#8 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz (1972)
120 points
We all have bad days—even in Australia. – Heather Christensen
Of all the books out there that deal with schadenfreude, none do it quite so well as Alexander. Now there’s a kid who just cannot win. He’s the Charlie Brown of picture books. If he isn’t losing his cash in Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday then he’s protesting a new living situation (not in Australia) in Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move. Of course he started life in this book where everything that could possibly go wrong does. The perfect antidote to any adult that claims that childhood is one sweet, blissful, stress free ride of innocence and carefree days.
The plot synopsis from the publisher reads, “He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV. What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.”
I know little about the creation of this book but I do like that in her bio Ms. Viorst (who is still publishing to this day with such titles as the upcoming September title Lulu Walks the Dogs) writes that she has been writing, “at least since I was seven or eight, when I composed an ode to my dead parents, both of whom were alive and well and, when they read my poem, extremely annoyed.” She has three sons, one of whom is named “Alexander”. And so yet another child of an author goes on to become a cultural phenomenon.
I feel like illustrator Ray Cruz never gets enough credit for this book. I mean, half the time you hear this title mentioned it’s alongside the name “Judith Viorst”. Not Ray Cruz. And certainly the case could be made that unlike some other books it’s the writing and concept of this story that sticks in the mind the best. But I also feel that there’s a reason that this 1972 publication has never been republished with a different artist. The sole biography I was able to track down of the man reads, “Ray Cruz grew up in New York City and has been drawing since he was five years old. In addition to his work as an illustrator, he has had extensive experience in textile design and graphic art.” As for his art, the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection in Minnesota may yield some answers there. “The Ray Cruz Papers contain original illustrations, color separations, layouts, and book dummies for nine books illustrated by Cruz between 1971 and 1987.” Yet the Alexander book about moving was actually done by future Fancy Nancy artist Robin Preiss Glasser. Why the switch?
As 100 Best Books for Children points out so accurately, “Bibliotherapy rarely produces a classic, but this book describes perfectly a simple childhood
The more I read about the debacle of the CPSIA, the more frightened I get. Not so much because of the law itself (although that's horrible enough), but at my growing realization of what this means for the country as a whole.
America faces a terrible economic crisis, and government is intervening in every area of the economy to take over responsibility and control of solving this crisis. But, as the CPSIA story shows, the people who actually populate the federal government seem to be shockingly incompetent.
The same kinds of people that came up with the CPSIA are now using the same kinds of methods that produced that law to solve the banking crisis, to fix the recession, to save the auto industry, to implement universal health care, etc. It can't help but produce the same kinds of disastrous results.
I think there's a very real chance that the federal government is going to wreck the entire country before they're done.
Hi there - love this post!
Every day I hear a story about how the CPSIA is negatively impacting a small business or thrift shop.
Is there a way to access the CPSC and see the PPT?
Thanks.
Hi Angelle,
You can see the PPT from the link (the color of my links isn't showing up well - I'll change it in a minute) but it's the word "here" after my description of the CPSC's PPT show. If that doesn't work, you can get to it from the CPSC website at:http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html. The PPT is the second item under What's New, and the book stuff is on p. 6.
I'm also adding an image of the book Mine for Keeps that I discuss, if anyone's interested.
I'm wicked anti-CPSIA, but I think you misread this. I don't think they're saying that the shelf life of a story is 20 years, but a children's book itself. And, if my old library was any indication, they may be highballing it.
Hi Jeff,
I did realize that was probably at least part of what they meant (see my whole post), but they're as wrong about the shelf life of most children's books too. Okay, a baby's copy of Pat the Bunny might not hold up well, but even our family hardcover/paper copy of Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (printed before 1985 - gift to my son in 1987) is going strong even after having been read almost nightly to all three of my kids during their baby and toddler years. As I note above, my public library is packed with children's books well over 20 years and still in perfectly readable condition, and that's typical of libraries around the country. And the durability of older books is significant not just because old copies are cheaper to buy or because they make up big chunks of schools' and libraries collections, but because there are many, many, many outstanding children's books that have not been reprinted in the last 20 years - or if they were reprinted, they had only very small print runs (basically to supplement the older copies still in circulation) or in formats (like cheap or resized paperbacks) that pale next to the original versions. I think that CPSC is trying to reassure their staff and inspectors as well as the public that it doesn't matter that this law will basically wipe out most of the history of children's literature.
But they are WRONG. It does matter and people will fight them on this.
It's just incredible what's going on with this CPSIA nonsense. What you have here is an overruling of the normal practices and choices of millions of people by a government bureaucracy in the name of achieving some dubious higher good. This stupidity should be hounded out of existence even it takes something as radical as walling off the roads and bridges leading out of the District of Columbia. Let the people decide what to sell, what to keep and what to discard. Let them exercise their judgment without having to bow to the leaden hand of the Almighty State.
Another excellent post. I was likewise shocked by such a bizarre statement.
Mine for Keeps and Trolley Car Family are two of our favorites as well.
Thanks Headmistress. I'm increasingly convinced we have similar reading tastes (and experiences). I too read Phyllis McGinley's Sixpence in Her Shoe and found much interesting in it - but it was many years ago when I was in high school - time to read it again.
I'm a big fan of older books. I've got several books that are older than 100 years including one that is about 350 years old.
I don't have any kids now, but if I do they are going to get many of the same books that I read when I was little.
This whole thing is just heartbreaking. How can they even consider taking away older books??
Even IF they replaced old copies with new reprints, that doesn't make up for the loss. There is just something magical about holding an old book in your hands, and knowing that many others have held and read the same copy.
Old books are beautiful, and among my favorites. I buy them whenever I can, and now I'm going to do so even more!! I agree with anonymous above--I want my (future) kids to experience old books, so I guess I better start stockpiling now!
I'm stockpiling for my future grandkids (and myself). I get more concerned and depressed about this every day.