Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day [Paperback]

Judith Viorst (Author), Ray Cruz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up

Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair.

And it got worse...

His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!

This handsome new edition of Judith Viorst's classic picture book is sure to charm readers of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."

So begin the trials and tribulations of the irascible Alexander, who has been earning the sympathy of readers since 1972. People of all ages have terrible, horrible days, and Alexander offers us the cranky commiseration we crave as well as a reminder that things may not be all that bad. As Alexander's day progresses, he faces a barrage of bummers worthy of a country- western song: getting smushed in the middle seat of the car, a dessertless lunch sack, a cavity at the dentist's office, stripeless sneakers, witnessing kissing on television, and being forced to sleep in railroad-train pajamas. He resolves several times to move to Australia.

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. An ALA Notable Book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a great antidote to bad days everywhere, sure to put a smile on even the crabbiest of faces. (Ages 5 to 9) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

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," said PW. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Second Aladdin Books Edition edition (July 15, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689711735
• ISBN-13: 978-0689711732
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (247 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Ancient
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Situations > Emotions & Feelings
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Humorous

More About the Author

Judith Viorst has written many books for children, including the classics Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and its sequels, and If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Stories. She is also the author of Just in Case, illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. She lives with her husband, Milton, in Washington D.C.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People of all ages can relate!, May 11, 2005

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Paperback)

I first had this book read to me as a child, and it stuck with me throughout life. I would always remember that anyone can have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (even in Australia). In fact, sometimes I still tell people that I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and it someone flickers with recognition, then all is well in the world!

Contrary to what some reviewers say, this is not a depressing book. It's one to keep on the shelf and re-read any day things aren't going right. It has a wonderful message and is beautifully illustrated.

This is a timeless classic. Adults and children will enjoy the experience.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why I read this book to my boys, October 9, 2004

By 

MomOf3YoungMen&aLittleLady (Kansas City Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Paperback)

The reviewers who criticize the main character's negative tone or run-on sentences, or the lack of a cutesy, make-it-all-better ending, are missing the point of this story. The "voice" of the book is precisely why we love it so much.

Alexander is a real boy--warts and all. When real kids are upset, they pour it all out in a rapid stream of words (and to heck with grammar!)--and of course, everything feels like the end of the world to them at that moment. Judith Viorst captures that very well.

We can relate because Alexander's life is like real life--lots of seemingly minor stressors can add up to one really rotten day; and because it isn't just one problem, there isn't a neat, tidy resolution at the end. In fact, in and of themselves, none of these things are really "problems"--just stuff you have to put up with sometimes. But when it all hits at once, it feels awful.

I think we've all had days like Alexander's: the alarm doesn't go off so you run out of the house late and with "bad hair," you spill coffee on your white blouse (or new tie) just before the big meeting with the boss, you snag your nylons (or lose a button), the pop machine in the breakroom eats your money, you end up having to work overtime, so when you get out to the car you find a parking ticket because you forgot to feed the meter, and then at home, dinner burns on the stove and the kids are fighting! So at the end of it all you collapse in a heap and momentarily consider running away--FAR away. Maybe even Australia! And (adding insult to injury) nobody else seems to care or empathize, because all of these things are just little petty annoyances. It's easy to forget that when one little thing hits you (like a pebble), it's nothing; but when a LOT of things (or pebbles) hit you, it's an avalanche!

On those days, there isn't much you can do but fall into bed and pray that tomorrow will be better--and that you'll laugh about it all later, too.

When an adult reads Alexander's story to a child, the adult can point out that none of the things happening to Alexander are really all that bad--things could definitely be worse; the child can suggest ways that Alexander might have been able to turn his day around; and, most of all, it's good to point out that, despite how grumpy he feels, Alexander still follows the rules and obeys directions (he puts on the jammies even though he hates them, etc.) and doesn't have a "meltdown" or a temper tantrum over it all (though he DOES get a little sour-faced and moody, and that can be talked about as well.)

When one of my kids is having a bad day, I'll often be able to lighten his mood by saying, "Are you having a terrible . . . HORRIBLE . . . . NOGOODVERYBADDAY??" (At my house, you have to start out slow and then get louder and faster--it always gets a laugh.) It also cheers up my sons to compare their plight to Alexander's--and find they are grateful that at least they didn't have to wear ugly jammies or eat lima beans for dinner that day.

There are other books we love more on good days--like "Where the Wild Things Are," or "Green Eggs & Ham." But on a NO-GOOD-VERY-BAD-DAY, this is the one we read--and it always makes us smile.

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous, Wonderful, No Fault, Very Good Book!, January 30, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Boston, Massachussets) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Paperback)

Though I wouldn't necessarily admit this to anyone over about 3 feet tall, I must say this is my all time favorite book bar none. I read it as a child and found myself instantly relating to Alexander and distinctly remember feeling pleased that someone...anyone...else had the capacity to blow a day full of minor irratations out of proportion so dramatically. Now, as a preschool teacher I love it yet more because not only do the children have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but when they do, so too do I. I find myself reading the book out loud with so much drama and emphasis that it is emensely cathartic for all of us! I adore this book and firmly believe that every human on the planet would benefit from dramatic readings of it from time to time.