Shrek! By William Steig

Shrek! by William Steig is a book that reminded me of the beloved character from the movie Shrek, but he did not become the lovable character like the movie Shrek did. However, this was okay with me. There were plenty of moments in the book that made me think of the movie, and I loved that. I could definitely tell where aspects of the book had been used to make the movie.

Most people are individual with Shrek, so I will not summarize it. This book was full of great elements. The adjectives and verbs were so strong, and I think it would be really effective in explaining this aspect of writing to students. Although parts of the book were gross, I think most children would appreciate this. I know when I was younger I would have been entertained by this story because it is completely different then the typical book I was exposed to. Shrek was a monster in search of his equally ugly future wife. It is not romantic. In fact, it is the opposite. This is exactly what made me really like it. Although parts of it seemed a little crude, I think that is what the author was going for. It had some shock value. Another aspect I really liked was the dialogue between Shrek and the other characters, especially his bride-to-be. The flirtatious banter between them is unlike typical exchanges between individuals. It was a little sing-songy.

The pictures in this book are pretty good. Shrek looked repulsive (of course), the other characters were detailed, and the scenery looked great. The pictures did not leave a lot of white space typically, and I liked that. When there was white space, it was used well because it was visually appealing.

I loved this movie Shrek, and the book was a great inspiration for the movie. It is unlike the typical fairy-tale. It is one of a kind, and I really appreciated that. It was a little gross (descriptions were detailed and not very visually appealing haha), but I think there needs to be a little of that in children's literature once in a while. It keeps things entertaining.