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Rotten Ralph
Rotten Ralph's Trick or Treat!
Sarah's rotten cat, Ralph, goes to a Halloween costume party disguised as Sarah and creates horrible mischief.
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1986
About the author
Jack Gantos
86 books552 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 6, 2024
Rotten Ralph and his loving human Sara return in this Halloween picture book, the fourth devoted to their (mis)adventures together. Invited to a holiday party in which they are meant to dress up as what they love best, Sara goes dressed as Ralph and Ralph as Sara. But although he may be wearing Sara's face, Ralph is his usual rotten self, causing all kinds of chaos at the party due to his destructive and selfish actions. When the pair are kicked out, Sara is distraught, but (as always) forgives her naughty feline...
I have fond memories of reading Rotten Ralph , the original picture book about Rotten Ralph and Sara, published in 1976, when I was a girl. We owned a copy, and I reread it many times, although I don't believe I ever read any of the sequels. I certainly don't recall reading Rotten Ralph's Trick or Treat, but am glad to have tracked it down now, as I derived a great deal of nostalgic pleasure from it, given my childhood fondness for the first book in the series. Ralph is as rotten as ever in this book, up to all of his usual tricks. His only redeeming quality is his love for Sara. The artwork from Nicole Rubel, who illustrated this entire series, has a vintage, trippy style that works well with Jack Gantos' story. It isn't precisely to my taste, aesthetically, but nevertheless has appeal. Recommended to fans of Rotten Ralph, and to picture-book readers who like to read humorous stories with a little bite.
I have fond memories of reading Rotten Ralph , the original picture book about Rotten Ralph and Sara, published in 1976, when I was a girl. We owned a copy, and I reread it many times, although I don't believe I ever read any of the sequels. I certainly don't recall reading Rotten Ralph's Trick or Treat, but am glad to have tracked it down now, as I derived a great deal of nostalgic pleasure from it, given my childhood fondness for the first book in the series. Ralph is as rotten as ever in this book, up to all of his usual tricks. His only redeeming quality is his love for Sara. The artwork from Nicole Rubel, who illustrated this entire series, has a vintage, trippy style that works well with Jack Gantos' story. It isn't precisely to my taste, aesthetically, but nevertheless has appeal. Recommended to fans of Rotten Ralph, and to picture-book readers who like to read humorous stories with a little bite.
October 1, 2010
When Sarah and her cat Rotten Ralph go to a Halloween party dressed as each other, Ralph's antics almost ruin their friendship.
I've never read the rest of the Rotten Ralph series, but this one is pretty cute. Sarah and her cat, Rotten Ralph, receive an invitation to a Halloween party with instructions to dress up as whatever they love the most. Sarah decides that they should dress up like each other. But when he misbehaves at the party, everyone thinks it's her! What a rotten cat. But he makes up for it at the end of the story, and Sarah and Ralph are best friends again. The story could have been a little longer, or at least had a more detailed ending, hence the lower rating. It didn't feel like anything was resolved. But it's still a cute book, and it's another one of those books that my parents read to me as a kid during the Halloween season.
I've never read the rest of the Rotten Ralph series, but this one is pretty cute. Sarah and her cat, Rotten Ralph, receive an invitation to a Halloween party with instructions to dress up as whatever they love the most. Sarah decides that they should dress up like each other. But when he misbehaves at the party, everyone thinks it's her! What a rotten cat. But he makes up for it at the end of the story, and Sarah and Ralph are best friends again. The story could have been a little longer, or at least had a more detailed ending, hence the lower rating. It didn't feel like anything was resolved. But it's still a cute book, and it's another one of those books that my parents read to me as a kid during the Halloween season.
October 27, 2020
I loved Rotten Ralph as a kid but I'd never read this one. I thought it was fantastic - the idea of exchanging identities (and the confusion that ensues) is simple but complex at the same time, and the other kids' costumes are great (the giant cake slice!!). I also found the masks that Sarah and Ralph wear to be blankly creepy. And the hand under the door that delivers the invitation?!!? So great.
Having said that, I've realized that, like many of the reviewers, I don't like to give my own kids books that seem to promote bad behavior. But I can see that I loved this type of book as a kid - and did not behave badly. So maybe this is just a good book to leave around for kids to explore on their own...
Having said that, I've realized that, like many of the reviewers, I don't like to give my own kids books that seem to promote bad behavior. But I can see that I loved this type of book as a kid - and did not behave badly. So maybe this is just a good book to leave around for kids to explore on their own...
October 27, 2019
7 min, 6 yo
Well...it wasn’t one of my favs as a parent but it gave me a lot of reasons to tell my dd how not to act at a party
Seemed a little like Garfield
Well...it wasn’t one of my favs as a parent but it gave me a lot of reasons to tell my dd how not to act at a party
Seemed a little like Garfield
October 23, 2020
This is a rotten series! The cat is a jerk and the girl just loves him anyway. I don’t get it.
October 6, 2009
Jack Gantos certainly has a way with illustrated stories, and Rotten Ralph remains one of the most memorable characters that I have read about in any picture book. I like the way that, no matter what Ralph does or how Rotten he acts, Sarah loves him no less. She loves Ralph just because she does, not because he's perfect (or, for that matter, even good!).
I would give this book one and a half stars.
I would give this book one and a half stars.
October 18, 2013
Sarah and Rotten Ralph are best friends and they've been invited to a Halloween party! Since Sarah decides they will go dressed as each other, she doesn't quite realize how this will affect the party. When Ralph (dressed as Sarah) starts doing rotten things, all her friends are mad at her. She's upset and wants to go home, which makes the real Ralph happy.
In the end, though, Sarah, forgives Ralph (after a very unrotten thing he does) and they enjoy Halloween together.
In the end, though, Sarah, forgives Ralph (after a very unrotten thing he does) and they enjoy Halloween together.
October 29, 2013
Rotten Ralph has a way of leaving a trail of catastrophe behind him. Often time he is naughty, mischievous and down right mean. But in the end, he is loved by all. I’m not a big fan of these stories, although, children love to laugh at Ralph can find too many other books that are more positive and portrays more appropriate behavior. I am not even a fan of the illustration. The cover was cute, however.
October 4, 2015
The story is cute me and my boyfriend both grew up with rotten Ralph but the fact the Ralph dresses as Sarah and ruins the evening for her by making her look bad, and getting them both kicked out of the party. Ralph makes it all better cause he fights off black cat from crossing Sarah's path which is cute. But it would have been nice if they had both gone back and apologized to the other party goers.
April 20, 2016
I just don't like Rotten Ralph, not at all. I think this was a little better than the last one I read, but I hate how he gets away with always being awful and having his little girl always forgiving him. He made her look bad and nothing was fixed, she just forgave him without him cleaning up his mess. I just find it a bit too close to an abusive relationship, not something I want my kids to learn.
October 15, 2011
I didn't really like this book, but our youngest loved it, so I suppose there's something about it that appeals to young children. The narrative was irritating and the illustrations were comparable to other books in the Rotten Ralph series.
January 7, 2012
Sarah has been invited to a Halloween costume party and is to dress as what she loves best. It is decided that Sarah will dress as Rotten Ralph and Rotten Ralph will dress like Sarah. Sarah ends up being asked to leave due to Ralph's behavior, but they believe that it is Sarah acting this way since their costumes are so perfect.
August 21, 2014
My daughter and I love Halloween books, but this was more about a mean-spirited cat wreaking havoc on a good time. The book is choppy, with scenes being thrown together. The author didn't even feel it necessary to name the "hostess" of the party. And why would the party-goers say "you look nice" to Sarah if she came dressed in regular street clothes?
October 31, 2015
Sarah and Ralph go to a Halloween party dressed as each other. Ralph dressed as Sarah is totally rotten and they both get thrown out of the party. Young listeners find Ralph's antics very funny. Although adults may wish Ralph had gotten into trouble instead of Sarah, young readers enjoy how much Sarah loves him.
October 15, 2010
Rotten Ralph, a bad red cat the size of an average 3rd grader, is once again up to selfish mean-spirited mischief of the PG variety. This time dressed as his owner Sarah, he behaves so badly at a Halloween party that they are both asked to leave.
I wanted to like this, but I couldn't.
I wanted to like this, but I couldn't.
July 24, 2012
Rotten Ralph is not likable at all and Sarah is a bit of wimp. Ralph's turn-around with the black cat at the end of the book didn't change my opinion. He's still being rotten, only this time to the cat.
January 19, 2009
i want this cat!!!
November 11, 2012
Rotten Ralph...I love his rotten ass. Love reading this to my son.
July 14, 2014
I think this is my favorite of Ralph's adventures, because I love stories about people switching places. Especially when one of them makes the other one look bad.
October 9, 2014
Nathan loves Rotten Ralph.
August 23, 2024
Not sure why the black cat needs to be vilified. Seemed unnecessary to the plot. Otherwise it's a solid kid's picture book with a Halloween theme.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews