Customer Reviews

Terrific (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Teriffic is an excellent work, in that it chronicles the change of a character's perception of the world through one parrot and one word.
Jon Agee has crafted a wonderful book that certainly lives up to it's name!

From Oscar the Grouch to "Winnie-the-Pooh's" Eeyore, kids are well-acquainted with the nature of grumpy, grouchy, depressed people/animalia. Picture books, however, haven't properly plumbed this rich resource for all it's worth. Haven't, that is, until now. Enter, "Terrific" by Jon Agee. In it, the world's most inaccurate pessimist joins forces with a tropical critter and together the two work up an unlikely friendship. Prior to the publication of this title, Jon Agee's books had been either designer dreamboats of surrealistic fodder (as in "Z Goes Home") or they've been about the unlikely pairings of men and wild creatures (as in "Milo's Hat Trick"). "Terrific" falls squarely into the latter category.

Most people would be thrilled to win an all-expenses-paid cruise to Bermuda. Eugene is not most people. His reaction? "Terrific. I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn". No sunburn is in Eugene's future, but a shipwreck does leave him stranded on a tiny desert island. Once there, he is befriended by Lenny the talking parrot. Lenny can't flee the island due to a bum wing, but he can draw a nifty diagram of the boat he and Eugene can build. Build it they do (with Eugene muttering, "Terrific. I'm going to permanently damage my lower back", all the while) and the two cast off. They are then struck sharply by a rescue ship and arrive in Bermuda. Eugene naturally assumes that Lenny is going to remain with the ship (which he once worked on) but the birdy surprises his new friend by making it perfectly clear that he's sticking by his side. And what does Eugene say without a hint of malice or sarcasm to tinge his words? "Terrific!".

Consistently throughout this book Eugene sarcastically predicts one calamity and then gets walloped by a completely different one. It's funny, but sometimes Agee's pictures are at odds with his story. If you just read this book without looking at it, you might get the idea that Eugene walks around with a permanent frown affixed to his face. On the contrary, our hero is at times morose, lonely, grudgingly pleased, and mildly hurt. Agee draws with a deft hand. Images are crisp, clear, and reduced to their most essential forms. It's enough to make you not wonder too hard where exactly Eugene got the tools to build his desert island boat. Hm.

It's hard not to root with Eugene every step of the way. His down-in-the-mouth approach to life is countermanded perfectly by Lenny. Lenny is, fortunately, not a permanently perky parrot or a bird with incessant platitudes. He's just a forthright guy who knows exactly how to utilize Eugene's strengths to get the two of them off the island. This is a lesson in cooperation without ever striking the reader as fake or saccharine.

"Terrific" seems to mark a new step in Agee's picture book career. This is a book that is far more character-based than his past efforts. The result is that it has won accolade upon accolade. The art is fabulous, the story droll, and the words pitch perfect. If you've a kid with a soft-spot for grump reformation (or, to simplify, if you have a kid) then "Terrific" is a no-brainer choice. Excellent preschool fare.

Another wonderful picture book from Jon Agee. In this one, always-pessimistic Eugene is shipwrecked with a parrot. If it were up to Eugene, he would just sit there and starve -- but the parrot encourages him and even instructs him, and before you know it, the two castaways are back on the ocean and back on land. I love how economical and funny Agee is, as when Eugene decides they're going to die of thirst and the parrot spots a ship. A wonderful story about what happens when a pessimist meets a practical, non-hyperbolic creature. We should all have friends like Lenny, the parrot.

Eugene is a glass half-empty kind of guy. You would be, too, if you had his luck. Through a series of tragic-comic events, he ends up marooned on a deserted island. Or, almost deserted. With help from an unlikely ally, Eugene hatches an escape plan. But being rescued isn't all it's cracked up to be. Will Eugene ever find happiness?

Writer/illustrator Jon Agee delivers again with this laugh-out-loud tale of a sarcastic sourpuss and his "happily ever after" ending. If you're a fan of Agee, get this book. If you're something of an Eeyore at heart, get this book. If strange mishaps make you chuckle, get this book. Basically, if you or someone you know enjoys enjoyable picture books, get this book. You won't be disappointed. Unless you're Eugene - and then I wish you luck.

Terrific by Jon Agee is a great book for teaching children about optimism. As I'm sure we can all relate to, as a child when the littlest thing doesn't go the way that they want it to they can quickly become pessimistic about an otherwise good situation. Can't have ice cream before dinner? You're the worst mom ever! Can't play the board game that they want? Then they don't want to play any game at all! These are typical situations that children often take a pessimistic stance with. The main character of this book also chooses to take a pessimistic stance, even when he wins a free cruise to Bermuda! Ironically, Eugene's mood begins to turn around in the midst of an otherwise unpleasant situation when his ship sinks and he is stranded on a deserted island. He befriends a parrot named Lenny who helps turn Eugene's mood around through the industriousness of building a raft to escape from the island. In the end, Eugene goes from seeing the glass as half empty, to half full! How TERRIFIC!

My two-year-old stumbled upon this book at the library, and the whole family has loved it ever since. It is a well-paced, interesting story with unexpected subplots and a little sarcastic humor.

Children and their parents will understand elements of this book on different levels. My child loves to repeat "terrific" every time it appears in the story. My husband loves when Eugene complains about sacrificing a coat that cost him thirty-two dollars. We all appreciate the uncluttered illustrations.

Great children's book with illustrations. My four year old boy loves it. I would highly recommend all of Jon Agee's children books with illustrations.

This book is a wonderful story about friendship! I highly recommend it...and any other book by Jon Agee!

Eugene expects the worst and usually gets it, even when he wins an all-expenses trip to Bermuda. This picture book follows Eugene as he is shipwrecked on an (almost) deserted island. Eugene's luck changes when he runs into a parrot with some unusual talents. An amusing tale for adults as well as children. This seemingly simple picture book has been highly lauded by book reviewers, librarians, and other children's book experts; I have to admit that while I enjoyed the book, I don't quite understand why it's been so highly lauded. Take a look for yourself and decide... 2006 ALA Notable Book