The One and Only Shrek!

by William Steig

Before Shrek made it big on the silver screen, there was William Steig’s SHREK!, a book about an ordinary ogre who leaves his swampy childhood home to go out and see the world. Ordinarily, that is, if a foul and hideous being who ends up marrying the most stunningly ugly princess on the surface of the planet is what you consider ordinary. SHREK! can be found in this collection of six modern picture-book classics by Steig, along with stories concerning creatures ordinary and extraordinary—from Irene, a brave and loving little girl who must battle a howling blizzard, to Spinky, a boy who is so completely annoyed by his family that he no longer has any use for the human race. Gathered together for the first time, these entertaining stories will delight fans of Steig, both old and new.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Audiobook, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Humor

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 2007

About the author

William Steig was born in New York City in 1907. In a family where every member was involved in the arts, it was not surprising that Steig became an artist.

He published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, embarking on a new and very different career.

Steig's books reflect his conviction that children want the security of a devoted family and friends. When Sylvester, Farmer Palmer, Abel, Pearl, Gorky, Solomon, and Irene eventually get home, their families are all waiting, and beginning with Amos & Boris, friendship is celebrated in story after story.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 2017 - I couldn't tell if Ben was actually paying attention the first time through, but I really enjoyed the stories I heard - a few I was already familiar with, and a few where I don't think I've read the picture book. Man, picture books used to be a lot longer! There's something really lovely about the long, detailed ones, especially for listening to. Then Ben started asking to listen to this at bedtime, instead of music, and he's listened to it several more times. A hit.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

1983 Newbery Honor Book (for Doctor De Soto)

This is a collection of some of Steig's most popular books.

Shrek!
This is the picture book that the movie was loosely based upon. Some of the characters are there like the donkey and the dragon and, of course, an ugly princess, but the movie definitely expanded upon the book in completely different ways.

The Amazing Bone
Pearl the pig finds a bone that talks and they go on an adventure together.

Brave Irene
Irene goes out into a snowstorm to deliver a dress to the duchess.

Spinky Sulks
Spinky wants to have nothing to do with the human race after his family upsets him. This was the one book I really didn't like.

Doctor De Soto
Dr. De Soto is a mouse dentist who normally doesn't work on animals that would eat him but makes an exception for a sore fox. But then he gets the idea that the fox really wants to eat him.

Caleb & Kate
Caleb and Kate are married but Caleb is turned into a dog by a witch after they fight one day and returns home as Kate's faithful dog since he can't tell her what happened.

[Natalie Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's amazing the animators at Dream Works got a Blockbusting trilogy out of this short story which was written in 1990. I was glad to listen to more of Steig's work as well. Dr. DeSoto was written the year I was born (1982) and was about two little rodents (a dentist and his wife assistant) that outsmart a fox that tries to eat them after he fixes his rotten tooth. Brave Irene (1978?) was cute too- the Duchess must get her dress in time for the ball- but on her snowy trip to the castle the seamstress's daughter runs into some trouble. I enjoyed listening to all the stories some of which were narrated by Maryl Streep.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook with my son. However, we do own the paper copy and had not read it!

I knew the version of Shrek from the animated movies, and was a bit surprised to find this book much darker. (Although, perhaps, I should not be surprised, many fairy tales are quite dark!) The book contains Shrek and 5 other stories by the same author. I found all of them a bit odd. We lost interest at the end.

I didn’t dislike these stories, nor did I love them. If you like original fairy tales, I’d check this out!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Steig is always a treat to read. I love how he uses bigger words to stretch kids’ (and my!) vocabulary. Some standout stories here are “Doctor De Soto,” the savvy mouse dentist I remember from my childhood, and “The Amazing Bone,” a quirky story about (yep) a talking bone. In the title story “Shrek”—on which the famous set of movies are loosely based—Shrek here is far stinkier, uglier, and laser-fire-eyed than in the movies. But he still finds hideous love in the end. In this book collection, our kids say the Shrek story is their favorite.

[Abbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

We listened to this on Hoopla audio, which was a lovely recording. I'm sure the illustrations would be fun, but as much as I liked Abel's Island by Steig, I didn't love this. Several of the stories were a little too odd for my taste, and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I'd like.

[Rene Low · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

Tales unique, inventive and wise without being patronizing read by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. William Steig is so good that I wish I had discovered him earlier but I’m glad that although I’m 45 years old I didn’t miss out.

[Shairie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hahahaha! Shrek is told to be horrendously ugly in this book, and he can belch flames! How amusing.

[Claire Pear]

the fact that a man in his 80s wrote shrek??? and it feels like such a contemporary story??? your fav could never (unless your fav is william steig).

[Jordan Vo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The magic bone

[Big Brother]

truly a classic

[J.B. Mathias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shrek was the only memorable story, and it's good but it's not exactly the same as the plot from the movie. None of the stories really seemed to have much of a point. Art was okay.

[Sarah Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to read Shrek and it’s got very little in common with the movie.

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny! My kids listened to this on their Yoto’s.

[Marlena Telep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better times.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jaglvr for Kids @ TeensReadToo.com

Most people, if not everyone, knows the story of Shrek, thanks to the animated version that was widely successful. But the majority of people probably don't know that Shrek originated with William Steig. And what better way to learn the original story of Shrek than by listening to it on this unabridged recording.

THE ONE AND ONLY SHREK! is actually a compilation of six stories, the first and most famous being the one of Shrek. But have no fear; the other five stories on the CD are just as fun and interesting as Shrek.

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci alternate narrating the stories. So for parents who aren't keen on audio books, listening to these two well-known and adored actors will enhance the experience.

Meryl Streep is at her best while reading Brave Irene, a story about a young girl determined to get a dress her mother slaved over to the castle in time for the party. The girl encounters many obstacles along the way, only to be rewarded at the end.

And let's not forget Mr. Tucci. He brilliantly interprets the stories and interjects energy and a light-hearted touch to all he reads. Doctor De Soto showcases Mr. Tucci at his best.

All six tales are enchanting and some, believe it or not, leave you with a moral whether you were looking for one or not. If you find yourself on a short road trip, or even just driving around town with the kids, THE ONE AND ONLY SHREK! will help the time go that much faster.

[Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved every story in this book except The Amazing Bone; given the world we live in, it was too creepy. It may have been a fun book in its day, but nowadays not so. When I saw Pearl locked in the room at fox's house too many creepy thoughts came to mind. Maybe I read the newspaper too often. I wouldn't read this to a child in the four to eight-year-old group.

All the other stories were great, some fanciful, some touching, all good. I particularly liked The one and only Shrek!, and Doctor De Soto.

[Alise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like any of these stories. I read them all to my son but it was a chore. I thought they were all boring and just unimaginative. The pictures are why I gave it an extra star, they were better than the text.

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a favorite that I went back to it and back to it. I would often wonder why the princess' parents did not like Shrek. But, there were many funny parts that made my 4/5 year old sensibility laugh and laugh.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this on a road trip. There are more stories, but the Shrek one is definitely the best! And what could be better than Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci as your narrators?!? I love you Meryl, but Stanley totally wins! :)

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci read the fabulous William Steig's SHREK!, Brave Irene, Dr. DeSoto, The Amazing Bone, Spinky Sulks, and Caleb and Kate. An hour of pure joy.

[Lynnea Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first story in here about Shrek. The others were excellent but not near as fun as Shrek. Overall a wonderful book for reading to the kids.

[Stephen Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. 6 little short stories and hard to believe that the Shrek movie came from the first one. A nice little diversion.

[Sandberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to on our trip to Ben and Lori's in Kansas City!

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection contains the following stories:

Shrek!
The Amazing Bone
Brave Irene
Spinky Sulks
Doctor DeSoto
Caleb & Kate

(See individual descriptions.)

[Charlie Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several short stories by William Steig including Shrek (much different than the movie), Dr. DeSoto and others.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

My kids didn't get into this story.

[Slow Man · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to react to 'The Amazing Bone' and 'Spinky Sulks' but I like the other four stories.

[Virna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nice book to read.