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Niblet & Ralph
Two pet cats switch places in this comically sweet story of mistaken identity, from beloved author-illustrator Zachariah OHora.
Niblet and Ralph may look a lot alike, but they are very different. Niblet loves noshing on crunchy potato chips. Ralph loves putting on headphones and jamming to his favorite records. But both cats have one thing in common: They love being friends and waving to each other from their windows across the courtyard of the apartment building they live in.
One day, Niblet and Ralph decide it's time to meet in person (or in cat?). But when they mistakenly end up at each other's apartments, their owners think that Niblet is Ralph, and Ralph is Niblet! Will Niblet and Ralph be able to switch back to their proper homes, or will they be stuck listening to music (ugh) and eating chips (gross) forever? Better still, will they be able to bring their lovable (if not very observant) human families together?
With zany humor and bold, bright art, Zachariah OHora creates a purrrfect picture book for kids, adults, and pets of all ages to enjoy.
Niblet and Ralph may look a lot alike, but they are very different. Niblet loves noshing on crunchy potato chips. Ralph loves putting on headphones and jamming to his favorite records. But both cats have one thing in common: They love being friends and waving to each other from their windows across the courtyard of the apartment building they live in.
One day, Niblet and Ralph decide it's time to meet in person (or in cat?). But when they mistakenly end up at each other's apartments, their owners think that Niblet is Ralph, and Ralph is Niblet! Will Niblet and Ralph be able to switch back to their proper homes, or will they be stuck listening to music (ugh) and eating chips (gross) forever? Better still, will they be able to bring their lovable (if not very observant) human families together?
With zany humor and bold, bright art, Zachariah OHora creates a purrrfect picture book for kids, adults, and pets of all ages to enjoy.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
279 people want to read
About the author
Zachariah OHora
33 books80 followersZachariah OHora is the illustrator of the New York Times best seller Wolfie the Bunny. His debut as an author, Stop Snoring Bernard! won the 2011 Society of Illustrators Founders Award and was the 2012 State of PA Dept of Ed One book. His follow up, Not Fits Nilson! was named the Huffington Post Best Children's Book of 2013, a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2013, a New York Public Library Book for Reading and Sharing and was given the PALA Carolyn W. Field Award. His book My Cousin Momo! was named by the Boston Globe a Best Picture Book of 2015 and was a Junior Library Guild Selection. His latest book The Not So Quiet Library hits shelves July 19th. He lives and works in Narberth, PA with his wife, two sons and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
March 21, 2020
Two cats switch places, much to their owners' dismay, in this cute tale of feline mistaken identity, and newfound friendship. The author's bold and simple artwork works well with the story.
August 10, 2018
Niblet & Ralph are the two coolest cats around. They talk on the phone, eat chips, and listen to music. You have to meet them!
Look alike best friends, Niblet and Ralph, live next door to each other in the same apartment building. They talk on the phone and wave and share the sun together most days while their owners are away. But one day both Niblet and Ralph make a plan to visit each other, which leads to an accidental switcheroo. Can Niblet and Ralph get back home where they belong?
Our tale unfolds on pages filled with bright colors and fun details. Details that made me smile and search for more. I found records, robots, silly slippers, and more. See if you can spot other Zachariah Ohora characters like Nilson from No Fits, Nilson!.
I had fun here. This sweet there’s-no-place-like-home story filled with friends, love, and purrs is sure to make you smile. AND wonder what your cat is up to all day. :D
Check it out from your local Library.
June 14, 2018
The cutest cat book you will read all year. (Loved the cameos from Momo and Nilson, too.)
June 24, 2018
Love the unexpected, original elements, the artwork, and how the parents don't believe the kids but we as readers know the kids are right.
August 15, 2019
Of all of the Ohora books I've read, this is my favorite. The story is very clever, and I can imagine it would be very fun to read with children. I pictured putting it up on a big screen and having students make observations and predictions. Why didn't they notice that their cats had reverse markings? I loved the line that perhaps the missing cat had "stepped into the litter box." One final question that wasn't answered: Do you think Niblet and Ralph are actually related?
June 11, 2018
Great book with a fun backstory in the illustrations. It might also work well when studying symmetry.
November 19, 2021
A cute children's story about two cats who change places. A fun loving story. Great for kids.
July 8, 2018
Niblet and Ralph are best friends - they are cats who look almost the same, but they are very different. All day they talk on the phone together, but one day, Ralph found a way to visit Niblet - and Niblet scampered across the hall into Ralphs apartment. Because neither was home, they waited. But when their people came home, the children notice that there is something wrong - their cats aren't behaving normally. However, without knowing that the cats have traded places, how will they figure out what's wrong?
What a fun story with a terrific premise! The illustrations are bright and interesting, and the story is well written. Kids will love this!
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
What a fun story with a terrific premise! The illustrations are bright and interesting, and the story is well written. Kids will love this!
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
August 6, 2019
A super cute book about friendship and the power of cats to bring people together, with adorable kitty illustrations on almost every page. My only bone -- doesn't OHora know how rare it is for a male cat to be calico? And yet BOTH Niblet and Ralph are calico and BOTH are male. The odds seem astronomically unlikely. And how hard would it have been to switch the gender pronouns for the cats? The story would have been exactly the same. Maybe I'll just read it that way from now on. My son loves the book, so there will be plenty more readings to come.
September 6, 2018
This book is clever fun, and I loved the funny scenarios the author came up with, especially the fact that he is quite apparently a classic music fan and record aficionado. See how many classic albums you can spot! However, male calico cats are a rare thing--rarer even than cats who talk on the phone!
June 9, 2018
This book is PRECIOUS!!! The illustrations are both adorable and silly, such as Ralph hiding in a pair of pants on the clothesline to go visit Niblet. My heart swelled at these two kittens and their human companions!
February 17, 2025
Adorable! Minor qualm: calico cats are (almost all) female! Unless Ralph is one of the very few male calicos (who have an XXY chromosome pattern), in which case, I apologize for doubting him. He is an icon for a very underrepresented group.
June 9, 2018
3.5 stars
It would be fun to pair this with Boot & Shoe by Marla Frazee for a story time!
It would be fun to pair this with Boot & Shoe by Marla Frazee for a story time!
June 21, 2018
An adorable tale of mistaken identity.
June 27, 2018
The cutest!!
June 29, 2018
The parent trap...with cats! Stylish art, cute story, sure to be a giggle-inducing favourite at storytime.
July 17, 2018
Two cats who live next door to one another accidentally swap places. (a cat Parent Trap)
August 13, 2018
Cute as a button!
September 12, 2018
A book about cats that swap places & thus have mistaken identities!?! THIS BOOK WAS MADE FOR ME.
October 26, 2018
Super cute. I love how the cats are friends and bring neighbors together!
November 12, 2018
SO CUTE. Love the illustrations, the casual inclusion of diversity, and the mild tension of the kitty 'Freaky Friday.'
December 23, 2020
Cats, mistaken identities, new friends and CATS!
October 2, 2018
ADORBS!
July 10, 2018
Niblet & Ralph by Zachariah OHora follows the escapades of two mischievous cats. The clever Calicos have figured out that they live in the same apartment building. While they spend most of their days talking to each other on the phone, they soon decide to meet face to face.
Ralph uses a clothesline to make his way into Niblet's apartment. Meanwhile, Niblet pounces on the perfect opportunity to race across the hall to see his friend. Both cats decide to wait until the other returns.
When their owners, Gemma and Dilla, arrive home from school, they are shocked. Ralph doesn't want his hello hug. Niblet wants nothing to do with his favorite toy. Clearly, the cats are fakes! So why don't their parents believe that a catnapping has taken place? Will Ralph and Niblet ever be able to go home?
I greatly enjoyed reading this story. The plot reminds me of a mixture of The Parent Trap meets The Prince and the Pauper. OHora's characters are hilarious. I love how their personalities shine through in their love of music and cheesy triangles. This brought images of my own cats to mind. They are definitely different from one another.
The illustrations and funky and fun. OHora uses acrylic paint on Stonehenge printmaking paper to really make the images pop. His use of a bold color palette draws in the reader's attention and is a true feast for the eyes.
I love the detail that OHora has put into the characters of Ralph and Niblet. Their faces are mirrored opposites that can fool even the sharpest of readers. This adds a very Where's Waldo element to the story.
This is a fun read for children ages 3-5.
Ralph uses a clothesline to make his way into Niblet's apartment. Meanwhile, Niblet pounces on the perfect opportunity to race across the hall to see his friend. Both cats decide to wait until the other returns.
When their owners, Gemma and Dilla, arrive home from school, they are shocked. Ralph doesn't want his hello hug. Niblet wants nothing to do with his favorite toy. Clearly, the cats are fakes! So why don't their parents believe that a catnapping has taken place? Will Ralph and Niblet ever be able to go home?
I greatly enjoyed reading this story. The plot reminds me of a mixture of The Parent Trap meets The Prince and the Pauper. OHora's characters are hilarious. I love how their personalities shine through in their love of music and cheesy triangles. This brought images of my own cats to mind. They are definitely different from one another.
The illustrations and funky and fun. OHora uses acrylic paint on Stonehenge printmaking paper to really make the images pop. His use of a bold color palette draws in the reader's attention and is a true feast for the eyes.
I love the detail that OHora has put into the characters of Ralph and Niblet. Their faces are mirrored opposites that can fool even the sharpest of readers. This adds a very Where's Waldo element to the story.
This is a fun read for children ages 3-5.
June 15, 2018
It's a cute children's book about two cats who look-alike who live in the same apartment building. The owners, Gemma and Dilla, don't know that their cats have been talking to each other as these two kids don't know each other. One day Niblet decides to visit Ralph but when Niblet gets to Ralph's house, he is gone. The funny thing is that, this is the same day that Ralph has decided to visit Niblet and when Ralph gets to Niblet's house, Niblet is not there. Both cats decide just to wait for their friend to arrive home. At each house, Gemma and Dilla arrive home and they find a cat waiting which they believe is their cat (since both cats look alike). The kids both discover that something is not right with the cats, that are at their house, because they are not acting like their normal cats yet they look like what their cat looks like. The two kids need to find a way to solve this mystery and when they do, they both discover a new friend.
It's a cute book that covers similarities and differences. I liked the simple sentences and the way the kids solve the problem on their own. I really liked the cardstock paper that the book is written on, for it makes for a durable read. i thought the illustrations were cute and bright. I thought it was cute that the cover of the book almost matches the back of the book, that was very clever! 4.5 stars
It's a cute book that covers similarities and differences. I liked the simple sentences and the way the kids solve the problem on their own. I really liked the cardstock paper that the book is written on, for it makes for a durable read. i thought the illustrations were cute and bright. I thought it was cute that the cover of the book almost matches the back of the book, that was very clever! 4.5 stars
October 8, 2019
What an adorable children’s book. Two calicos who look alike discovered that they are in the same building decide they want to meet in person rather than talk on the phone. They decide to surprise one another. Except Ralph & Niblet both do it at the same time on a different route. They wait in each other’s homes. When there human kids return home from school they think that the cats have been cat napped. The parents think the kid’s imagination is running wild. The cats are each different in what they like and has the kids worrying about their feline fur babies. If you’re a cat lover you can really appreciate this book.
The illustrations are fun to explore within the pages of the book. The colors are bold and fun.
This book had me smiling and even my 12 year old son laughed at it. It sounds too much like the differences and similarities of the cats that live in our home except, our cats don’t look alike.
I received a free ARC of this product from Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review.
The illustrations are fun to explore within the pages of the book. The colors are bold and fun.
This book had me smiling and even my 12 year old son laughed at it. It sounds too much like the differences and similarities of the cats that live in our home except, our cats don’t look alike.
I received a free ARC of this product from Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review.
August 19, 2018
Niblet & Ralph by Zachariah Ohora. PICTURE BOOK. Dial (Penguin), 2018. $18. 9780735227910
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Two neighbors have cats that look the same and those cats are secretly friends. One day the cats get stuck in each others’ apartment when they intended to visit each other. Their owners suspect they don’t have the right cat now and go looking for them and end up finding not just their cats but a friendship in each other.
This book has a little bit of everything is such a short story. It is a friendship story, an adventure story, a love story, and an animal story. This book also features apartment living, a single mom and a single dad, and main characters of color.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Two neighbors have cats that look the same and those cats are secretly friends. One day the cats get stuck in each others’ apartment when they intended to visit each other. Their owners suspect they don’t have the right cat now and go looking for them and end up finding not just their cats but a friendship in each other.
This book has a little bit of everything is such a short story. It is a friendship story, an adventure story, a love story, and an animal story. This book also features apartment living, a single mom and a single dad, and main characters of color.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
April 7, 2021
Niblet & Ralph- Zachariah Ohora
First Grade
A fun little adventure about two similar looking cats who are friends but live in different apartments. They go to visit each other and wind up swapping places, much to the confusion of their children.
Picture Book - The illustrations help show how similar the cats look, but that they are just mirror images of each other.
Writing Traits:
Presentation: The pictures and text boxes are well laid out. This could be a good way to talk about how text bubbles are used to illustrate who’s talking
Word Choice: Some great vocabulary words to add to the word wall like clone, investigate, and experiment.
Organization: Strong lead and structure with a great ending. Could tie in well with science or sticking with what you know to be true based on the evidence.
First Grade
A fun little adventure about two similar looking cats who are friends but live in different apartments. They go to visit each other and wind up swapping places, much to the confusion of their children.
Picture Book - The illustrations help show how similar the cats look, but that they are just mirror images of each other.
Writing Traits:
Presentation: The pictures and text boxes are well laid out. This could be a good way to talk about how text bubbles are used to illustrate who’s talking
Word Choice: Some great vocabulary words to add to the word wall like clone, investigate, and experiment.
Organization: Strong lead and structure with a great ending. Could tie in well with science or sticking with what you know to be true based on the evidence.
June 5, 2018
THIS IS THE CUTEST BOOK.
I saw the cat on the back cover and had to pick it up off the processing cart and read it. The illustration style is adorable and half the book is TEAL, my favorite color. I'm wearing a teal shirt today, actually.
Niblet and Ralph live in the same apartment building. Their people haven't met, but Ralph and Niblet are good friends. One day they decide to visit each other, but miss each other in passing and end up in the opposite apartment alone! When their people get home they realize the cats are not right, but their parents don't believe them. When they each go out putting up posters, they realize they have each other's cats! Everyone is reunited and they all have dinner together.
SO. FREAKING. CUTE. I need it.
I saw the cat on the back cover and had to pick it up off the processing cart and read it. The illustration style is adorable and half the book is TEAL, my favorite color. I'm wearing a teal shirt today, actually.
Niblet and Ralph live in the same apartment building. Their people haven't met, but Ralph and Niblet are good friends. One day they decide to visit each other, but miss each other in passing and end up in the opposite apartment alone! When their people get home they realize the cats are not right, but their parents don't believe them. When they each go out putting up posters, they realize they have each other's cats! Everyone is reunited and they all have dinner together.
SO. FREAKING. CUTE. I need it.
March 10, 2019
Awwdorable! The innocent effort of two curious cats, who have very different personalities but happen to look very similar, wanting to visit each other, lands them stuck in the wrong apartments. Their owners, Gemma and Dilla, quickly realize there’s something off about their pets and label the kitties “Fake Ralph” and “Not Niblet.” While out searching and handing out missing cat fliers, Gemma and Dilla literally run into each other and realize that they live across the hall in the same apartment building, and that their cats got mixed up. The two families become fast friends and “now everyone was where they belonged... together!”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews