Shrek! facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | William Steig |
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| Illustrator | William Steig |
| Cover artist | William Steig |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
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Publication date
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October 17, 1990 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback and Hardcover) |
| Pages | 30 |
| ISBN | 978-0-374-36877-7 |
| OCLC | 22497777 |
| LC Class | PZ7.S8177 Sh 1990 |
Shrek! is a humorous fantasy picture book published in 1990 by American book writer and cartoonist William Steig, about a repugnant green monster who leaves home to see the world and ends up marrying an ugly princess. The book was generally well-received upon publication, with critics praising the illustrations, originality, and writing. Critics have also described Shrek as an antihero and noted the book's themes of satisfaction and self-esteem. The book served as the basis for the first Shrek movie (2001) and the popular Shrek film series starring Mike Myers over a decade after its publication.
Contents
Background
William Steig was a cartoonist at The New Yorker from 1930 to the 1960s. He created over 1,600 cartoons and was dubbed "The King of Cartoons". However, he intensely disliked creating advertisements, and started writing children's books instead at the age of sixty-one. Steig was eighty-three when he wrote the book.
His books became known for “graphically repeated themes of stark separation and warm reunion” between parents and their children while maintaining the "wit" that was characteristic of his cartoons. The books also commonly included themes such as separation and transformation. Steig's artwork in his children's books was noted for "rich" use of colors and were made using watercolor painting and ink. They were compared to his cartoons that had been published in The New Yorker.
The name "Shrek" is the romanization of the Yiddish word שרעק (shrek), or שרעקלעך (shreklekh), which came in turn from the German Schreck and meaning "fear" or "fright".
Plot
Shrek is a repugnant, green-skinned, fire-breathing, seemingly indestructible monster who enjoys causing misery with his repulsiveness. After his parents decide that he has come of age, he is (literally) kicked out of their swamp. Shrek soon encounters a witch, who, in exchange for his rare specimens of lice, reads his fortune: using the magic words "Apple Strudel", he will meet a donkey who will take him to a castle, where he will battle a knight and marry a princess who is even uglier than he.
Excitedly on his way, Shrek encounters a scything peasant from whom he steals and eats his pheasant, counters an attack from thunder, lightning and rain by eating lightning's fiercest bolt, and knocks out a dragon with his fiery breath. However, he is disturbed by a dream in which he is helpless to being hugged and kissed by a multitude of children. Awakening, he meets the donkey, who takes him to the Nutty Knight of Crazy Castle.
The Knight is offended by Shrek's demands to enter the castle and attempts to smite him, to which Shrek responds with a fire blast that sends him into the moat. Upon entering the castle, Shrek is terrified when he appears to be surrounded by an army of similarly hideous creatures, but regains his resolve upon discovering that he is in the hall of mirrors. He finally meets the princess; mutually smitten by their shared ugliness, they marry and live "horribly ever after, scaring the socks off all who fell afoul of them".
Adaptations
Steven Spielberg acquired the rights for the book in 1991, planning to produce a traditionally animated film based on the book. However, DreamWorks ended up acquiring the rights for the book for approximately $500,000 and putting it in active development in November 1995. Shrek was released on May 18, 2001, starring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. The film was a critical and commercial success and won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was followed by several other films, including: Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010). The first film was adapted into a Broadway musical called Shrek The Musical in 2008.
Several critics highlighted differences between Shrek the movie and Steig's original version, including the addition of characters and changing the plot. However, Steig said that he liked the movie and it dramatically increased sales of his book.
See also
In Spanish: Shrek! para niños
