Review by Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. By the creator of numerous collections of palindromes and picture books like Milo's Hat Trick (1998), this title encapsulates Agee's natural strengths: deadpan delivery, lean storytelling, and an impeccable design sense. With his slumped shoulders and 1940s hat and overcoat, Eugene is a picture of middle-class discontentment. How about an all-expenses paid trip to Bermuda? \lquote Terrific,' he says, I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn. When a shipwreck leaves him marooned with a talking parrot, the peppy, capable bird gradually transforms Eugene's pessimism . Agee's no-frills artwork reflects techniques borrowed from comic strips; neatly penciled frames focus attention and indicate elapsed time, while Eugene's exaggerated body proportions amplify the humor of his bond with the tiny bird. Few kids are clamoring for tales about jaded grown-ups' emotional rebirth, but there is much to command their attention here: Listeners will particularly enjoy the repeated utterances of Eugene's favorite word, especially the exuberant, heartfelt TERRIFIC! at book's close. Oversize dimensions and opportunities for chiming in make this a storytime natural. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Eugene Crumb, the balding and paunchy protagonist of this desert-island send-up, views every lucky break with pessimism. When he wins a cruise to Bermuda, he sighs, "Terrific... I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn." His glass continues to be half-empty after he survives a shipwreck and gets marooned ("Terrific... Now I'll get eaten by cannibals"). Fortunately, a green, orange-winged parrot shares the island, and it coaches Eugene to build a boat, ignoring Eugene's gripes about lower back pain and converting his ill-fitting brown raincoat into a sail ("Terrific... This coat cost me thirty-two dollars"). Man and bird become friends, but when they are picked up by oceangoing fishermen, the parrot falls silent. As in Milo's Hat Trick and Z Goes Home, Agee draws in a mannered charcoal-gray line, creating spacious curves and blunt angles, then brushing them in with watercolor. He tightly frames his pleasing compositions in rectangles and circles, and the lines and shapes hang in satisfying balance. With his frown, poor posture and high-water pants, Eugene resembles the Born Loser of the comic strip. But his sarcastic answer to everything may well resonate with readers who are not easily impressed, and an upbeat conclusion that trumpets the power of friendship provides an unironic "Terrific!" at last. Ages 2-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreK-Gr 2-Eugene's life follows Murphy's Law-if something can go wrong, it will. And when inevitable misfortune falls, Eugene's favorite expression is a sarcastic, "Terrific." So, it's no surprise that when the boy's cruise ship sinks, all the passengers (except Eugene) are rescued, and he finds himself on a deserted island with a talking parrot. "Terrific," says Eugene. Narrator Kirby Heyborne plays the resigned, older, and long-suffering Eugene perfectly with a mix of sarcasm and fatigue, and creates a suitably squawking voice for the take-charge parrot who will change his attitude. Sound effects including boat horns, construction din, and ocean waves complement the story. Though listeners will miss Agee's humorous illustrations, the CD includes a fun musical version of "Terrific," sung by Heyborne with music by the Promise Makers. The lyrics are slightly modified from the text to fit the upbeat rhythm and rhyme scheme of the song, but stay true to the original story. VERDICT Purchase this one for sharing with school or storytime groups, one with a copy of the print book.-Lisa Taylor, Ocean County Library, NJ © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Here are two welcome reissues (both books originally published by Hyperion) ?from modern picture-book master Agee. Milos Hat Trick (rev. 5/01; with ?a handful of revised illustrations) is ?about a bumbling magician who losesthen findshis hatand pulls a bear out of it. Terrific (rev. 11/05) is about a grouchy man stranded on a desert island who characteristically (and hilariously) makes the worst of it. Both books, illustrated in understated pastel hues, received starred reviews in the Horn Book and will be welcomed by fans of Agees 2015 Boston GlobeHorn Book Honor winning Its Only Stanley (rev. 5/15), as well as Lion Lessons (rev. 7/16), Life on Mars (rev. 1/17), and others. elissa Gershowitz (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Plainly channeling Jack Benny, middle-aged Eugene responds glumly to various reversals of fortune--after winning a cruise to Bermuda: "Terrific. I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn"--until a shipwreck ("Terrific. I'll probably get devoured by sharks") strands him on a tiny island ("Terrific. Now I'll get eaten by cannibals"). There he meets a parrot who knows something about both boatbuilding and friendship. Cast as a scowling curmudgeon with thinning hair and conservative taste in dress, Eugene looks the part too--at least until the end, when a reunion with his beaked buddy draws both a smile and a "Terrific!" delivered with a radically different inflection. Fans of James Stevenson's tales of the "Worst Person in the World" will find a kindred sort here and are sure to add the adjective to their vocabularies. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
