Terrific by Jon Agee- OPTIONAL

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