Does your little one have bad days? How about really bad days? Show them that they are not alone with this classic book. Parents and children have been reading about Alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day since 1972. The sketched pictures have so much fun detail, that you hardly notice the absence of color. The narration accurately represents the voice of a child. The sentences are run on sentences, in the same fashion children who are excited or upset may express themselves, and humor can be found in the way Alexander tells his story; "At counting time, she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen?" There is also humor in Alexander's facial expressions; each page he finds a new way to frown.
This is a great book for stoking talks with your little one about some difficult emotions and how to appropriately react to them. As Alexander becomes frustrated or angry, his solution is to move far away, to Australia. Just as Alexander's mom eventually gets through to him, you can explain to your little one that you can't run away from your feelings. You can talk about some of the some healthy ways to deal with them. Your child will be able to relate to Alexander in many other ways too; from a very messy room, to dealing with arguments with friends and siblings, and sometimes feeling ignored by adults; "I said I was being scrunched. I said I was being smushed. I said, if I don't get a seat by the window I am going to be carsick. No one even answered."
I remember my mom used to read this book to me often when I was younger. Like Alexander, I had two older brothers who loved to mercilessly pick on me, and I often felt like nothing would ever go my way (childhood drama, of course). On particularly difficult days, Mom would have me snuggle up with her tight, and deliver a theatrical version of the book, replacing 'Alexander' with 'Audra'. I look forward to reading this book to my own grumpy little one someday.
--Audra