Wedding Bells for Rotten Ralph

Ralph outdoes himself again in this picture book of wedding bliss and bedlam.

It's Aunt Martha's wedding day and Sarah is the flower girl, but Ralph is determined to turn this celebration into an event only our favorite rotten cat could enjoy. He begins by wrapping the wedding gift with that special Ralph flair, then selecting some choice "petals" for Sarah to spread over the guests. After a riotous ceremony, he tops the day by wreaking havoc at the reception.

"Oh, Ralph you were so rotten," bemoans Sarah. Is there anything that cat will do to make her happy? You'll be surprised...

"'I bet I know who did that'", Sarah said to herself. She peeked under the table and saw Ralph eating a monster slice of cake.

Sarah's the flower girl at Aunt Martha's wedding, and Ralph is ready to tie all kinds of knots--but are they the kind that will make for marital bliss? If they involve a red cat, a monster truck, and paws full of snails, you can guess the answer. The question to be popped is: After a day of nuptial sabotage, can Ralph still make Sarah smile? Once again, Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel manage to bring equal measures of love and nastiness to Sarah's special cat.

00 Children's Choices (IRA/CBC)

Jack Gantos is the celebrated author of Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor Book. He is also the author of the popular picture books about Rotten Ralph, and Jack's Black Book, the latest in his acclaimed series of semi-autobiographical story collections featuring his alter ego, Jack Henry. Mr. Gantos lives with his wife and daughter in Boston, Massachusetts.

Nicole Rubel is the illustrator of more than forty children's books, including all twelve Rotten Ralph titles and the author and illustrator of twenty others. She lives on Red Cat Farm in Aurora, OR.