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Ralph S. Mouse #1
The Mouse and the Motorcycle: A Harper Classic
"Pb-pb-b-b-b. Pb-pb-b-b-b." With these magic vocables, Ralph the mouse revs up a dream come true--his very own motorcycle. Living in a knothole in a hotel room, young Ralph has seen plenty of families come and go, some more generous with their crumbs than others. But when young Keith and his parents check in to the hotel, Ralph gets his first chance to check out. He has always fantasized about venturing beyond the second floor, maybe even outside. Curiosity overcomes caution, and Ralph must have a go at Keith's toy motorcycle. Soon, the headstrong mouse finds himself in a pickle, when all he wanted was to ride a motorcycle. Lucky for him, the boy understands how it is. When he discovers Ralph in his thwarted attempt to abscond with the toy bike, Keith generously encourages the rodent to ride. He even teaches him the simple trick of starting the motorcycle: "You have to make a noise... pb-pb-b-b-b." The subsequent situations Ralph motors into require quick thinking and grownup-sized courage.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1965
3058 people are currently reading
24104 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Cleary
266 books3,360 followersBeverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,932 reviews
August 2, 2017
I first read 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle' as a young child. It is one of the books that stands out in my memory. It sparked a love of reading that has stayed with me for a lifetime.
The local library, where my grandmother would take me for story time when I was a little girl, had very high ceilings with crown molding all the way around the top. Only, this library left about a one foot gap between the ceiling and the top of the molding, resulting in a small ledge/shelf, high up on the wall and all the way around the room. On that "ledge" they had managed to get a "Ralph" riding a motorcycle around the room. I'm sure it was some sort of simple pulley system, but it did the trick. I think I believed in Ralph longer than I believed in Santa. Nobody was going to tell me that he wasn't real after seeing him ride around at the library!
Listening to the audiobook for the first time with my daughters, I was happy to see that they seemed to enjoy all of Ralph and Keith's adventures as well. It held their attention from start to finish, which is invaluable when you're trapped in a car with children. This was another one of our road trip selections as we made the 3.5 hour drive from my home to my grandmother's and back. The timing was just right to finish it on the way there, listening to another story on the return trip.
This book tells the story of a young boy that is staying at a hotel with his parents. Living in the older hotel is a family of mice. Ralph is the young "boy" mouse, struggling to stay out of trouble as he yearns for adventure.
Keith and Ralph become fast friends when Keith rescues Ralph from the wastebasket. For the rest of Keith's stay, they grow closer, forcing each other to view life through a different lens. It is a story about kindness, responsibility, trustworthiness and tolerance. Ralph and Keith learn some tough lessons about friendship along the way.
Overall, this remains a fantastic children's story. My girls really enjoyed listening to the adventures of Ralph play out as we listened. The narration was good and the length was just right. I definitely recommend this book for young, school age children.
The local library, where my grandmother would take me for story time when I was a little girl, had very high ceilings with crown molding all the way around the top. Only, this library left about a one foot gap between the ceiling and the top of the molding, resulting in a small ledge/shelf, high up on the wall and all the way around the room. On that "ledge" they had managed to get a "Ralph" riding a motorcycle around the room. I'm sure it was some sort of simple pulley system, but it did the trick. I think I believed in Ralph longer than I believed in Santa. Nobody was going to tell me that he wasn't real after seeing him ride around at the library!
Listening to the audiobook for the first time with my daughters, I was happy to see that they seemed to enjoy all of Ralph and Keith's adventures as well. It held their attention from start to finish, which is invaluable when you're trapped in a car with children. This was another one of our road trip selections as we made the 3.5 hour drive from my home to my grandmother's and back. The timing was just right to finish it on the way there, listening to another story on the return trip.
This book tells the story of a young boy that is staying at a hotel with his parents. Living in the older hotel is a family of mice. Ralph is the young "boy" mouse, struggling to stay out of trouble as he yearns for adventure.
Keith and Ralph become fast friends when Keith rescues Ralph from the wastebasket. For the rest of Keith's stay, they grow closer, forcing each other to view life through a different lens. It is a story about kindness, responsibility, trustworthiness and tolerance. Ralph and Keith learn some tough lessons about friendship along the way.
Overall, this remains a fantastic children's story. My girls really enjoyed listening to the adventures of Ralph play out as we listened. The narration was good and the length was just right. I definitely recommend this book for young, school age children.
January 27, 2020
Another fun and nostalgic re-read for me. I have very fond memories of reading this book when I was a kid. Now I have the pleasure of reading it out loud to my kids. I could not be happier in reporting that they loved it, too!
This book is a timeless modern classic that is perfect for kids. Even though my son is still learning to read, he loved listening to the escapades of Ralph S. Mouse. And, because he loved it, I hope it promotes his interest in reading books as he gets more comfortable.
There are a few things here I think may start to get lost on kids as we move farther and farther away from the era it was written in. There are mentions of ashtrays in the hallways, the descriptions of the hotel are of a more classic, early 20th century style, etc. But it is not enough to distract, it just could require some extra explanations – I know my kids were raising their hands with questions throughout!
Whether you are reading this to your kids, reading it for the first time as a child (probably not a lot of those will be reading my Goodreads review!), or just discovering it for the first time on your own as an adult, there is a good chance you are going to find something you love with Ralph Pb-pb-b-b-b-ing up and down the hallway on his motorcycle searching for adventure.
This book is a timeless modern classic that is perfect for kids. Even though my son is still learning to read, he loved listening to the escapades of Ralph S. Mouse. And, because he loved it, I hope it promotes his interest in reading books as he gets more comfortable.
There are a few things here I think may start to get lost on kids as we move farther and farther away from the era it was written in. There are mentions of ashtrays in the hallways, the descriptions of the hotel are of a more classic, early 20th century style, etc. But it is not enough to distract, it just could require some extra explanations – I know my kids were raising their hands with questions throughout!
Whether you are reading this to your kids, reading it for the first time as a child (probably not a lot of those will be reading my Goodreads review!), or just discovering it for the first time on your own as an adult, there is a good chance you are going to find something you love with Ralph Pb-pb-b-b-b-ing up and down the hallway on his motorcycle searching for adventure.
April 13, 2019
The Mouse and the Motorcycle BLEW MY MIND when I was about 8 years old. I remember thinking, "It's a mouse, okay...snd he's riding...a motorcycle?! That! IS! AWESOME!!!"
My dad's a mechanic, so naturally I worried about things like access to the appropriate-sized tools and where the mouse would find parts for the bike, I mean, it's soooo small! What if he blew a plug? Is NAPA even going to have that?! And if it's foreign-made, well then that's a whole other pandora's box of problems right there!
So you can see, my own personal experiences ratcheted up the tension of this otherwise thrilling adventure in which a boy visiting a hotel gives the gift of a toy motorcycle to an adventurous mouse named Ralph. Ralph zooms about, getting into mishaps and adventures. He's a bit of a hooligan, that Ralph, and he nearly loses the bike. But he regains the boy's trust by doing him a daring service.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle instantly became a personal favorite and made me an even more avid reader. So to you, Ms. Beverly Cleary, I say... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovqpv...
My dad's a mechanic, so naturally I worried about things like access to the appropriate-sized tools and where the mouse would find parts for the bike, I mean, it's soooo small! What if he blew a plug? Is NAPA even going to have that?! And if it's foreign-made, well then that's a whole other pandora's box of problems right there!
So you can see, my own personal experiences ratcheted up the tension of this otherwise thrilling adventure in which a boy visiting a hotel gives the gift of a toy motorcycle to an adventurous mouse named Ralph. Ralph zooms about, getting into mishaps and adventures. He's a bit of a hooligan, that Ralph, and he nearly loses the bike. But he regains the boy's trust by doing him a daring service.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle instantly became a personal favorite and made me an even more avid reader. So to you, Ms. Beverly Cleary, I say... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovqpv...
February 3, 2008
This, the underrated, overlooked and oft forgotten prequel to Runaway Ralph and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence, tells the tail (yes I did!) of one Ralph S. Mouse, a grease monkey of an entirely different genus (Mus). Praised in France for its controversial use of alcoholism in mice and free-spirited sexuality, the book received numerous awards including the prestigious Caldecott Medal. It was later the basis for the film Motorcycle Diaries, for which it was rumored method actor Gael Garcia Bernal spent months preparing for his role as Ralph only to have the role changed to a more believable, though less interesting, Che Guevara. In recent years, the books exclusion from the New York Times' 10,000 Greatest Books from the 20th Century has spawned a grass roots support group called "In the Hearts of Mice."
July 22, 2019
Ahoy there mateys! Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again. The first mate and I talked about the book and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered asked him to write a review. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope ye enjoy!
From yer Captain:
I adored Beverly Cleary’s books when I was young. The first mate and I were going on a short road trip and I had been wanting to read Ralph S. Mouse again so I downloaded the first book in the series to listen to in the car. The first mate was not a huge reader of “children’s” books as a younger lad. But I was surprised that he did know about Ralph and in fact loved him. So we listened to this together.
One of the odd things about this series is that I know I have read all three Ralph S. Mouse stories. But as time has progressed, I seemed to have merged all three of them together. I couldn’t tell ye which was which. After listening to the first book, I know that this was not me favourite. Where was the car?
The biggest difference in listening to this was in how aggressive and forceful Ralph is. He was pushy with the boy, Keith and kinda mean towards him. I didn’t remember that! It kinda made me sad as Keith was so sweet about lending Ralph the motorcycle. In fact, I really didn’t remember much about Keith at all before I listened to this again. Me older self was impressed with how kind, generous, and thoughtful Keith was. Me younger self obviously thought he was irrelevant and only cared about Ralph.
That said, I did still find this to be a sweet and fun story. Ralph does redeem himself in the end. I do think the magic will still hold up for children. I just didn’t expect to find fault with it as an adult. It makes me wary to reread the rest of the series even though the plots of those next two are muddled beyond belief in me noggin’.
From the First Mate:
I don’t remember ever reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle as a child. There’s this vague memory of it being one of the books that my third grade teacher read to the class (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe being the only one that I have a distinct memory of), but I cannot really recall. The sequel Runaway Ralph – that was one of my favorite books as a child; I must have read it a dozen times after my mother purchased it for me from the Scholastic book fair one year. In fact, I think I still have that well read copy in storage.
Listening to an audiobook version of The Mouse and the Motorcycle leaves me with an odd thought. Ralph was written to be way more of a jerk than I remembered from Runaway Ralph. I don’t know if that’s because he changes in the second book, or if it’s simply the differing ways a child and an adult evaluate characters and their actions. In some ways, it appears that Ralph’s abrasive personality was meant to distinguish him from the rest of the mice and present him in a more daring and assertive way.
Ralph aside, the writing of the novel is very enjoyable. Similar to the writing of Dorothy Gilman, the work is a series of set pieces that quietly build to a stress event that requires every bit of moxie the protagonist can muster to overcome. The pursuit of Ralph’s final goal is suitably fun and the tension builds appropriately.
I’m unlikely to revisit the Ralph books again. My good memories of Runaway Ralph are still intact (I can convince myself that he’s a very different character in the later book), and I just didn’t get enough out of The Mouse and the Motorcycle to ever want to read it again. That said, I still would say that it’s a quality children’s book.
Captain’s Side note: Did ye know that Beverly Cleary be 102 years old!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
From yer Captain:
I adored Beverly Cleary’s books when I was young. The first mate and I were going on a short road trip and I had been wanting to read Ralph S. Mouse again so I downloaded the first book in the series to listen to in the car. The first mate was not a huge reader of “children’s” books as a younger lad. But I was surprised that he did know about Ralph and in fact loved him. So we listened to this together.
One of the odd things about this series is that I know I have read all three Ralph S. Mouse stories. But as time has progressed, I seemed to have merged all three of them together. I couldn’t tell ye which was which. After listening to the first book, I know that this was not me favourite. Where was the car?
The biggest difference in listening to this was in how aggressive and forceful Ralph is. He was pushy with the boy, Keith and kinda mean towards him. I didn’t remember that! It kinda made me sad as Keith was so sweet about lending Ralph the motorcycle. In fact, I really didn’t remember much about Keith at all before I listened to this again. Me older self was impressed with how kind, generous, and thoughtful Keith was. Me younger self obviously thought he was irrelevant and only cared about Ralph.
That said, I did still find this to be a sweet and fun story. Ralph does redeem himself in the end. I do think the magic will still hold up for children. I just didn’t expect to find fault with it as an adult. It makes me wary to reread the rest of the series even though the plots of those next two are muddled beyond belief in me noggin’.
From the First Mate:
I don’t remember ever reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle as a child. There’s this vague memory of it being one of the books that my third grade teacher read to the class (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe being the only one that I have a distinct memory of), but I cannot really recall. The sequel Runaway Ralph – that was one of my favorite books as a child; I must have read it a dozen times after my mother purchased it for me from the Scholastic book fair one year. In fact, I think I still have that well read copy in storage.
Listening to an audiobook version of The Mouse and the Motorcycle leaves me with an odd thought. Ralph was written to be way more of a jerk than I remembered from Runaway Ralph. I don’t know if that’s because he changes in the second book, or if it’s simply the differing ways a child and an adult evaluate characters and their actions. In some ways, it appears that Ralph’s abrasive personality was meant to distinguish him from the rest of the mice and present him in a more daring and assertive way.
Ralph aside, the writing of the novel is very enjoyable. Similar to the writing of Dorothy Gilman, the work is a series of set pieces that quietly build to a stress event that requires every bit of moxie the protagonist can muster to overcome. The pursuit of Ralph’s final goal is suitably fun and the tension builds appropriately.
I’m unlikely to revisit the Ralph books again. My good memories of Runaway Ralph are still intact (I can convince myself that he’s a very different character in the later book), and I just didn’t get enough out of The Mouse and the Motorcycle to ever want to read it again. That said, I still would say that it’s a quality children’s book.
Captain’s Side note: Did ye know that Beverly Cleary be 102 years old!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
August 3, 2019
One of my favourite read-alouds to my Grade 3 students!
July 17, 2017
♥ A childhood book that I just love to no end ♥
May 12, 2019
This was the first book I ever owned. This book is why I write.
July 9, 2008
Well this book took me a while to read, it's heavy reading, but I did get through it. This mouse get's a rippin' bike and proceeds to kick ass. Lot's of foolin' around. I do think he needed some sort of biker babe for the back seat, and maybe have some ties to a biker gang of woverines. The mouse didn't have any cool tatoos either. All in all a pretty good read.
December 30, 2024
Solid read with great illustrations. Who needs Shakespeare when we have this?? 🐀🛵
January 19, 2009
No telling how many time I read this book when I was a kid. One of the top ten of my childhood!
April 12, 2018
So appealing, so delightful, and yet when you think about it, deeply weird.
August 19, 2018
As a child Beverly Cleary was my favorite author. For some reason I just really loved this one. My mother collected mouse figurines when I was a child, so in a way, I just thought I was so cool being able to share this story with my mom about a mouse who was so intrigued by a toy motorcycle. I bet I read this book a dozen times. I even convinced my mom to let me have a pet mouse in which I named Ralph. Secretly I wished he would ride a motorcycle... but deep down I knew that wasn't going to happen, but a child can dream right?
April 24, 2021
I remember reading this as a child as well as every other Beverly Cleary book I could find. I couldn't tell you the details of the story but I have many fond memories of these books.
November 19, 2025
Beverly Cleary wrote many children's classics over a career that spanned the entire second half of the twentieth century, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle is one of her most beloved. A kid on vacation with his parents comes together with a mouse who longs to explore the world, and the two have an adventure that takes place almost entirely within a hotel, yet feels much bigger. Keith Gridley and his parents are traveling the West Coast in midsummer when they stop for a few nights in California at the Mountain View Inn. Highway traffic is tedious this close to the Fourth of July, and Mr. Gridley would rather relax at a hotel until it clears up. The family takes two rooms, one for the mother and father and the other for Keith, who doesn't yet know he's sharing a room with a family of mice living inside a knothole in the wall. Ralph the mouse is intrigued by the toy cars Keith plays with atop his bedspread. The motorcycle in particular looks fun, perfectly sized for a mouse. There wouldn't be any harm in climbing on for a moment while Keith is away...would there?
Life is hazardous for mice, but Ralph survives his initial escapade with the motorcycle when Keith turns out to be kinder than some boys. He helps Ralph out of the wastebasket he fell into with the motorcycle, and teaches the frightened mouse how to start the bike's motor running. Does Ralph have the imaginative capacity to do it? Keith treasures his motorcycle but lets Ralph ride it in the hotel hallways at night, so long as he leaves it parked under Keith's bed during the day. Keith also brings "room service" to Ralph's family, selecting choice morsels from the hotel's breakfast room and secreting them upstairs. Never have the mice eaten so well, and Ralph knows it will be a sad day when his human friend goes home.
Numerous adventures await a boy and mouse who both feel frustrated being treated like kids. Ralph's motorcycle outings go well until the day he and his mount end up trapped in a pillowcase and deposited with the dirty linens in the laundry room. He has to chew his way out and abandon his beautiful bike. Keith regrets trusting Ralph with his toy, but he's not mad enough to end the friendship. Ralph is a kid who made a mistake, as Keith often does and is reprimanded by his parents. Housekeeping staff is on the alert for mice after discovering the chewed linens in the laundry room, so Ralph's family has to keep a low profile for a while, but Ralph still comes out and converses with Keith in the hotel room. A boy and a mouse somehow speaking the same language isn't so far-fetched when you consider their similarities at heart. Keith won't live at the Mountain View Inn forever, but before he's gone Ralph has a chance in a moment of crisis to prove himself trustworthy. Keith is years from being allowed to drive a motorcycle, but he can take vicarious pleasure in Ralph's riding as the mouse explores new frontiers in and around his hotel home. There's a lot to look forward to as they both grow up.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle is warm and entertaining, just what I expect from Beverly Cleary. It balances the happy innocence of being a kid with the excitement of making one's own choices in a world that offers danger and reward in equal measure. Watching Keith and Ralph head out into the rest of their lives with no way of knowing what to expect is a poignant feeling. As usual, Louis Darling's illustrations are first class, perfectly suited to Beverly Cleary's writing. I rate The Mouse and the Motorcycle two and a half stars, and could have easily rounded up instead of down. The sincere goodness in Beverly Cleary's novels is a gift to children forevermore.
Life is hazardous for mice, but Ralph survives his initial escapade with the motorcycle when Keith turns out to be kinder than some boys. He helps Ralph out of the wastebasket he fell into with the motorcycle, and teaches the frightened mouse how to start the bike's motor running. Does Ralph have the imaginative capacity to do it? Keith treasures his motorcycle but lets Ralph ride it in the hotel hallways at night, so long as he leaves it parked under Keith's bed during the day. Keith also brings "room service" to Ralph's family, selecting choice morsels from the hotel's breakfast room and secreting them upstairs. Never have the mice eaten so well, and Ralph knows it will be a sad day when his human friend goes home.
Numerous adventures await a boy and mouse who both feel frustrated being treated like kids. Ralph's motorcycle outings go well until the day he and his mount end up trapped in a pillowcase and deposited with the dirty linens in the laundry room. He has to chew his way out and abandon his beautiful bike. Keith regrets trusting Ralph with his toy, but he's not mad enough to end the friendship. Ralph is a kid who made a mistake, as Keith often does and is reprimanded by his parents. Housekeeping staff is on the alert for mice after discovering the chewed linens in the laundry room, so Ralph's family has to keep a low profile for a while, but Ralph still comes out and converses with Keith in the hotel room. A boy and a mouse somehow speaking the same language isn't so far-fetched when you consider their similarities at heart. Keith won't live at the Mountain View Inn forever, but before he's gone Ralph has a chance in a moment of crisis to prove himself trustworthy. Keith is years from being allowed to drive a motorcycle, but he can take vicarious pleasure in Ralph's riding as the mouse explores new frontiers in and around his hotel home. There's a lot to look forward to as they both grow up.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle is warm and entertaining, just what I expect from Beverly Cleary. It balances the happy innocence of being a kid with the excitement of making one's own choices in a world that offers danger and reward in equal measure. Watching Keith and Ralph head out into the rest of their lives with no way of knowing what to expect is a poignant feeling. As usual, Louis Darling's illustrations are first class, perfectly suited to Beverly Cleary's writing. I rate The Mouse and the Motorcycle two and a half stars, and could have easily rounded up instead of down. The sincere goodness in Beverly Cleary's novels is a gift to children forevermore.
August 10, 2012
Read this aloud to the kids and they loved it. Remember just loving this when I was a kid as well . . . but wasn't as interested as an adult as I thought I would be (hence only 4 stars). Do love the quaint nature of the story and characters and wish more current chapter books for kids were written like this instead of featuring street smart kids from dysfunctional families. Childhood should be a time to be immersed books like Charlotte's Web, Homer Price, and Mouse and the Motorcycle. Loved that my library copy was the 1965 edition and had the lovely library book smell. Maybe I should add that fifth star for the trip back to my childhood this book gave me . . .
May 18, 2016
I thought that it was nice of Keith to let Ralph have his motorcycle because it was his favorite toy.
I loved the helmet Keith made for Ralph out of a ping pong ball. Ralph loved his crash helmet.
This book reminds me of Stuart Little.
I loved the helmet Keith made for Ralph out of a ping pong ball. Ralph loved his crash helmet.
This book reminds me of Stuart Little.
March 12, 2021
This was a super fun read aloud to my kindergartner and fourth grader. They loved it.
March 5, 2021
Sweet, funny, creative--a joy from start to finish. The scenes of Ralph S. Mouse zipping about on his motorcycle through the rooms and halls of the rundown hotel are worth the price of admission alone (though I did have trouble imagining what the motorcycle sounds he makes [pb-pb-b-b-b] really translate into :).
The adventures Ralph has as he explores the hotel are both fun and suspenseful (the latter esp. as the reader learns about the sad fates of some of Ralph’s uncles and aunts at the hands of maids, owls, etc.).
Add to these the wonderful friendship that grows between Ralph and his new human friend, Keith, as they console one another about how long it takes to grow up, as they learn about responsibility and forgiveness, and as they demonstrate that, while the best-laid plans of mice and men might “gang aft agley”, those between mice and boys sometimes go just fine :)
The adventures Ralph has as he explores the hotel are both fun and suspenseful (the latter esp. as the reader learns about the sad fates of some of Ralph’s uncles and aunts at the hands of maids, owls, etc.).
Add to these the wonderful friendship that grows between Ralph and his new human friend, Keith, as they console one another about how long it takes to grow up, as they learn about responsibility and forgiveness, and as they demonstrate that, while the best-laid plans of mice and men might “gang aft agley”, those between mice and boys sometimes go just fine :)
March 20, 2022
This story about a mouse and a boy (and a toy motorcycle) is from the 1965 list of My Big Fat Reading Project.
I'll tell you one thing. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, just read anything by Beverly Cleary. I read this in a couple hours and was swept away from all my negative thoughts into a world where a small boy and a mouse can communicate, have adventures, build trust, and learn those necessary lessons required to navigate through it all.
I'll tell you one thing. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, just read anything by Beverly Cleary. I read this in a couple hours and was swept away from all my negative thoughts into a world where a small boy and a mouse can communicate, have adventures, build trust, and learn those necessary lessons required to navigate through it all.
September 8, 2016
My girlfriend works in a used bookstore. One of the primary duties of her work requires the buying of books brought in. Her boss is an ex computer programmer and wrote a nifty program/algorithm that cross references book purchasing on Amazon and E Bay. If the book in question is ranked over a certain number then they will purchase said book(s).
My girlfriend has first cracks at all books that come into the store. She has a long list from me of things I'm looking for. Regardless of what the program says, to buy or not, if it something I need she will purchase it and put it in our ever growing to buy pile.
Our year anniversary passed recently. One of the gifts from her was a collection of titles with a...certain theme. Books with Ralph in the title. Because, yup that's me. It was adorable.
Very age appropriate book about adventure, sacrifice and growing up. It was cute.
My girlfriend has first cracks at all books that come into the store. She has a long list from me of things I'm looking for. Regardless of what the program says, to buy or not, if it something I need she will purchase it and put it in our ever growing to buy pile.
Our year anniversary passed recently. One of the gifts from her was a collection of titles with a...certain theme. Books with Ralph in the title. Because, yup that's me. It was adorable.
Very age appropriate book about adventure, sacrifice and growing up. It was cute.
March 16, 2009
This is a timeless tale for all kids... Beverly Cleary is a great author for young readers!
January 13, 2014
I just finished “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Cleary. The book is about a young mouse named Ralph. He lives in a hotel with his mother and two younger siblings. He wants to explore the hotel more but his mother will not let him. Then one day a boy name Keith checks in at the hotel and both of their lives change. Both Keith and Ralph can both understand each other and Keith lets Ralph drive his mouse sized motorcycle. They both help each other throughout the book and they really get to understand each other a lot. Whether it is helping to feed Ralph and his family, or finding medicine for Keith.
I thought this book was good. It is very easy to read and to get to know the characters. I like that Beverly Cleary thought of a mouse being able to talk to a human and be able to ride a motorcycle.
The two main characters are Keith and Ralph. Keith is just a young boy on vacation and loves playing with his toy vehicles. He is messy just like any other boy, but he likes having fun. Ralph is very similar to Keith. Ralph is very mischievous and quite daring. He wants to explore the whole hotel and go see the world. Now that Keith moved in for a week, he finally has the chance to do so. He gets to go to the ground floor and even outside of the hotel, thanks to Keith’s red motorcycle.
This book takes place in a hotel in California. The hotel is old and not in the best condition. The only reason why Keith and his family are at the hotel is because his dad was sick of driving hundreds of miles, so they stopped at the hotel to take a break.
I would recommend this book to younger kids. It is easy to read, and helps your imagination grow.
I thought this book was good. It is very easy to read and to get to know the characters. I like that Beverly Cleary thought of a mouse being able to talk to a human and be able to ride a motorcycle.
The two main characters are Keith and Ralph. Keith is just a young boy on vacation and loves playing with his toy vehicles. He is messy just like any other boy, but he likes having fun. Ralph is very similar to Keith. Ralph is very mischievous and quite daring. He wants to explore the whole hotel and go see the world. Now that Keith moved in for a week, he finally has the chance to do so. He gets to go to the ground floor and even outside of the hotel, thanks to Keith’s red motorcycle.
This book takes place in a hotel in California. The hotel is old and not in the best condition. The only reason why Keith and his family are at the hotel is because his dad was sick of driving hundreds of miles, so they stopped at the hotel to take a break.
I would recommend this book to younger kids. It is easy to read, and helps your imagination grow.
July 16, 2021
Well, I'm only a few pages in and I already know why I loved this and read & reread it as a child. It's not just the cleverness of the miniature, as in The Borrowers, Thumbelina, etc. It's also the 'alien perspective' which is one the reasons I read SF. The old motel is a "dreadful old barn" that is also "charming and quaint" depending on one's pov. Keith would love to see mice, his parents wouldn't. Messy children "considerately" spill crumbs for mice.
Empathy and wisdom are often developed best by reading the stories of those who have different perspectives than the reader does.
Almost rounded up to five stars. I do heartily recommend this warm-hearted adventure story to every child.
Empathy and wisdom are often developed best by reading the stories of those who have different perspectives than the reader does.
Almost rounded up to five stars. I do heartily recommend this warm-hearted adventure story to every child.
November 4, 2012
This is a good book for kids and parents too. It engages kids imagination. My son liked the motorcycle and the adventure. We read this book together althought mostly he read it to me and it had good vocabulary and a pretty good pace. He is a first grader but reads at third grade level and it was a good level for him. We are both ready to read the second one. He hopes the second one is similar to this one.
October 8, 2017
Such a cute little story. My son loved having me read it to him. 💜
October 13, 2021
If I were a mouse I'd be like Ralph.
October 31, 2013
“The Mouse and the Motorcycle” was a fun book to read. This book is about a mouse named Ralph who lives in room 215 of an old hotel. Ralph is growing up and doesn't have the trust he thinks he deserves. A boy’s toy motorcycle changed just about everything in Ralph’s life. Ralph and the boy became friends. Ralph had to prove to the boy that they can be friends again and make everything better before the boy leaves the hotel.
The book is told in the third person narrative. This story is about Ralph and how he gained more responsibility and became a grown up mouse. Ralph has many challenges that he fights through to make things better for him and his family.
The book takes place in room 215 where Keith’s family is staying for the weekend. The story grows bigger and Ralph goes out of the room and all around the hotel. The time period for this book is unknown.
The theme of the book is to fix all your mistakes no matter what it takes. It shows how you can lose something that means alot to you but if you do whats right you can fix it and even make the situation better. It also shows how if you help your friends they will forgive you.
I would recommend this book to younger people, because it’s very fictional, easy to read, and it is fun. Children will like this book because there is a lot of fun imagery. I enjoyed this book because it made me laugh at the things Ralph does.
The book is told in the third person narrative. This story is about Ralph and how he gained more responsibility and became a grown up mouse. Ralph has many challenges that he fights through to make things better for him and his family.
The book takes place in room 215 where Keith’s family is staying for the weekend. The story grows bigger and Ralph goes out of the room and all around the hotel. The time period for this book is unknown.
The theme of the book is to fix all your mistakes no matter what it takes. It shows how you can lose something that means alot to you but if you do whats right you can fix it and even make the situation better. It also shows how if you help your friends they will forgive you.
I would recommend this book to younger people, because it’s very fictional, easy to read, and it is fun. Children will like this book because there is a lot of fun imagery. I enjoyed this book because it made me laugh at the things Ralph does.
February 10, 2015
I vaguely remember reading this as a preteen. I can't wait to read it again with our girls!
July 2013 update: We finally got around to this one. I borrowed an audio CD of this book, with William Roberts as the narrator.
Unfortunately, the story seemed a bit old fashioned and dragged in places - our youngest complained that she was bored with the book about halfway through (so did my husband), but we listened on and she seemed to be more engaged in the story toward the end.
The CD was a bit garbled in places, so I read the last few pages from the paperback book (with ISBN 0380709244) that I'd brought along just for that purpose.
Overall, I thought it was a charming tale and it was good timing that we read it now, since it takes place right before the Fourth of July. The characters are entertaining and we loved the different personalities of the mice. I think I'd like to read the next two books in the series with our girls, too.
July 2013 update: We finally got around to this one. I borrowed an audio CD of this book, with William Roberts as the narrator.
Unfortunately, the story seemed a bit old fashioned and dragged in places - our youngest complained that she was bored with the book about halfway through (so did my husband), but we listened on and she seemed to be more engaged in the story toward the end.
The CD was a bit garbled in places, so I read the last few pages from the paperback book (with ISBN 0380709244) that I'd brought along just for that purpose.
Overall, I thought it was a charming tale and it was good timing that we read it now, since it takes place right before the Fourth of July. The characters are entertaining and we loved the different personalities of the mice. I think I'd like to read the next two books in the series with our girls, too.
December 6, 2022
Original review (June 7, 2011):
I really miss the days when I used to regularly read to my children. They are all grown now -- the youngest is 17. But Beverly Cleary was one of my kids' favorite authors, and mine too. So, being in a nostalgic mood one day I decided to pick up and read one of her books that I had not yet read. The Mouse and the Motorcycle just never really appealed that much to me or to my kids because we tend to like stories about real, or at least realistic, people, not so much animals that can talk and ride motorcycles, etc. But, it was worth a shot, and it wasn't too bad, but definitely not one of Cleary's best.
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Update (December 6, 2022):
My second reading of this book – this time in Spanish as part of my daily practice of my second language.
I really miss the days when I used to regularly read to my children. They are all grown now -- the youngest is 17. But Beverly Cleary was one of my kids' favorite authors, and mine too. So, being in a nostalgic mood one day I decided to pick up and read one of her books that I had not yet read. The Mouse and the Motorcycle just never really appealed that much to me or to my kids because we tend to like stories about real, or at least realistic, people, not so much animals that can talk and ride motorcycles, etc. But, it was worth a shot, and it wasn't too bad, but definitely not one of Cleary's best.
- - - - - - -
Update (December 6, 2022):
My second reading of this book – this time in Spanish as part of my daily practice of my second language.
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