Best in Show for Rotten Ralph: A Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader (Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers) - Hardcover

Gantos, Jack

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374363587 ISBN 13: 9780374363581

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2005

Synopsis

"To thine own self be true."

The cat show is coming to town and Rotten Ralph is hungry for glory – and desperate to defeat his perfect cousin Percy, whatever it takes. According to Sarah, Ralph has to stop being a lazy scoundrel and follow her regimen to achieve poise and polish. When the competition gets under way, Ralph pretends to be something he's not, and fails. Just in time, Ralph decides victory can be his only if he stops pretending and really lets the fur fly.

With eye-popping art and an ingeniously comic text, this fourth book in the appealing series for beginning readers follows everyone's favorite red-furred rascal on his path to a wholly satisfying last laugh

About this title

About the Author

Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel published their first book, Rotten Ralph, in 1976. They launched the Rotten Ralph Readers in 2001 with Rotten Ralph Helps Out.

In addition to the Rotten Ralph books, Jack Gantos is the author of Hole in My Life, a memoir that won the Michael L. Printz and Robert F. Sibert Honors, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, a National Book Award Finalist, and Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor book. He lives with his family in Boston, Massachusetts.

Nicole Rubel's many books include Twice as Nice: What It's Like to Be a Twin and Grody's Not So Golden Rules. She lives in Aurora, Oregon.

Reviews

Grade 1-3–Rotten Ralph has his eye on the prize: the coveted Best in Show cup at the cat show, but his cousin has entered the competition, too. Ralph knows his chances are next to nil against Perfect Percy, the overachieving orange tabby who even has his own cheering squad. When Sarah tries to whip the rascally red feline into shape, it's a little bit Rocky, a little bit My Fair Lady, and none of it really seems to do Ralph a bit of good. He comes to realize that he can never become the sort of cat who recites A Tale of Two Kitties by rote: One was the best of kitties./The other was the worst of kitties…. What Ralph does best is to be his own rotten self. This fourth Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader is every bit as lively and entertaining as the previous books. Rubel's wonderfully wonky and bright color illustrations add character expression and humor. Gantos gives kids everything they want in an early reader: a plotline with plenty of laughs, interesting characters, and a manageable reading experience. Divided into four short chapters, this story is perfect for beginning readers who are itching for, but not quite ready to make, the transition to lengthier chapter books.–Carol L. MacKay, Camrose Public Library, Alberta, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 1-3. In the fourth installment of the popular Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series, bad Ralph wants to beat his smarmy cousin Percy in the cat show, so he lets Sarah help him get in shape. She drags him off the couch ("It is so sad when a cat has gone to the dogs") and makes him do push-ups and sit-ups. One very funny picture shows him entangled on the floor after trying to jump rope. On the day of the contest, even though his whiskers are waxed and his posture is proper, he can't compete with Percy's fancy pedigree and skills. OK, Percy wins the prize, but Ralph gets a huge trophy for being the Worst at Being Best, and like the contest judges, new readers will be won over by the hilarious antics of the individual who stays true to his irrepressible self. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374363587
• ISBN 13: 9780374363581
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Rubel Nicole
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48