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Rotten Ralph
Happy Birthday, Rotten Ralph
Rotten Ralph is even rotten on his birthday, finally forcing poor Sarah to take drastic measures.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
25 people want to read
About the author
Jack Gantos
84 books551 followersJack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD, and many other well known characters such as Rotten Ralph, Jack Henry, Jack Gantos (memoirs) and others. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery, the Newbery Honor, the Scott O'Dell Award, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award.
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 23, 2012
Ralph exhibits all the signs of a sociopath: a grandiose sense of self, lack of remorse or shame, an incapacity for love and a lack of empathy. He also exhibits poor impulse control and likely had early behavior problems as a kitten. His attitude towards Sarah is hostile and domineering.
But more disturbing than Ralph is Sarah's inability to create boundaries, and her co-dependent need to love Ralph, no matter what. Sarah is on the toxic roller coaster, enjoying the brief honeymoon phase of each book where Ralph seems to repent and they both share a smile on the same page. But after the broken promises to behave and to be kind, Ralph is off on his abusive cycle again.
In the first book, Rotten Ralph, the only person who refutes Ralph's power and disavows the abuse is Sarah's father, who abandons the cat at the circus 'where he belongs.' Only after being enslaved by the carnies, intimidated by alley cats, and developing a fever does Ralph repent (briefly) when Sarah brings him back home.
I fear for Sarah's long-term safety in the presence of the abusive Ralph (and her neglectful parents), and worry that her adult relationships will mimic the sick cycle established at the hands of her unhinged feline companion.
But more disturbing than Ralph is Sarah's inability to create boundaries, and her co-dependent need to love Ralph, no matter what. Sarah is on the toxic roller coaster, enjoying the brief honeymoon phase of each book where Ralph seems to repent and they both share a smile on the same page. But after the broken promises to behave and to be kind, Ralph is off on his abusive cycle again.
In the first book, Rotten Ralph, the only person who refutes Ralph's power and disavows the abuse is Sarah's father, who abandons the cat at the circus 'where he belongs.' Only after being enslaved by the carnies, intimidated by alley cats, and developing a fever does Ralph repent (briefly) when Sarah brings him back home.
I fear for Sarah's long-term safety in the presence of the abusive Ralph (and her neglectful parents), and worry that her adult relationships will mimic the sick cycle established at the hands of her unhinged feline companion.
September 23, 2017
I hate these books so much.
First the illustrations look like they were done by an 8-year-old.
Second, the book is so unhealthy for kids.
I'm sure the author was trying to show that people (and cats) are loved even when they're "rotten."
But this cat is DEFINED by his bad behavior. What's more he's without remorse and gets everything the little girl told him he wasn't getting.
This teaches children:
1. When I do bad I AM bad.
2. Mom doesn't mean what she says.
3. I'll still get whatever I want because Mom loves me.
4. I don't need to feel sorry for my mistakes or learn from them.
Yes, the parents might be able to have a discussion about the cat's behavior and how he could change it. But what really should've happened is the little girl showing love to the cat immediately after his bad behavior (instead of calling him rotten) and then empathizing with him and helping him see how his behavior affects others. Yes, that would make for a really boring book, but it's better than a really boring book that teaches children they're rotten.
First the illustrations look like they were done by an 8-year-old.
Second, the book is so unhealthy for kids.
I'm sure the author was trying to show that people (and cats) are loved even when they're "rotten."
But this cat is DEFINED by his bad behavior. What's more he's without remorse and gets everything the little girl told him he wasn't getting.
This teaches children:
1. When I do bad I AM bad.
2. Mom doesn't mean what she says.
3. I'll still get whatever I want because Mom loves me.
4. I don't need to feel sorry for my mistakes or learn from them.
Yes, the parents might be able to have a discussion about the cat's behavior and how he could change it. But what really should've happened is the little girl showing love to the cat immediately after his bad behavior (instead of calling him rotten) and then empathizing with him and helping him see how his behavior affects others. Yes, that would make for a really boring book, but it's better than a really boring book that teaches children they're rotten.
March 16, 2011
Another great book that makes you laugh. In this series it's Ralph's birthday and he is turning the same age as me 25! Ralph goes snooping for his presents but gets stoped from Sarah because she is making him wait until his party. Well Raplh didn't like that so he puts toothpaste in her slippers. Sarah wants him to invite his nice house cat friends but Ralph wants to invite his alley cat friends so he poured prune juice into her ceral. The look on her face in the picture is priceless. Next they go to a party store to buy supplies needed for the party, Ralph starts to celebrate his birthday in the store running around and throwing confetti around and knocking over everything. The picture of the store owner is great he is trying to yell at Ralph for trashing his store but Ralph is party mode and pays no attention. When they arrive home Sarah has to set up for the party but Ralph licks off all the icing, smashes open the pinata and eats all the candy. Next he swings from the streamers and popped all the balloons. Sarah orders hime to his room after he felt remoris he comes down the stairs and is surprised by all his friends and then Sarah gives him the present from her which is a set of pants. The story ends with Ralph declaring he loves his present and says "Happy birthday to me".
October 2, 2013
3 1/2. I love this series!! It is a laugh and a half! It is fun!! The story is funny, the pictures are okay, but I still thought it was a fun one!!! Ralph is a naughty cat, and every page is funny!!
April 30, 2015
This book does show that whatever Ralph does he still is loved and thrown a birthday party. But does teach children that fit throwing and bad attitudes still get you something good in the end. The illustrations in the book were great. Not the best lesson to be learned.
December 19, 2011
Ralph is excited for a party and his gift. He can’t wait and misbehaves. He thinks there won’t be any celebration after all. Luckily Sarah loves him a lot.
November 16, 2015
Alissa like Ralph's antics.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews