
                                                       PLOT SUMMARY
When waking up in the morning Alexander found gum in his hair and he knew that this would not be his day. As the day progresses Alexander does not seem to catch a break. He gets no toy in his cereal, scrunched in the car, and his teacher did not like his invisible castle. 

He complains to his mother, but no one seems to care so he decides he wants to move to Australia. Alexander does not get the shoes he wanted, his dinner has lima beans which he dislikes, and at bed time his Mickey Mouse night light burns out. His mom let Alexander know before going to sleep that bad days happen even in Australia.
       CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day book is humorous, witty, and entertaining. It is categorized from ages 3-8, which I find appropriate. Though, it is such a fun book to read with children that even adults would enjoy and relate to it. The book is a short read, but so entertaining that you wish there was more pages to keep laughing. The illustrations are simple, yet very well developed to show Alexander’s frustration throughout the day. His facial expressions change and are signified by mad, irritated, sad and at last hopeful faces. The black and white pictures are well suited for the story’s mood.

The book is written in Alexander’s perspective which I like for children experience many similar events. The situations that Alexander experiences are relatable to anyone. From getting gum stuck in one’s hair to having bad luck at a shoe store. It is a wonderful comical book with a positive message embedded. Everyone has a few misfortunes and this book allows a good lesson to be given to kids about how things will get better. This picture book gives real life examples and gives a hopeful feeling to children having gloomy days. 
          REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
GOODREADS: “The perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day is a storybook that belongs on every child's bookshelf.”

George C. Stone Center for Children's Books Recognition of Merit Award (1988)

Indies Choice Book Award for Picture Book Hall of Fame (2010)

CONNECTIONS
Great read for children having a gloomy day. Relative everyday children’s issues that has a good message of hoping for a better tomorrow. This will lift up spirits and give a comical approach to talking about bad days. This story portrays the emotions of how children feel in relatable situations. Other books with similar message:
Henkes, Kevin. Sheila Rae, the Brave. ISBN 0688147380
Willems, Mo. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster. ISBN 0786852941

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka

-
Image
BIBLIOGRAPHY Raschka, C. (2015). A ball for Daisy (1st ed.). New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN: 978-0-375-85861-1    PLOT SUMMARY The story begins with a scruffy brown dog named Daisy and her favorite red toy ball. Throughout the story one can see how fond Daisy is of her toy. She does not go anywhere without it that she even sleeps with it. When one day daisy’s owner decides to take her to the park, everything seems to be going well until a brown dog appears and accidentally pops Daisy’s red toy ball. Daisy can be seen to slowly understand that her toy has been destroyed and becomes sad. Daisy misses her toy, but when her owner decides to take her to the park once again Daisy finds herself a new favorite toy along with a new friend. The brown dog’s owner had brought daisy a blue toy ball that Daisy was quick to love just as much as her previous one.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS Raschka’s wonderful wordless picture book is great for small chil...
Read more

Children’s Literature in Action: A Librarian’s Guide By Sylvia M. Vardell Chapter Four Reflection

-
Children’s Literature in Action: A Librarian’s Guide By Sylvia M. Vardell Chapter Four Reflection  Chapter four begins introducing some of the most noted authors in poetry such as Shel Silverstein and Jack  Prel utsky. This is because it is difficult to be a known author  for libraries today lack books in this genre due to a shortage of poetry  in children's literature. There are numerous types of poetry and as a librarian  it is  our job to select   quality poetry and making sure to get several co pies of them.     Poetry is a wonderful  genre  for its writing that expresses feelings and thoughts. There are many types of poetry as well from Mother Goose,  rhymes , verse, jingles, and even songs.    Librarians must promote poetry to children and build a positive experience .  Many children as Vardell states "...have negative associations with the very word "poetry" based on prior school experience...
Read more

Module 6

-
Cynthia Bolanos Flores Cultural 6 Does My Head Look Big in This? Bibliography Abdel-Fattah, R. (2014). Does my head look big in this? London, England: Scholastic Childrens Books. Plot Summary Main character Amal is a 16 year old Muslim school girl. She has a happy household in which her mother wears a headscarf. As a high school student no one expected for her to want to wear a hijab. Amal wanted to show that she was proud of her faith and was inspired to follow what she believed in.   Though, the students are not as accepting about her choice. Critical Analysis One can see the obstacles that people of this culture face throughout the story. Amal knows she does not look like an Anglo. She is aware of misconceptions people have towards people of her culture. It is amazes me how there are women all over the world use head coverings, but due to appearances Amal encounter cultural backlash. Amal is spunky, but not everyone is equipped to deal with the bullying she h...
Read more