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

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

 by Judith Viorst
(based on 183 customer reviews)

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Paperback)
Author: Judith Viorst
Publisher: Aladdin


List Price: $7.99
Amazon's Price: $7.99

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Most useful review as voted by customers:
55 out of 58 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 5/11/05


People of all ages can relate!

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.

34 out of 39 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/23/02


Even five-year-olds get the blues

Ever have a day when absolutely nothing went right? Haven't we all? That's probably why so many children fall in love with this book; we've all been there, even the very young ones, so they can relate just like we grownups can. From the first mishap in the early morning when he wakes up with last night's chewed gum stuck in his hair, to the final indignity of being rejected by the cat (who wants to sleep with his brother Anthony, not with him), with umpteen mishaps and misfortunes in between (lima beans for supper? Yuck. Kissing on TV? Double-yuck!), Alexander's day just gets worse and worse. If you had a day like that, wouldn't you want to hop the first jet to Australia? Judith Viorst has an uncanny knack for being able to put herself in a five-year-old's shoes, and her book lets kids know that their feelings are valid and normal. And at the book's end, Alexander -- and the youngsters -- realize that days like that are bound to happen, even in Australia. This is a great read-aloud book; the kids usually end up chanting (or shouting) along with the reader "It was a TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY!!" and Ray Cruz's pen and ink drawings are a delight and add to the fun. I've read this book to several first-graders and each one of them clamored for a repeat. This is one book that belongs on every child's bookshelf and will probably be treasured for years to come.

29 out of 31 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 1/30/00


Marvelous, Wonderful, No Fault, Very Good Book!

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.

20 out of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 9/9/99


I think this book is good for "kids" of all ages!

This book was recently read to my kindergarten sunday school class. While I was listening along with the children, I just had to crack a smile. I've had plenty of days just like Alexander. As a college student, days like this are normal occurances, but it wasn't until I read this book that I realized how much I can blow things out of perspective. Just like in the story, my bad days often begin with my bad attitude while getting out of bed. I truly believe that this book is absolutely essential for everyone to read. If you're not having a bad day, then great...but if you are, it'll definitely put a smile on your face and help put things back in proportion. Just a reminder that good advice for everyone can come from anywhere, even a children's story book.

16 out of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/8/04


We've all been there, and now we can laugh about it

I remember this one from my own childhood, and I recall even then commiserating with Alexander as he has to deal with one of those days in which everything seems to go wrong. Waking up with gum in his hair, dropping his sweater in the sink and eating dry breakfast cereal sets the tone for the rest of the story; weirdly enough, it's not negative energy that gets built up, but humor. Who can't relate, I ask you?

I thought that a big part of this story's charm was the run on sentences that narrated in Alexander's first person voice. Example: "On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and then I started crying because of the mud and Nick said I was a crybaby and...". It's great because that's how kids his age really speak when they are bursting with information and emotion at the same time. I think it is a sign of an incredibly stuffy mindset to pick apart such a well-loved, time-tested winner of a book because it "teaches kids poor grammar". Phooey. What it really teaches is that we all have "those" days, and that we can get over them as Alexander did.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will appeal to kids of all ages, especially boys. Better yet, it will crack a smile or two out of the reading adult.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle


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