Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph: A Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader [Hardcover]

Jack Gantos (Author), Nicole Rubel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2002 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers

It’s carnival time for Ralph, Sarah, and Percy, Ralph’s cousin! Ralph is ready to play games and win prizes. But perfect Percy has been practicing. He keeps beating Ralph and wooing Sarah with his winnings. Fed up with losing, Ralph decides to cheat his way to victory . . . until Sarah puts a stop to it.

School Library Journal hails Rotten Ralph Helps Out, the first Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader, as a “wise choice for youngsters making the transition from picture books to chapter books.” In this feisty new adventure, the world’s favorite come-back cat shows Percy and Sarah that all his practice at losing can make him a winner in the end.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Several stars of early readers return for more adventures. Let loose at the carnival, the star of Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos, illus. by Nicole Rubel, tries to outplay Cousin Percy and impress Sarah, his owner. The hero resorts to cheating, but, by the end of this Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader, he repents, returns his ill-gotten booty and wins a prize the right way.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Grade 2--Themes of jealousy, boasting, cheating, and getting one's comeuppance are all touched on in this second book in the easy-reader series. When the carnival comes to town, Sarah, Ralph, and his cousin Percy are excited to attend. Percy has been practicing his skills so that he can win prizes, and win he does, much to Ralph's chagrin. The feline's jealousy and frustration lead him to gather prizes through unorthodox (and unethical) means until Sarah makes him do the right thing. The four-chapter adventure is illustrated with the familiar, brightly colored pictures that Rotten Ralph's fans have enjoyed for years. Though he is a troublesome cat, readers know that somehow he will learn a lesson and that Sarah will love him no matter what. An enjoyable addition to any beginning-reader collection.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374363560
• ISBN-13: 978-0374363567
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,168,886 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 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Return of Rotten Ralph!, June 25, 2002

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph: A Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader (Hardcover)

Rotten Ralph the mischievous cat returns in another great story in the series. When a touring Faire comes to town, super-confident (and lazy?) Ralph loses all the booth games to his cousin Percy, and Percy gives the prizes to the beloved Sarah.
Ralph cheats (he's sometimes clever, sometimes just downright rotten) and wins some games, but he eventually owns up to his dishonesty. After making it up to the booth operators, Ralph finally--and honestly--wins a prize at the dunking booth.

I love the Rotten Ralph series, especially for Nicole Rubel's rich, color-saturated illustrations. She uses beautiful, unusual colors (sometimes recalling Matisse), and her sense of fun complements Jack Gantos' underplayed humor. Gantos wrote a great line for Sarah on the last page: "'Oh, Ralphie,' she said. 'You don't need any practice at being my winner.'" 48 pages divided into four small chapters. The jacket informs us that "an animated series based on...Rotten Ralph is now appearing on television in over 20 countries. In France, Ralph is known as Ralph la Racaille (Ralph the Rascal." I recommend also Nicole Rubel's great "Cyrano the Bear."