Shrek! Paperback – Picture Book, 1 Jun. 2017

I bought this for my kids because they enjoyed the film but primarily because we have Wizzil, also by William Steig.Although the story is very different to the film this is not a cause for disappointment. Shrek looks the same and there is still a talking donkey and the theme of the book: be happy with who you are, find beauty within yourself is a valuable lesson for all children. The illustrations are quite clumsy but suit the story. As long as you are not expecting a film-a-like you will not be short changed.

Not like the films that were based on it, but a jolly good read. Roald Dahl-esque and quite enjoyable.

Perfect

I can't have read the product detail correctly. This book is not written in English.My error.

3.5 starsThis will come as a shock to many young readers keen to see the original Shrek - he's not very nice! Unlike the film, he isn't loveable, his donkey friend is barely in the book, and the princess is revolting and doesn't fight Robin Hood.I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd have read it before being exposed to the films, and though I do like it, it's not ever going to be a favourite.Shrek here wants to find a princess after his parents kick him out into the big wide world and a witch tells his future. He scares people, beats a dragon (with his breath) and meets his match in the most hideous princess in children's fiction.My son seemed to enjoy this, but its quite wordy, with poetry to read and a strange ending involving the gruesome twosome biting each other affectionately. Hardly DreamWorks.The words are quite clever (though over my four-year-old's head) and I love the child-styled drawings.It's almost better for adults than for children, and certainly is fascinating to see how the book was changed to make a family-friendly film.One for slightly older children I would say, age 5 and above.

As a teacher, I bought this to read to my class. Then I found I couldn't read it to them because it has a rude word in it - one which isn't meant to be rude, but words change their meaning over time. Talking about Shrek's hot knob didn't seem suitable!

Once upon a time there was an ogre named Shrek. Uglier and nastier than any other ogre, he set out on a quest to win the hand of a princess even uglier than him. What challenges must this loathsome creature overcome to win the love of his life?I must admit that I got this book to answer some questions that I had left over from the movie of the same name. Unfortunately, there is very little that the movie and the book have in common. So, if you are looking for a book based on the movie, check out the one by Ellen Weiss.That said, however, this is a hilarious book! My seven-year-old son loved this Shrek's grossness, and laughed his way through the story. The illustrations are a little primitive, but go along with the story quite nicely. If you are into "fractured fairytales," as I am, then you must get this book!

When they came along, the moviemakers took a great deal of artistic license. Little of the book remains intact in the movie. The book starts with Shrek's parents hissing things over, and they decide to send Shrek "out in the world [to do] his share of damage". Shortly after he leaves home, Shrek meets with a witch who tells him his fortune in exchange for a few of Shrek's lice. Shrek is told that he will wed a princess who is even uglier than he, and is overjoyed at the news. On his way to the princess, Shrek meets a peasant, confronts thunder and lightning, defeats a dragon, has a nightmare of being loved by children, and meets a donkey who takes him to the castle. After defeating a knight he goes and meets his princess. The two get married and live horribly ever after.The story is well told, and I love how Shrek breaks out in rhyme at the sight of his princess. The words flow well, and the book is fun to read out loud.The illustrations of Shrek are, by necessity, ugly. Even more so than the movie. That said, they are also cute, though not in the huggable/loveable sense. The illustrations are colorful, fun, and expressive. A great book, even if (or especially since?) it isn't the movie.Loggie-log-log-log