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

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by: Judith Viorst

Illustrated by: Ray Cruz

Aladdin Books, 1987

ISBN 0689711735

In this adorable story, Alexander leads us through a day in his life, but it’s not an ordinary day. It is a “horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day.” From the moment Alexander wakes up nothing goes right. He has gum in his hair, he doesn’t get a toy in his cereal, he gets stuck in the middle riding in the car, and that’s just the beginning. Nothing seems to be going right for poor Alexander. He amusingly decides that none of these things would happen if he were in Australia, but in the end he realizes that everyone has bad days, “even in Australia.”

Judith Viorst puts the reader right into Alexander’s thoughts. Most of the sentences are long and complex and they veer off track occasionally, just like the way we think. “At counting time she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen?” Viorst’s story helps children understand that everybody has bad days. Ray Cruz’s illustrations are a great compliment to the story. While most of the characters are smiling and enjoying their day, Alexander is always frowning and even his hair is having a bad day. The depiction of Alexander alone on the page with text emphasizes how lonely bad days can be.

Connections:

This story is a great way to discuss emotions. It could be read in conjunction with Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard. The children could compare and contrast the ways the characters deal with their bad days. This story is also a great spring board for discussing empathy. The children can relate to how Alexander is feeling and come up with ideas on how to cheer him up.