Shrek! (Paperback)

by William Steig (Author, Illustrator) "His mother was ugly and his father was ugly, but Shrek was uglier than the two of them put together..." (more)

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 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374466238
• ISBN-13: 978-0374466237
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #310,793 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #30 in

  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( S ) > Steig, William

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Will B Bell (Arlington, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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.

22 of 24 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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

31 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the movie, but great nonetheless!, June 7, 2001

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Once upon a time there was an ogre named Shrek. Uglier and nastier than any other ogre, he set out on a quest to win the hand of a princess even uglier than him. What challenges must this loathsome creature overcome to win the love of his life?

I must admit that I got this book to answer some questions that I had left over from the movie of the same name. Unfortunately, there is very little that the movie and the book have in common. So, if you are looking for a book based on the movie, check out the one by Ellen Weiss.

That said, however, this is a hilarious book! My seven-year-old son loved this Shrek's grossness, and laughed his way through the story. The illustrations are a little primitive, but go along with the story quite nicely. If you are into "fractured fairytales," as I am, then you must get this book!