Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Viorst, Judith. 1972. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Ill. by Ray Cruz. New York, NY: MacMillan Publishing Company. ISBN 0689300727

PLOT SUMMARY

Viorst tells a story from the viewpoint of a young boy, who is having a bad day. Just when he thinks his day can’t get any worse, it does. Throughout the text, he comes to realize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Young Alexander is a very relatable character. I like that this story wasn’t written with the typical happy ending in mind. The character is just left to accept that life isn’t always perfect. While his reactions are a bit overly dramatic throughout the story, they are quite comical. Most readers can relate in way or another to a day that seems to be filled with nothing but bad luck. The thought that comes to mind is, “When it rains, it pours.” Viorst utilizes repetition in a way that allows the reader to predictably participate with the reading: “It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” She cleverly uses run-on sentences to portray the ramblings of Alexander throughout the text.

The illustrations are black and white and are created using a lot of scratchy lines. Cruz uses the small lines to show shadow and portray depth. The illustrations are large and closely match the text in narration. They contain a lot of detail, from the boy himself, down to the smallest toy train. With the lack of color on the pages, your eyes are naturally drawn to the characters. The expressions in Alexander’s face set the tone throughout the tale. His forehead is always scrunched up and he is constantly scowling. Cruz further supports the tone of the character by drawing him with his arms crossed. With each passing event, the illustrations reflect his increasingly agitated mood. The reader can almost hear the grumbling as you flip through the pages. The illustrations are a close representation of who Alexander is. Most of the drawings show the other characters smiling and well put together, while Alexander is disheveled and moody.

I especially like this story because both adults and kids can relate to feeling like nothing is going your way.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

George G. Stone Center Recognition of Merit

ALA Notable Children's Books

Kirkus Reviews: "If Alexander's mother is smart to offer casual sympathy, without phony consolation, Cruz and Viorst offer the readers the same respect."

CONNECTIONS

*Use this book to encourage writing by having the students write about their own “No good, very bad day.”

"That sounds like my day on Saturday! At soccer practice, I fell into a muddy spot and had to leave early." - Skyler, 4th grade

*Other books about having a bad day:

Friday, Mary Ellen. It’s a Bad Day. ISBN 0873589041

Tan, Shaun. The Red Tree. ISBN 0968876838