Shrek!

October 1, 1990
No doubt about it, Shrek is the ugliest guy in town. Everywhere he goes, people and animals flee. If his hideous appearance does not immediately fell them, the smoke belching from his ears and his ``putrid blue flame'' sends even the mighty--including ``a whopper of a dragon''--packing. Yet Shrek is inordinately proud of his green knobby head and loathsome figure, and he roams the countryside having the kind of fun that only tormenting the vulnerable can provide. Hearing a witch prophesy that he will marry a princess who is even uglier than he is, Shrek is intrigued, and he sets out to find this repulsive bride. When they finally meet, the two break into heartfelt declarations of mutual admiration. (``Your horny warts, your rosy wens, / Like slimy bogs and fusty fens, / Thrill me.'') Of course, they ``got hitched as soon as possible.'' Steig's epigrammatic genius is given full rein in this engrossing and satisfying tale. The implicit promise (or threat) of a sequel--perhaps detailing the exploits of the pair's offspring--is indeed delicious to contemplate. Ages 3-up.

Steig's small gem (later transformed into the blockbuster movie) is masterfully narrated by actor Stanley Tucci. Smelly, flame-throwing, and full of his own ugly swagger, Tucci's Shrek shrieks and belches his way through this tale, encountering cackling witches, knights, and punning donkeys, whose distinct voices further enrich the story's originality. In Shrek's upside-down world, good is bad, and ugly is better. The story's triumphant happy-ever-after ending is crowned with a hilarious back-and-forth duet between Shrek and his true match, the world's ugliest princess, who croons to him: "Your nose is so hairy/Oh, let us not tarry/ Your look is so scary/I think we should marry." Stanley Tucci revels in every bit of Steig's humor, ensuring that listeners of all ages will, too. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine


SHREK is one unbelievably ugly ogre, and, unlike the popular movie version, in the original story there is no nice, lonely person hiding inside. This Shrek is an ogre inside and out. Narrator Robert Sevra reads with expression, a good steady pace, and great quivering voices for Shrek, his princess, and the cackling witch. The background music and other sounds provide a jaunty accompaniment, and kids who enjoy silly, nonsensical rhymes will enjoy the snippets of poetry. Although not an easy read for most 6 to 8-year-olds, this book's illustrations and narration will engage them over and over again. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine