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Terrific
"Terrific," says Eugene, after winning an all-expenses-paid vacation in Bermuda. "I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn." Unfortunately, Eugene's luck is a lot worse than that. First, his cruise ship sinks, then he ends up stranded on a tiny island. But Eugene isn't alone. There's another castaway, a parrot with a busted wing, who tells him what there is to eat and drink and how to build a sailboat. Cranky Eugene pays attention, and now his luck begins to change.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Jon Agee
53 books163 followersI grew up in Nyack, New York, just up the street from the Hudson River. In our house, there was always an art project going on.
My early drawings were very animated: a lot of stuff zipping around, airplanes, racing cars, football players. No surprise my first published drawing was a pack of rats running along a highway (The Rat Race). I did that for the New York Times Op Ed page when I was still in high school.
I went to college at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. I studied painting, sculpture and filmmaking, but what I loved doing most—in my spare time—was drawing cartoons and comic strips.
When I graduated, I hauled my pile of doodles into the offices of a bunch of editors, with the wild notion that somebody might publish them. When that failed, I wrote a story for kids to go with my pictures (If Snow Falls). It was two sentences long (which counts, by the way). Frances Foster, a wonderful editor at Random House, saw something in that book and signed me up.
The next book, Ellsworth, was about a dog who teaches economics at a university. When he gets home, he throws off his clothes and acts like a dog, which is fine, until some fellow teachers discover this and he loses his job. Somebody told me that Ellsworth was a story about "being yourself." I never realized it had a moral.
I moved to another publisher with Ludlow Laughs, the story of a grumpy guy who laughs in his sleep. This book was doing very poorly until the comedienne Phyliss Diller read it on PBS's Reading Rainbow. It stayed in print for over twenty years.
My fourth book, The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau, was a hit. One of the first people to see it and give it the thumb's up—literally, hot off the press—was Maurice Sendak. We bumped into each other at the printers. It was a lucky first meeting, and happily not our last.
That was all a long time ago. Since then I've written many other picture books, illustrated a few by other authors, and created a series of offbeat wordplay books, beginning with the book of palindromes, Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!
I visit schools across the country and sometimes around the globe. I live with my wife, Audrey, in San Francisco.
My early drawings were very animated: a lot of stuff zipping around, airplanes, racing cars, football players. No surprise my first published drawing was a pack of rats running along a highway (The Rat Race). I did that for the New York Times Op Ed page when I was still in high school.
I went to college at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. I studied painting, sculpture and filmmaking, but what I loved doing most—in my spare time—was drawing cartoons and comic strips.
When I graduated, I hauled my pile of doodles into the offices of a bunch of editors, with the wild notion that somebody might publish them. When that failed, I wrote a story for kids to go with my pictures (If Snow Falls). It was two sentences long (which counts, by the way). Frances Foster, a wonderful editor at Random House, saw something in that book and signed me up.
The next book, Ellsworth, was about a dog who teaches economics at a university. When he gets home, he throws off his clothes and acts like a dog, which is fine, until some fellow teachers discover this and he loses his job. Somebody told me that Ellsworth was a story about "being yourself." I never realized it had a moral.
I moved to another publisher with Ludlow Laughs, the story of a grumpy guy who laughs in his sleep. This book was doing very poorly until the comedienne Phyliss Diller read it on PBS's Reading Rainbow. It stayed in print for over twenty years.
My fourth book, The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau, was a hit. One of the first people to see it and give it the thumb's up—literally, hot off the press—was Maurice Sendak. We bumped into each other at the printers. It was a lucky first meeting, and happily not our last.
That was all a long time ago. Since then I've written many other picture books, illustrated a few by other authors, and created a series of offbeat wordplay books, beginning with the book of palindromes, Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog!
I visit schools across the country and sometimes around the globe. I live with my wife, Audrey, in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 29, 2019
A gloomy, glass half empty sort of person wins a trip to Barbados. Just as he suspects, the boat sinks and he ends up on an island. Luckily Lenny is there and is enormously helpful and eventually makes this grumpy old guy smile!
Read on openlibrary
Read on openlibrary
June 3, 2023
Eugene is quite the wet blanket, always predicting that everything will go wrong, and one day . . . it does. He's stranded on a deserted island with only a parrot for company. But, what a parrot! The bird hatches a plan for their escape, and Eugene finds himself doing whatever the parrot says.
Loved this one, and the cute, surprise ending.
Loved this one, and the cute, surprise ending.
October 29, 2018
When Eugene wins a cruise to Bermuda, his response - "Terrific... I'll probably get a really nasty sunburn" - epitomizes his entire approach to life. When his ship goes down, and he is stranded on a tiny desert island, our grouchy hero's chorus of "terrifics" indicate that such catastrophe is only what he expected. What he doesn't expect, however, is Lenny the talking parrot, who instructs him in ship-building, setting in motion the duo's escape...
Since reading such picture-books as It's Only Stanley and The Other Side of Town , I have become an admirer of author/artist Jon Agee, whose dead-pan sense of humor never fails to entertain me. I was therefore pleased to learn that Terrific, originally published in 2005 and subsequently out-of-print, had been reprinted in this new 2017 edition. Good news, as it is a wonderfully entertaining book, with all the understated, oddball humor I was expecting, and its creator's signature cartoon-style artwork. The surprise ending is the icing on the cake! Recommended to all my fellow Jon Agee fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about attitude (positive or negative).
Since reading such picture-books as It's Only Stanley and The Other Side of Town , I have become an admirer of author/artist Jon Agee, whose dead-pan sense of humor never fails to entertain me. I was therefore pleased to learn that Terrific, originally published in 2005 and subsequently out-of-print, had been reprinted in this new 2017 edition. Good news, as it is a wonderfully entertaining book, with all the understated, oddball humor I was expecting, and its creator's signature cartoon-style artwork. The surprise ending is the icing on the cake! Recommended to all my fellow Jon Agee fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about attitude (positive or negative).
September 17, 2012
This book would really grab the attention of older elementary children. This is mostly because of the sarcasm the book uses all the way though. At this age, children become more sarcastic and would find this book to be very funny. It would not appeal to younger elementary though, because they would not be able to understand the sarcasm and would be confused by the old mans language. The illustrations are very large and clear and show the old man's emotions very well, which for the most part is an unhappy emotion. It is the story of a pessimist who thinks of the bad in every situation, until he meets a parrot who becomes a good friend to him. The parrot accepts his negativity and sticks with him through it all, eventually bringing out happiness in the old man. This would be a great way to begin a discussion or lesson on being nice to everyone because you never know what they are going through in their life. Mostly, children would enjoy the humor of the story and that would be the main reason why they love it so much. I do think, however, that the main character could have been a child instead of an old man so it would be more relatable to children. Overall, funny and good book for older elementary children!
January 30, 2014
Terrific is an entertaining book. Despite its predictability, I think children will love it. The book's main character is an elderly man that will cause many children to laugh. By the end of the book, he becomes a compassionate friend. It is a shorter book, with bold and colorful illustrations. It has both a plot and a theme. There is a great lesson for children (how a situation that seems negative can end positively). I would highly recommend this book for all ages. My seven year old daughter got quite a kick out it. It could be useful in the classroom for the lesson that it teaches, but also has academic value. For younger students, it could be used during the letter "Pp" unit having words such as parrot and pomegranates. It could also be used to teach students how a word can change meanings in different contexts. The title word, "Terrific!", is a negative word at the beginning, but a positive word at the end. Student could also do a writing activity taking the negative statements and turning them into positive statements.
April 12, 2018
This was definitely not my favorite book for young children. While the book ended on a positive note, the main character has a negative attitude throughout the story.
March 17, 2020
Eugene is a sourpuss and revels in the miserable possibilities of whatever life sends his way, which only seems a little unreasonable considering his rotten luck with his cruise. When he meets a parrot stranded on the island he washes up on though, he's found a resilient spirit that refuses to dwell on the negative and instead solves every problem he encounters, with Eugene to do the heavy lifting. Eugene doesn't really change his tune but the parrot doesn't take any notice.
It isn't until Eugene and the parrot are picked up by a fishing boat that the parrot's back story is revealed, and Eugene discovers that the parrot might have only revealed his ability to fluently communicate to Eugene. Thankfully, Eugene does come to show his appreciation for the parrot the story ends happily for both Eugene and the parrot.
Might be a fun read aloud for a third grade class. They could probably pick up on the nuances of the story. You might have to brush them up on nautical terms first though, since the parrot has an engineer's understanding of ship construction.
It isn't until Eugene and the parrot are picked up by a fishing boat that the parrot's back story is revealed, and Eugene discovers that the parrot might have only revealed his ability to fluently communicate to Eugene. Thankfully, Eugene does come to show his appreciation for the parrot the story ends happily for both Eugene and the parrot.
Might be a fun read aloud for a third grade class. They could probably pick up on the nuances of the story. You might have to brush them up on nautical terms first though, since the parrot has an engineer's understanding of ship construction.
January 31, 2019
My first graders loved this book! Before reading we discussed sarcasm and compared the meaning of the word terrific to the illustration on the cover and my vocal cues. They immediately understood the sarcasm without me ever having to use the term. They loved to chime in whenever they saw Eugene use the word terrific. They had so much fun with this book and loved both Eugene and Lenny the parrot. I would highly recommend this book to any teacher and parent. It's fun to read as an adult and kids will love following Eugene's adventures.
March 2, 2011
I liked this one but wondering who the real audience is?! Eugene is a bit pessimistic and gets stranded on a deserted island and meets Lenny a parrot. With Lenny's help, Eugene gets off the island. When Eugene gets rescued he tries to explain about Lenny and they don't believe him. The final ending wrap up is fun but still wondering who the audience is.
February 17, 2022
Cool bird. Fun lesson on not giving into pessimism
May 31, 2022
This book features a grumpy man. It teaches that social bonding helps people to get over depression! It reminds me of a similar great picture book, "Could Be Worse!"
September 15, 2017
Eugene is a bitter old man who just happened to be lucky enough to win a trip to Bermuda. Unfortunately, his ship sank and he was the only one not rescued. He was lucky enough to find a small deserted island, though. The only things on it were pomegranates and a parrot. Eugene hates pomegranates! Luckily for him, the parrot knew how to build a boat and drew out plans for one in the sand for him to follow. Eugene realized that he would unfortunately have to be the one to build it. After he built the boat, he realized there was no sail. The parrot told him to use his coat. Eugene was not happy about losing out on the money he had spent on the coat, but it worked quite well as a sail. They put some pomegranates in the boat and sailed off. Eventually, they ran out of fruit. Then a boat came by! But it ran right over their boat and wrecked it. Luckily, someone on the boat saw them and pulled them in with a fishing net. It just happened to be the boat where the bird used to reside! Eugene found out that his name was Lenny, but the fishermen said that he never spoke a word. Eugene took a nap and woke up to find that they had landed on Bermuda island! He made it! When he got off the boat, he was excited to see that Lenny had stayed behind on the dock to be with Eugene instead of staying on the boat.
Good for older kid and preschool storytimes.
Good for older kid and preschool storytimes.
May 20, 2017
I love using this book about Eugene - the ultimate sourpuss - to relate to students in a fun way about the importance of being positive and upbeat. We all have bad days, but sometimes with young students, they like to be gloomy about many little things. I find Terrific to be a means to have students reflect on what it is that might be shaking up their world in a given day, week or month in a positive, different way than just having a conversation. Eugene says "terrific" all of the time, but it's in a sarcastic way. Every good thing that happens to Eugene must have something bad surrounding it, according to Eugene! This is a fun read aloud and one that can generate a lot of laughter and thought - a perfect combination!
August 30, 2017
When Eugene, a pessimistic middle aged man, wins an all expense paid trip to Bermuda, he can only predict future misery. His ship sinks and the trip begins to go much worse than even he could have predicted. While stranded, Eugene meets Lenny the parrot and together they have plenty more adventures before the story comes to an end with Eugene exclaiming "terrific" genuinely for the first time. The illustrations are similar to those of Agee's other books with straight forward, outlined images and a comic like feel. An enjoyable read full of sarcasm and repetition that would bring delight to any young classroom.
March 3, 2021
"You're nuts ... Lenny doesn't talk. He can't even say Polly wants a cracker!"
Eugene wins an all expense paid trip to Bermuda, but he's not overly thrilled. He predicts that he will just get a nasty sunburn. So begins the journey of an eternal pessimist who is about to meet the ultimate optimist, talking parrot named Lenny. When Eugene is washed up on a deserted island with no food but pomegranates ("Terrific, I have pomegranates"), he is pretty much resigned to his fate. But Lenny designs a boat and gets Eugene to build it and off they go ... and though things still go wrong, they eventually find a rescue.
A great book to discuss mindset.
Eugene wins an all expense paid trip to Bermuda, but he's not overly thrilled. He predicts that he will just get a nasty sunburn. So begins the journey of an eternal pessimist who is about to meet the ultimate optimist, talking parrot named Lenny. When Eugene is washed up on a deserted island with no food but pomegranates ("Terrific, I have pomegranates"), he is pretty much resigned to his fate. But Lenny designs a boat and gets Eugene to build it and off they go ... and though things still go wrong, they eventually find a rescue.
A great book to discuss mindset.
February 7, 2018
Terrific (In a good way). Loved how the author has spilt out a tad bit of sarcasm through Eugene's language. He always awaits the negative and unfortunately finds himself in a flux. But a castaway - a parrot is up and about to help Eugene find the way.
Lovely book with surprisingly pretty/cute illustrations. A must for kids of older elementary. I believe the younger ones won't be able to recognize the sarcastic tone.
Lovely book with surprisingly pretty/cute illustrations. A must for kids of older elementary. I believe the younger ones won't be able to recognize the sarcastic tone.
July 11, 2020
The simple bold illustrations and writing matched with the repeating exclamation of "terrific" make this an ideal book for storytime.
Grumpy Old Men meets Paulie, this is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day with an elderly curmudgeon in an ocean setting.
Grumpy Old Men meets Paulie, this is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day with an elderly curmudgeon in an ocean setting.
April 19, 2018
It was a funny, emotional, and bit predictable little story. The kiddo loved illustrations and after a few pages, every-time the work "terrific" came, he wanted to read it... :p
It was a good way to make my son understand that the same word can be used in different contexts. All in all - We loved it....
It was a good way to make my son understand that the same word can be used in different contexts. All in all - We loved it....
April 4, 2020
I like this book because he kept just saying, "terrific" in a sarcastic voice. When the boat sank, he was the only one that didn't get on the boat, he was just in a floaty in the ocean. Then he got washed up on an island and he met a parrot. And the parrot helped him make a boat so they could sail all the way to their destination.
September 26, 2017
I think this book was a cute story of the bird and a grumpy old man. The bird helped the man find their way off a deserted island and I think kids will find it cool. I also think that kids will like how in the end the bird and the man stay together.
October 5, 2017
"Terrific," says the grumpy, cynical man who wins a free cruise, but is less than happy about it. The cruise, and a series of mishaps, sets off events that tell a neat, light-hearted story about friendship.
July 14, 2017
was an amazing gift after graduating in Social Work Love the fact it makes you think about how you think about things :) Wasn't first read
November 9, 2017
This book would be a perfect lesson on sarcasm and attitude.
November 17, 2017
Really funny and simple story about turning a frown upside down and finding new, unexpected friends.
November 25, 2017
So glad they are reissuing some fun Jon Agee. Amazing how a parrot can turn around this curmugeon. Might be fun to pair with penguin problems.
December 7, 2017
A fun twist on negative thinking that children will understand!
December 3, 2024
Another hit from Agee. Entertaining for both parents and kids, which is great because my kids wanted me to re-read this book more than any of the others we got this library run!
December 15, 2017
Agee, Jon. Terrific, PICTURE BOOK. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005. $17.99.
Eugene has won a trip on a cruise, but he can’t seem to get past his bad attitude to enjoy it. He thinks he’ll just get a sunburn. When his cruise boat capsizes, he’s the only one who doesn’t get rescued. He washes up on a deserted island with a talking parrot and a bunch of pomegranates to eat (which he doesn’t like). The parrot teaches him how to build a boat, they set sail off the island, and are saved by the crew of the parrot’s ship. In the end, Eugene sticks up for Lenny (the parrot) and Lenny doesn’t want to leave Eugene behind, which makes Eugene happy too.
I got so tired of Eugene’s bad mood. I didn’t find it amusing and although I’m glad he ends up finding a friend in the end, the rest of the book was a chore to get through. The pictures are decent enough, but the Eugene’s character is frustrating.
EL- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Eugene has won a trip on a cruise, but he can’t seem to get past his bad attitude to enjoy it. He thinks he’ll just get a sunburn. When his cruise boat capsizes, he’s the only one who doesn’t get rescued. He washes up on a deserted island with a talking parrot and a bunch of pomegranates to eat (which he doesn’t like). The parrot teaches him how to build a boat, they set sail off the island, and are saved by the crew of the parrot’s ship. In the end, Eugene sticks up for Lenny (the parrot) and Lenny doesn’t want to leave Eugene behind, which makes Eugene happy too.
I got so tired of Eugene’s bad mood. I didn’t find it amusing and although I’m glad he ends up finding a friend in the end, the rest of the book was a chore to get through. The pictures are decent enough, but the Eugene’s character is frustrating.
EL- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
December 16, 2021
This is the story of the transformation of Eugene from a crotchety old man who can only use the word 'terrific' in a cynical way, to a somewhat friendly and sacrificial old man who uses the word in a hopeful and excited way all thanks to his interaction with the parrot Lenny.
It was cute.
Not Agee's best work, but cute.
Story: Narrative
Art: Simple
Price:$17.99
It was cute.
Not Agee's best work, but cute.
Story: Narrative
Art: Simple
Price:$17.99
January 13, 2022
I was so so on the book and then it got to the page where he is building the boat to get off the island. I get that he had rope from the life preserver but don't understand how he cut/shaped/made the other parts of the boat while on a deserted island with no apparent tools. The mood transformation from grumpy to ok didn't really translate either.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews