Awful Ogre's Awful Day

Awful Ogre

by Jack Prelutsky, Paul O. Zelinsky (Illustrator)

Beloved children's poet Jack Prelutsky and acclaimed illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky have created a tour de force picture book of epic proportions and infinite appeal! It's pouring. The wind is blowing down trees. Awful Ogre's rattlesnake wakes him. He tickles his piranha, scatters his rats, and disengages his leeches. Another wonderful day is about to begin. Awful Ogre, huge, hungry, horrible—and totally lovable, will steal the heart of every reader. Larger than life—larger, in fact, than all other ogres, Awful Ogre packs into one day enough excitement, imagination, emotion, and sheer ebullience to last most of us a lifetime. New York Public Library's “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing,” a  School Library Journal  Best Book, and a  New York Times  Best Illustrated Book

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Monsters

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Jack Prelutsky is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.

Reviews

[Steve Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

My other favorite childhood poet, Jack Prelutsky! He has a lot of fun, often themed, poetry books. This wasn't one of my childhood, but I grabbed this as it came out and have had copies in my room my entire career. It's funny, silly, and sometimes gross. Young children enjoy the gross out moments and laugh at some of the poems. This is usually a popular one off of the shelves at various times!

[Kirsten Whisler]

It was absolutely entertaining. The illustrations were wonderful and eye catching and each poem was hilariously interesting.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work of great genius.

[NS - Cami Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate 3-5, My rattlesnake awakens me, I swat its scaly head. My buzzard pecks my belly Till I fling it from my bed. My rats attack me as I rise But scatter when I roar. boot my sweet tarantula Across the stony floor.

I tickle my piranha, Who rewards me with a bite, Then disengage the leeches That besiege me overnight. I flick aside the lizard Clinging grimly to my chin, And now I feel I'm ready For my morning to begin.

Thus starts the first quirky poem of many about the charming ogre's awful day. At the start of his day, the ogre is awakened by his rattlesnake. Then he rinses his mouth with onion juice and finishes his savory breakfast with a piping bowl of steamy SCREAM OF WHEAT.

This book is full of outrageous and delightful poems. Not only are the poems riveting but the illustrations also SCREAM fun. The one-eyed ogre, with his drippy nose and with his nostril inhabited by a skunk, is delightfully depicted. The fair ogress stands out with her one spectacle for her one bloodshot eye, greasy green tresses, and pendulous nose. Most readers will love to delve into this bright and grotesquely funny book. Read the stanzas out loud, with lots of enthusiasm, for full enjoyment. The illustrations can be studied over and over again for all their humorous details.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was great. It consists of different poems about an ogre's summer. My favorite is "Ogre Attends a Concert." The poems use a lot of colorful words that student's probably wouldn't see often. It is also a very funny book because it shows ogres in a comical way. The pictures are great and very detailed.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom. After reading the book to the class, I would have the students write their own ogre poem. We would discuss that all of the poems rhyme, and the students would be asked to make their poems rhyme as well.

I would also use this book to have student work on context clues. Because there are quite a few words that would probably be unfamiliar, I would have them write down a certain number of words in the book that they don't know. They would also need to write down what they think the word means based on the context clues. Then, they would look up the actual definition of the word and write it down.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book of rhymes describing the life of one Awful Ogre. It's something I think all but very young children would appreciate.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ogre's day is just packed with awful things. It begins with a rattlesnake awakening, and ends with a cactus-cuddle. In between, our Ogre dines on Scream of Wheat, sips some gargoyle bile, enjoys a glorious thunderstorm, plays music and dances a bit, sends a love letter, and watches the telly . . . all in inimitable Ogre style. A perfect read for the "stranger" children (and adults) in your life.

[Nicola · Rating 1 out of 5]

We didn't finish. Miss 5 was okay with the poem but found the illustrations disturbing. The art work was definitely different and on the grotesque side.

Miss 5 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Kid's Picture Book Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me the illustrations are what really make this book. My son loves looking at the creepy weird pictures, especially the one with a bowl of “scream of wheat”. This book is broken out into each section being a mini story told in the form of poems. I don’t recommend reading this from start to finish if you are looking for a quicker bedtime story. Reading all of the poems is rather lengthy. But The illustrations are amazing.

[Ryann Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry
Grade: K-3
I love this form of poetry. I love how it is funny and engaging. I also like how the illustrations support the poems. I don’t think this is a book you would necessarily read all at once for a class. However I think it would be a great way to introduce poetry by reading a poem from this book every day to start the day or to start the lesson. I love the poems in this book and I think students would too.

[Mat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time reading Awful Ogre's Awful Day to my two youngest. There were a ton of fun words you usually don't see in a kid's book that really gave the book an interesting sound and cadence to read out loud. The girls stopped me on almost every page to point out something hidden in the illustrations that made them giggle and gasp. We will definitely be reading this one again.

[Samantha Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is too funny talking about all the awful adventures that the ogre has throughout the day. I believe that young students would love this book because it is talking about a fictional character. This book can also be used when teaching about poetry, because each new page is a poem about that particular activity that the ogre is taking a part of.

[Amy]

This is for people with a very particular sense of humor: boogers and gross things hilarious.

Not for me. DNF after a few poems. I was already feeling “done” by the second page, but read a few more to see if it would change. It didn’t, they’re all the same. You will quickly know whether you like this book.

[Chelsea McMillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book of rhymes that any child, especially those that enjoy creepy crawlies or gross things, would enjoy. You can't just read a page and turn to the next. There is so much to explore in the illustrations as they fit the rhymes perfectly.

[Kimberly Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute poetry book about Ogres and how they eat breakfast, groom themselves, dances, and much more. Good book for preschool through 5th grade.

[Cristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our favorite Prelutsky so far--gross, witty and funny.

[Sandy Sopko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully ogre-ish poems and rhymes! Beautiful, colorful illustrations! I laughed out loud!

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for vocabulary building or for those looking for something a little dark or creepy. With ogres instead of monsters, it could work as a seasonal read at Halloween.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys said it was the best book they'd ever read, lol. So...they were big fans 😊

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another funny and silly poetry book that we did during morning time for term 2 y8/10...krb 3/5/22

[Mendoza-Chaco Tdf]

Muy bueno

[Melissa Namba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of poems. From the POV of an ogre. The poems are cute, but a little long. Once I adjusted my expectations it was a fun book, but I honestly would prefer it as a story.

[Arya Minsin]

lusly illustrated, poetical telling of tour de force

[Coffee Beans Of Mystery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story will wake you up in the morning and put you to sleep at night. Its calming essence will radiate in your soul.

[Allie Mueller]

Type of book: Picture book
Literary genre: Poetry, fantasy,
Awards the book has received: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2003)

Summary: This picture book is a compilation of poems which give the reader a glance into an awful ogre’s life. The poems include the ogre’s meals, his morning routine, some of his favorite hobbies, and even his dreams.

Critique of the book substantiated with at least one reason:
Although this book may have some very challenging vocabulary, the content is appropriate for elementary school students. The poetry isn’t left open to interpretation, as it paints a clear picture, as long as the vocabulary is understood.

Prompts or questions you could pose when reading the book aloud to children (note specific page numbers)
-Look at the word “disengage”. Can you see another word within it? What is the prefix? What does “dis” mean?
-What do you think “jubilantly” means? How does it look like the ogre is feeling right now? What part of speech does “jubilantly” fit in to? (pg18)
-

Craft elements of the book that could be addressed in a reading or writing lesson:
This book contains some very advanced language. It would be perfect for a vocabulary lesson. I believe that students would find this book very entertaining and would be curious know the meanings of the more difficult words. They would likely volunteer to research terms rather than being forced to do so. I would not use this book as a reference for sequencing, because although the title suggests a story about Awful Ogre’s day, each poem is separate from the rest. While the poems may list the ogre’s activities in a day, they do not flow together and do not include transitions.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is silly. But I like silly.

[Kim Valentine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book of poems by children's Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky. It is recommended for children preschool to 4th grade. Written about an ogre's summer. Each page is a poem about something the order does during the summer like eat weasels or paint rats. I think the words would be above what a preschool or kindergarten would understand but the pictures and the gross things the ogre does would appeal to little boys. This author has written over 30 books so if I were to find a student who enjoyed this book I would recommend they try other books by this author.

An activity might be to to increase the student's vocabulary by talking about the words in the poems. Because it it written in poem form there is a rhythm to the stanzas that may keep students engage as they look at the pictures. I know a boy in kindergarten who likes to draw dragons and monster. This book would appeal to him.

I might use this book at the first of the year to introduce a writing assignment about what the students did over the summer or what they will do for the summer at the end of the year.

Awards: Poetry Foundation Children's Poet Laureate
Genre: Fantasy
Grades: K-6

Activities:
1. Have children draw what their summer would be like if they were an orger and could run wild.
2. Use an E.L.M.O. to project the pictures at the front of the classroom and have the student tell the story from looking at the pictures.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought this book was an absolutely excellent childrens book. It is filled with adorable poems, so it would be great for a poetry lesson. The illustrations are very adorable and caught my attention while I was reading this book. The character named "Awful Ogre" tells about how he spends his day in poetic form. Every time you turn the page, you find a new section such as "Awful Ogre Takes His Supper" and "Awful Ogre's Bone Collection." I found it surprising that this book was filled with a lot of large and difficult words and is said to be for ages six and up. I'm assuming that a six year old would most likely have help with parts of this book in either reading or understanding some of the words. I will say that I enjoyed the entire book but loved when he exchanged his name with "I'm and awful, awful ogre, Absolutely awful ogre. I'm so awful, Awful Ogre is my awful ogre name..."

[Little D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps at 4 I am just too young for this one!!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course the poems- the rhyme, the rhythm, the humor - are great: it's Jack Prelutsky! My oldest is not a huge poetry lover, but he's always game for Prelutsky - The New Kid on the Block is one of my all-time favorites, and now it's one of his, too. Awful Ogre is definitely related to Shrek (the William Steig original, not the Dreamworks softie.) He's mean and rude and gross - absolutely perfect for little boys! Next up, Awful Ogre Running Wild!