Shrek [Paperback]

William Steig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Before Shrek made it big on the silver screen, there was William Steig’s SHREK!, a book about an ordinary ogre who leaves his swampy childhood home to go out and see the world. Ordinary, that is, if a foul and hideous being who ends up marrying the most stunningly ugly princess on the planet is what you consider ordinary.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

No doubt about it, Shrek is the ugliest guy in town. Everywhere he goes, people and animals flee. If his hideous appearance does not immediately fell them, the smoke belching from his ears and his "putrid blue flame" sends even the mighty--including "a whopper of a dragon"--packing. Yet Shrek is inordinately proud of his green knobby head and loathsome figure, and he roams the countryside having the kind of fun that only tormenting the vulnerable can provide. Hearing a witch prophesy that he will marry a princess who is even uglier than he is, Shrek is intrigued, and he sets out to find this repulsive bride. When they finally meet, the two break into heartfelt declarations of mutual admiration. ("Your horny warts, your rosy wens, / Like slimy bogs and fusty fens, / Thrill me.") Of course, they "got hitched as soon as possible." Steig's epigrammatic genius is given full rein in this engrossing and satisfying tale. The implicit promise (or threat) of a sequel--perhaps detailing the exploits of the pair's offspring--is indeed delicious to contemplate. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-- Argh, it's Shrek, spitting flame and venting smoke, even uglier than his parents, who kick him goodbye and send him off in the world. He's off on a linear journey to find his true love, foretold by a witch after she recovers from the sight of him. In a maniacal version of the hero's quest, he finds helpers and perils along the way: a dragon, a dream, a donkey, and more. The text rolls right along, here breaking into rhyme, there into knightish talk ("You there, varlet . . . why so blithe?"), there into outright silliness ("Pheasant, peasant? What a pleasant present!") Perfectly pleased with his hideous self, Shrek finally gains entrance to the ugly princess' castle, and after an operatic duet, the two are united, the bride carrying a cactus for a bouquet. The pictures are just as nutty as the story, blending with the text so thoroughly, sometimes echoing, sometimes expanding it, that it's hard to imagine one without the other. It's all here for Steig fans: magic, animism, chaos, self-reliance, hope, and fulfillment, and from one offbeat episode to the next, it all hangs together to make Shrek's destiny seem just right. The fast-forward movement of the story and the inventive , challenging language, full of surprises, make this especially fun to read aloud. --Karen Litton, London Public Libraries, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: Live Oak Media; Unabridged edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591125510
• ISBN-13: 978-1591125518
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,295,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, and received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (978-1416902065) in 1970. His works also include The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. His most recent books published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux are Shrek! (released by DreamWorks as a major motion picture) and Wizzil, illustrated by Quentin Blake. School Library Journal named Shrek! a Best Book of 1990 and said of it, "Steig's inimitable wit and artistic dash have never been sharper or more expertly blended."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing like the movie but WONDERFUL!, October 2, 2002

By 

Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shrek! (Paperback)

This was a family favorite for years before the film came out. Nothing against the film, which is a hoot, but the Shrek of William Steig's book is FAR lustier in his awfulness than the movie Shrek. He absolutely REVELS in his disgusting characteristics, and ends up meeting a princess who is the ugliest, most smelly, most horrific thing he's ever seen in his life. Naturally, he falls madly in love! They quote monster poetry to each other:

Sadi Shrek, "Your horny warts, your rosy wens, like slimy bogs and fusty fens, thrill me."

Said the princess, "Your lumpy nose, your pointy head, your wicked eyes, so livid red, just kill me."

Was ever a romance so beautifully begun?!?? This is wonderful, wonderful stuff. Steig absolutely revels in making these two creatures as awful as possible, and young readers (and not so young!) will enjoy the fun that Steig clearly had writing and illustrating this classic book.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horribly Likeable, May 28, 2001

By 

Will B Bell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shrek! (Paperback)

We knew Shrek long before there was a movie. William Steig has once again created an unforgettable character. Kids will love how Shrek revels in his own hideousness!

Steig challenges the reader with a high level vocabulary such as fusty fens, varlets and peasants scything blithely, and churlish knaves falling into stagnant moats.

Anyone who just saw Shrek and is looking for some sort of movie novelization should go elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, we all loved the movie, but it is only VERY loosely based on this book. The donkey is more given to chomping grass than making wisecracks, for instance.

I would recommend this book to parents of little boys and encourage you to check out other works by this author.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very cute but of COURSE it's not the movie, January 19, 2005

By 

H. Blonsky - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shrek! (Paperback)

For Pete's sake, doesn't anyone read books anymore?? NO, it's not the movie. It's a book. This book is loosely related to the movie, but it is not the movie, it is completely different. And if first graders can't figure out that there are books that don't reflect movies word for word then I despair for our educational system.

My five year old asked to see the movie and I required that he let me read him the book first. He thought the book was hysterical (it was THE bedtime book for a week), he thought the movie was great, and he was completely clear on the point that they were done separately. Same with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (great book, great movie, barely related plots and characters), same with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, same with a lot of great books and the movies that Disney (et al) makes of them.

Steig in general does a good job with the picture book format plus a more challenging vocabulary. I really enjoy reading his books -- they're not dumbed down, and they really use the language to its best effect. It means that there are probably not a ton of kids who can read them themselves at the age they're most likely to appreciate them, but that's what makes for great readalouds. Poetic, well-written, and silly, all together. Doctor De Soto is another favorite, as well as Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. They're all excellent books, with or without multi-million dollar movies made after them.