Happy Birthday Rotten Ralph [Hardcover]

Jack Gantos (Author), Nicole Rubel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Rotten Ralph is even rotten on his birthday, finally forcing poor Sarah to take drastic measures.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kids have seen--and have loved seeing--Ralph be thoroughly rotten, even at Christmas, so it comes as no surprise that this fractious feline decides to act up on his birthday. As usual, his antics are totally outrageous, and entirely enjoyable. Ralph is on his worst behavior from the very start of the day, as Sarah awakens to find him pawing through her closet in search of his present. When she tells Ralph that he will not get his gift until his party begins, he squirts toothpaste in her slippers. The patient girl puts up with a great deal of Ralph's rottenness, but when he begins swinging on streamers and popping balloons she threatens to cancel the festivities and sends him to his room. In the end, Ralph gets his cake and his present--a set of paints, with which he immediately (of course) makes a mess. Thanks to this talented author and illustrator, Ralph more than lives up to his reputation in his latest captivating caper. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Ralph is, and always has been, definitely rotten. Now it's his birthday; Sarah wakes up to find him searching through her bedroom closet for his present. When they go to the store to buy party favors, he wreaks havoc, and he jumps on a fire truck on the way home. Once home, Ralph licks all the icing off his own cake and breaks the pinata. Sarah finally sends Ralph to his room, warning him to stay away until he learns how to behave. While in solitary confinement, he searches for his present. When he doesn't find it, he remorsefully walks downstairs. "SURPRISE!," shouts Sarah and Ralph's friends. Ralph will charm children as much as ever as he proves that even the most mischievous among them are forgiven for their overzealous antics. Rubel captures Ralph with paintbox-bright colors to illustrate the already funny text. A sure-fire winner. --Leslie Barban, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075691776X
• ISBN-13: 978-0756917760
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,118,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jack Gantos has written novels for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers, as well as over twenty books for primary readers, including twelve titles chronicling the misadventures of Rotten Ralph. He lives in Santa Fe, NM.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A lesson in ineffective parenting, January 22, 2005

By 

a reader (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happy Birthday Rotten Ralph (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

This is one of the most awful books I have ever read! Rotten Ralph is a cat. He does a long list of awful things, like putting toothpaste into his mistress's slippers. She keeps threatening to cancel his birthday party because he's been so bad. But she never follows through and cancels it -- he just keeps doing bad things, and she just keeps on threatening the same threat but not following through. At one point Ralph thinks that she really did cancel the birthday party and he is sad about it. But then it turns out that there's a surprise birthday party for him after all. His mistress says, "You know I love you too much to cancel your birthday party." It is such an exercise in ineffective parenting that it really makes me cringe. One of the basic rules of discipline is that you should only ever threaten consequences that you are willing to follow through on, and then if the child earns the consequence, you need to follow through on what you said you'd do, preferably swiftly, and preferably not after a bunch of bad behavior and endless threats. It felt to me like Rotten Ralph's mistress had really created a climate where Ralph could continually behave badly, where he knew he didn't have to listen to what she asked, where he came to think of himself as a Rotten cat who does lots of Rotten things.

So this book is not my pick for great children's literature.