Jon Agee is weird. And yet, somehow, I'm rather fond of most of his works. The man in this kinds of reminds me of me, so I'm def. rounding up to a solid four stars. I enjoyed the archived copy on openlibrary.org. ( )

This book also started on the title page. He has the illustrations introducing the story before the story begins. I really like that.
I also thought this book was hilarious. The man is so grumpy in the illustrations even though he keeps saying “Terrific!” His facial expressions in the book are funny and conveyed with simple lines. But in the end when he’s finally happy, his face and smile are conveyed with big lines and big words and his arms are open instead of crossed. It also had a happy ending which is always nice. ( )

A story about Eugene, a very grumpy old man who always sees the bad in something. especially when his contest-winning prize of a cruise to Bermuda lands him shipwrecked on a small island.

This is a book about a grumpy pessimistic man who wins a cruise to Bermuda. He ends up shipwrecked, forgotten and stranded on an island with a parrot who helps him build a boat from scratch. They both escape but then wreck into a bigger ship where the crew sees them and pulls them aboard. Eugene claims the parrot helped him to escape the island but the crew knows this parrot and swears he is a dumb bird. Eugene goes to take a nap but Lenny disappears while he is gone. The friends get reunited and both become happy for the first time in the entire book. ( )

Eugene wins a trip to the Bermuda, but is soon shipwrecked on a deserted Island. Thankfully, he meets a helpful parrot. Eugene is very pessimistic and uses the term "Terrific" in a sarcastic manner.

A glass-half-empty kind of guy doesn't recognize his good fortune because he's too grumpy all the time. He meets a parrot friend who changes his thinking and makes him realize that life really can be "terrific".

This is a hilarious picture book I'm looking forward to recommending! The narration is really funny and the pictures are nice. I think we all know of a grumpy grouch in our life. This book is about them!

This is my second book from Jon Agee. I really liked "It's Only Stanley", too. ( )

Could be used in the classroom to introduce irony and sarcasm.

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). ( )

A humorous story that entertains while delivering a strong message of friendship and optimism. ( )

This was so dang cute. A grumpy old man who uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism finds a parrot that will change his life forever. The parrot not only saves his life by teaching him to build a boat, but also saves his life from being a lonely old man for the entirety of his life. This book is "terrific." ( )

I enjoyed this book. I like the theme of friendship. The illustrations are well-done, but do not add anything to the story. The story has a good theme and teaches good morals, but does not have the interest factor. It runs a little dry.

A funny story with illustrations to match. This is definitely a book one should read aloud because the tone of voice is everything for this book. ( )

Eugene's boat sinks, he gets stranded on an island, the only thing to eat is pomegranates, his only friend is a parrot, he has to build a boat and many more.. and everything is Terrific! This is a sarcastic and humorous story! ( )

The slight sarcasm and hints of witty humor that are placed throughout this book are hilarious for both adults and children. I appreciate the perspective of an old man for the main character rather than a child. ( )

Genre: Picture Book
This story is about a man who wins a free cruise but then gets stranded on a deserted island with a parrot. The parrot helps the man build a boat to get to safety. All through the book the main character uses the word terrific as a sarcastic tone.
This is a fun book to read. It is silly and the pictures are really fun and interesting.

Terrific is the story of a grumpy old man who tends to say "terrific" in a very sarcastic way when he finds out about things, he has a very pessimistic outlook on life. He learns that he won a cruise to the Bahamas and says "terrific" thinking he will just end up getting sunburned. The ship ends up sinking and everyone but him gets rescued, he ends up on a deserted island. He ends up meeting a parrot which upsets him at first. The parrot ends up showing him how to build a ship to get off the island. When the story ends the parrot and him end up together to which he says "terrific" in a not sarcastic way. ( )

Grumpy and pessimistic Eugene and his favorite word said sarcastically over and over through the book and the manner in which his perception of the world changes.

Before reading this book, I recognized the illustrations right away--I know Jon Agee from his book "The Other Side of Town." I am really fond of his artistic style; it is very unique and easy to identify. This was about a man, Eugene, who after winning a trip to Bermuda, encounters all sorts of unlucky situations. Then he encounters a strange parrot, and things end up working out well for Eugene.

Below is my review of the audiobook version of Terrific as it appeared in the April 1, 2015 edition of School Library Journal.

PreK-Gr 2--Eugene's life follows Murphy's Law--if something can go wrong, it will. And when inevitable misfortune falls, Eugene's favorite expression is a sarcastic, "Terrific." So, it's no surprise that when the Eugene's cruise ship sinks, all the passengers (except Eugene) are rescued, and he finds himself on a deserted island with a talking parrot. "Terrific," says Eugene. Narrator Kirby Heyborne plays the resigned, older, and long-suffering Eugene perfectly with a mix of sarcasm and fatigue, and creates a suitably squawking voice for the take-charge parrot who will change his attitude. Sound effects including boat horns, construction din, and ocean waves complement the story. Though listeners will miss Agee's humorous illustrations, the CD includes a fun musical version of "Terrific," sung by Heyborne with music by the Promise Makers. The lyrics are slightly modified from the text to fit the upbeat rhythm and rhyme scheme of the song, but stay true to the original story. VERDICT Purchase this one for sharing with school or storytime groups, one with a copy of the print book.--

Copyright © 2015 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
Reprinted with permission. ( )

Summary: The story of a man named Eugene who takes a trip to Bermuda and runs into terrible luck. After a series of unfortunate events including his boat sinking, Eugene finds a parrot that befriends him and helps him get through his struggles. Eugene listens to the parrot and finds a better time for himself and his newfound friend.

Personal reflection: This is another one of my favorites by Jon Agee. I think this book in particular has a good message that as long as you have a trusting friend and partner, any bad mistake can easily be fixed. This book is also a concept book for not sweating over the small things in life and making the most from what you have.

Class Use: I would use this book when students need a break from testing or after recess because it is silly. I would also ask students to think about what they would have done if they were in Eugene's shoes.

This book is about a man who is always in a mad mood he does not seem to be happy about anything. He then gets stuck on an island with a parrot. The parrot tells him how to build a boat and they make it out alive and they become go pals.

Pessimistic Eugene wins a cruise to Bermuda, but when he is stranded on an island, he meets a special parrot who helps him find his way off the island of pessimism.
Cute story with nice pictures. Great for a classroom read-aloud. ( )

Story of an old man upset over many things until he finds a friend parrot that helps him and wants to stay with him. He becomes happy with the bird.

I would use this book during a read aloud and would focus on vocabulary awareness. I think students will like this book because it is very funny. ( )

Eugene, a sarcastic man who wins a trip to Bermuda on a cruise, gets stranded on an island and doesn't think he'll find a way out of there. A bird named Lenny helps him through creating a boat and they find land again. Having become friends, it was hard to part, but Eugene had to get off the boat that saved them both. Lenny ended up staying with Eugene and without any sarcasm in his voice, Eugene used his favorite word with feeling: TERRIFIC!