What do you think?
Rate this book
Rita and Ralph's Rotten Day
Have you ever been REALLY mad at your best friend?
In two little houses,on two little hills,lived two best friends... So begins the story of Rita and Ralph. Every day they meet to play beneath the apple tree. It's always fun and games -- until one roundly rotten day when a new game means someone ends up crying. Who knew it could be so hard to say "I'm sorry"?
In two little houses,on two little hills,lived two best friends... So begins the story of Rita and Ralph. Every day they meet to play beneath the apple tree. It's always fun and games -- until one roundly rotten day when a new game means someone ends up crying. Who knew it could be so hard to say "I'm sorry"?
48 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2020
6 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Carmen Agra Deedy
34 books143 followersCarmen Agra Deedy is an internationally known author of children’s literature, a storyteller and radio contributor. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1963 after the Cuban Revolution. Deedy grew up in Decatur, Georgia and currently lives in Atlanta and has three daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
January 23, 2020
When I rule the world, there are gonna be some changes. Some really strange, site-specific changes. For example, let us say you’re a prospective library school student who has decided to take a class in children’s librarianship. On the first day of class it will be a rule, NAY, law that there must be a banner hanging over the door of the classroom that states the following fact: ALL CHILDREN’S LIBRARIANS MUST ALSO BE PERFORMERS. Just so nobody is caught unawares. This, of course, does not gel with the public’s perception of what librarianship constitutes. I have a patron in my library that truly believes, in his heart of hearts, that all that librarians do all day is read books. Many is the library graduate student we’ve captured with such myths. Alas, while we do tend to love reading, children’s librarianship in particular requires a certain oomph. A little je ne sais quoi. A kick in your step and a superhuman ability to engage a room of squirmy squirmers for, at the very least, 15 minutes. Music can help, absolutely. Songs and dances and those little egg shakers that I suspect breed like bunnies in library storage closets (seriously, when did we buy 100 of them?). But the bread and the butter of any children’s librarian’s arsenal is the hand rhyme. Librarians trade them to one another on the sly. They subscribe to YouTube channels that feed the need. And they were way in “Baby Shark” before it became a thing. By and large, picture books regularly fail to tap into this valuable market. Fortunately, there are folks out there like Carmen Agra Deedy that know a good thing when they see it. Taking a common hand rhyme and turning it into a story with a satisfying plot would be a difficult challenge for anyone but for Ms. Deedy's Rita & Ralph's Rotten Day it’s a breeze. A marvelous addition to any storytime roster, no matter where you are.
Psst! I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Flip to the back of this book before you read it. Do you see the section that shows you how to perform this book as a hand rhyme? Okay, I’m going to need you to sit down and really practice what you see there. Got it? Good. Because we’re going to read a story about Rita and Ralph. They’re friends. Best friends. And every morning they would “open their doors, step outside, close their doors, and run… down the hill, and up the hill, and down the hill, and up the hill.” Every day, that is, until a new game called “Sticks and Stones” results in Ralph making a great big goose egg on the top of Rita’s head. Rita’s mad, so she goes home. Ralph goes to apologize but then he gets mad. So Rita goes over to talk to him, but then she gets mad all over again. Will they be able to meet in the middle or is the friendship totally through?
The first thing you notice about the book when you pick it up is the physicality of it. It’s 7.62 inches high by 12 inches WIDE. Oh. Hear that? That is the sound of a hundred librarians sighing at once because they know as well as I do that there will be some shelves where this little book will jut out like it’s trying to get your attention. Better wide than high though, that’s what I always say. The hand rhyme that Deedy credits in the back of the book is one that she names “Mr. Wiggle & Mr. Waggle” but as you might imagine it has more names than a single person could count. Though it was never a part of my own personal toddler storytime roster, I’ve seen many a fine librarian give a version of it over the years. All this begs the obvious question: How the heck do you perform a hand rhyme when one of your two hands is holding a book? Well, Rita & Ralph isn’t the first book out there to take on this challenge. As I see it, you’ve a couple different options to choose from:
1. You perform this book with a partner-in-crime. This could be a fellow adult, capable of holding the book and turning the pages while you read it and do the hand motions, or they could do the hand motions while you read the book and turn the pages. Both options work just fine.
2. You teach the children the rhyme before you read the book. Or, rather, you show them what to do with their hands. Then, you read the book and perform with just one hand.
3. This one takes some balancing but I think it could be done, albeit with some practice. For the storytime you get yourself a seat. Then you balance the book on your lap. You essentially read the book upside down and when you get to the down the hill/up the hill sequence you hold the book open with your legs/knees/thighs and do the hand rhyme. Warning: This is a highly advanced move and should not be attempted by storytime newbies.
In other words, it can be done.
Carmen Agra Deedy is, herself, a storyteller and probably one of the finest I’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, hand rhymes, for all their charms, don’t have a lot of narrative depth to them. I think we’ve all seen picture books based on rhymes or songs (lovely lovely public domain songs) that felt superfluous and slight. Books where you’re happy enough to use them in a storytime because as a children’s librarian you want to keep tying in what you do to books, but that don’t exactly overwhelm you with their creativity. That’s why Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day is such a rarity. Deedy, somehow or other, managed to make this silly little fluff of a rhyme, into a tale of regret, mistakes, humility, and taking responsibility for your actions. It’s about the simple act of saying you’re sorry and meaning it. It’s also about how you can talk yourself out of a good impulse and into a bad emotion, given enough time. Now look how she tells the story itself. How she sometimes likes to multiply the "a" in “and” at the end of her up and down the hill rhyme so that it stretches out to “aaaaand up the hill.” Those little flourishes help readers figure out precisely how to pronounce the book aloud. Don’t discount them. They’re there for a reason.
Like I mentioned before, we’re dealing with a low-slung book. Long and thin. The kind that needs just the right art to pull it off. Now, no one does l’il noseless wonders better than Pete Oswald. Though his doggies are downright Klassen-esque, the look and feel of this book is pure Oswaldian. All gouache watercolor textures rendered digitally. Greens and browns and reds, the primary players on the page. He’s also one of those artists that creates books that look simple on the surface but clearly put a lot of time, thought, and consideration into the art. Here’s an easy way to tell if an illustrator is dedicated to their work: Compare the front and back endpapers. In the case of this book, I found myself flipping back and forth between the front and the end, over and over, noticing all the little details and changes between the two images of Rita and Ralph’s houses and the tree between them. I think a person could write an entire thesis on what the flock of birds is doing between one page and the next in this title. Look at the sun and how its flight across the sky shows the passage of time. An animator by trade, Pete uses wide angles and tight close-ups to convey how one day can turn rather spectacularly rotten. It wouldn't work for every book out there, but for Deedy's it's just the right touch.
At the back of this book you will see special thanks “to Sherry Norfolk, educator, storyteller, and most generous friend.” Norfolk, in case you are unaware of her work, is one of those children’s librarians who sort of started out like we all do and then just exploded in a million different directions. Author, storyteller, professor, consultant, performer, you name it. Perhaps Deedy heard Norfolk perform this rhyme. Whatever the case, you know she had someone in mind when she chose to retell it the way that she did. I wonder, vaguely, if parents will understand its value as much as librarians and booksellers (who often are also called upon to perform) do. Certainly I’ve been accosted by more than one parent saying to me, “I have to read aloud to my kid’s class. What should I do?” This wouldn’t be a bad book to hand them if it’s a preschool or daycare they have to confront. I’m not saying they shouldn’t practice a few times beforehand, but once you have this book down I bet you could slay with it. I bet the kids would demand you read it again and again and again. Remember how I listed all those different ways to read it and do the hand rhyme at the same time? Here’s a notion: Try placing the book flat on your lap and reading it to just one kid. One happy, grateful, highly amused kid. Because really, isn’t that what a book should be all about anyway? You betcha.
For ages 3-5.
Psst! I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Flip to the back of this book before you read it. Do you see the section that shows you how to perform this book as a hand rhyme? Okay, I’m going to need you to sit down and really practice what you see there. Got it? Good. Because we’re going to read a story about Rita and Ralph. They’re friends. Best friends. And every morning they would “open their doors, step outside, close their doors, and run… down the hill, and up the hill, and down the hill, and up the hill.” Every day, that is, until a new game called “Sticks and Stones” results in Ralph making a great big goose egg on the top of Rita’s head. Rita’s mad, so she goes home. Ralph goes to apologize but then he gets mad. So Rita goes over to talk to him, but then she gets mad all over again. Will they be able to meet in the middle or is the friendship totally through?
The first thing you notice about the book when you pick it up is the physicality of it. It’s 7.62 inches high by 12 inches WIDE. Oh. Hear that? That is the sound of a hundred librarians sighing at once because they know as well as I do that there will be some shelves where this little book will jut out like it’s trying to get your attention. Better wide than high though, that’s what I always say. The hand rhyme that Deedy credits in the back of the book is one that she names “Mr. Wiggle & Mr. Waggle” but as you might imagine it has more names than a single person could count. Though it was never a part of my own personal toddler storytime roster, I’ve seen many a fine librarian give a version of it over the years. All this begs the obvious question: How the heck do you perform a hand rhyme when one of your two hands is holding a book? Well, Rita & Ralph isn’t the first book out there to take on this challenge. As I see it, you’ve a couple different options to choose from:
1. You perform this book with a partner-in-crime. This could be a fellow adult, capable of holding the book and turning the pages while you read it and do the hand motions, or they could do the hand motions while you read the book and turn the pages. Both options work just fine.
2. You teach the children the rhyme before you read the book. Or, rather, you show them what to do with their hands. Then, you read the book and perform with just one hand.
3. This one takes some balancing but I think it could be done, albeit with some practice. For the storytime you get yourself a seat. Then you balance the book on your lap. You essentially read the book upside down and when you get to the down the hill/up the hill sequence you hold the book open with your legs/knees/thighs and do the hand rhyme. Warning: This is a highly advanced move and should not be attempted by storytime newbies.
In other words, it can be done.
Carmen Agra Deedy is, herself, a storyteller and probably one of the finest I’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, hand rhymes, for all their charms, don’t have a lot of narrative depth to them. I think we’ve all seen picture books based on rhymes or songs (lovely lovely public domain songs) that felt superfluous and slight. Books where you’re happy enough to use them in a storytime because as a children’s librarian you want to keep tying in what you do to books, but that don’t exactly overwhelm you with their creativity. That’s why Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day is such a rarity. Deedy, somehow or other, managed to make this silly little fluff of a rhyme, into a tale of regret, mistakes, humility, and taking responsibility for your actions. It’s about the simple act of saying you’re sorry and meaning it. It’s also about how you can talk yourself out of a good impulse and into a bad emotion, given enough time. Now look how she tells the story itself. How she sometimes likes to multiply the "a" in “and” at the end of her up and down the hill rhyme so that it stretches out to “aaaaand up the hill.” Those little flourishes help readers figure out precisely how to pronounce the book aloud. Don’t discount them. They’re there for a reason.
Like I mentioned before, we’re dealing with a low-slung book. Long and thin. The kind that needs just the right art to pull it off. Now, no one does l’il noseless wonders better than Pete Oswald. Though his doggies are downright Klassen-esque, the look and feel of this book is pure Oswaldian. All gouache watercolor textures rendered digitally. Greens and browns and reds, the primary players on the page. He’s also one of those artists that creates books that look simple on the surface but clearly put a lot of time, thought, and consideration into the art. Here’s an easy way to tell if an illustrator is dedicated to their work: Compare the front and back endpapers. In the case of this book, I found myself flipping back and forth between the front and the end, over and over, noticing all the little details and changes between the two images of Rita and Ralph’s houses and the tree between them. I think a person could write an entire thesis on what the flock of birds is doing between one page and the next in this title. Look at the sun and how its flight across the sky shows the passage of time. An animator by trade, Pete uses wide angles and tight close-ups to convey how one day can turn rather spectacularly rotten. It wouldn't work for every book out there, but for Deedy's it's just the right touch.
At the back of this book you will see special thanks “to Sherry Norfolk, educator, storyteller, and most generous friend.” Norfolk, in case you are unaware of her work, is one of those children’s librarians who sort of started out like we all do and then just exploded in a million different directions. Author, storyteller, professor, consultant, performer, you name it. Perhaps Deedy heard Norfolk perform this rhyme. Whatever the case, you know she had someone in mind when she chose to retell it the way that she did. I wonder, vaguely, if parents will understand its value as much as librarians and booksellers (who often are also called upon to perform) do. Certainly I’ve been accosted by more than one parent saying to me, “I have to read aloud to my kid’s class. What should I do?” This wouldn’t be a bad book to hand them if it’s a preschool or daycare they have to confront. I’m not saying they shouldn’t practice a few times beforehand, but once you have this book down I bet you could slay with it. I bet the kids would demand you read it again and again and again. Remember how I listed all those different ways to read it and do the hand rhyme at the same time? Here’s a notion: Try placing the book flat on your lap and reading it to just one kid. One happy, grateful, highly amused kid. Because really, isn’t that what a book should be all about anyway? You betcha.
For ages 3-5.
June 1, 2020
This is a very wide book - over a foot long - and it emphasizes the distance the two characters must cross to maintain their little friendship.
December 16, 2020
A highly interactive story of a friendship on the rocks that inspired a lot of giggles in my almost-five-year-old. This definitely benefited from reading with a buddy. Rita and Ralph are great friends who spend a lot of time together doing fun friendship things (high-fiving, playing tag, and the like). One day they get a little more rambunctious, as kids are apt to do, and begin playing "sticks and stones." And someone gets hurt (as a parent, this was TOTALLY predictable). The resulting efforts at apology were a little close to the bone for me and prompted some uncomfortably humorous self-reflection. Ultimately, the day ends and both Rita and Ralph are both mad and sad (for Gilmore Girls fans, this may spark memories of the episode when Lorelai, Alex, Sookie, and Jackson go see Levittown in New York). Will they manage to mend their friendship?
While one bad day doesn't ultimately ruin their friendship, this story reminded me of Horrible Bear! in the way that a bad action can cause ripples of anger and grumpiness that bounce back and forth.
Bonus repetition would make for a fun group readaloud.
While one bad day doesn't ultimately ruin their friendship, this story reminded me of Horrible Bear! in the way that a bad action can cause ripples of anger and grumpiness that bounce back and forth.
Bonus repetition would make for a fun group readaloud.
January 5, 2022
A great book about friendship and meeting in the middle.
March 31, 2021
I love the game on the last page (it's classic hand game "Mr.Wiggle & Mr.Waggle" - my Mom said) - so you can read a book playing every page with your hands.
March 16, 2020
Fun story about friends working through saying “I’m Sorry”. I could see this book being used with primary students using hand gestures to actively participate as the story is read to them.
October 7, 2020
The cover of this brilliant book paints a clear picture of what the story will be about. Even without the title, the reader can see that two children are NOT happy with each other. Rita has an ice pack on her head, her hands in fists, a frown on her face, and a furrowed brow. Ralph is missing the ice pack & fists, but his expression looks equally unhappy. Both children’s heads are facing the reader, but their bodies (and Rita’s dog and Ralph’s cat) are turned away from each other, legs mid-step. We’re in for a story about a rotten day for both of these kids. Turn to the first illustrated page, and you’ll see where the story begins. This illustration stands in stark contrast to the cover: Rita and Ralph and their pets stand next to each other, both smiling—best friends! Next is the title page: two little houses, on two little hills, with an apple tree in the valley between them—the stage is set. And then Carmen Agra Deedy’s text begins…Rita and Ralph are best friends, until one day when they play a new game, and someone ends up mad and sad, and the other someone ends up sad and sorry. And then both are sad and mad and sorry. But, as best friends often do, they work it out, and do so in a charming, child-relatable way. The last two spreads bookend the first two, but with changes (you’ll have to get the book yourself to see the sweet ending).
At first glance you might think this book is overly repetitive (the refrain “down the hill, and up the hill…” are repeated, in some form, on seven spreads), but if you do, I urge you to take another look. This book makes a great read-aloud. Kids love repetition and love hand games. The author’s note in the back, reveals that her inspiration for the story came from a classic hand game. She provides instructions for the game. Now can you imagine the read aloud potential? At first glance you might also think illustrations are repeated (where the refrain occurs), but look closer (and children will—they notice every little detail). Pete Oswald changes these spreads, ever so slightly, leading to a big surprise at the end. This book the whole package—games and arguments, repetition and hand-play; darling illustrations of friends and dogs and cats, houses and apple trees; and a charming story of best friends who have a rotten day and then become best friends again. I cannot say enough about this beautiful, perfect picture book. Run up and down as many hills as you must in order to read this book!
At first glance you might think this book is overly repetitive (the refrain “down the hill, and up the hill…” are repeated, in some form, on seven spreads), but if you do, I urge you to take another look. This book makes a great read-aloud. Kids love repetition and love hand games. The author’s note in the back, reveals that her inspiration for the story came from a classic hand game. She provides instructions for the game. Now can you imagine the read aloud potential? At first glance you might also think illustrations are repeated (where the refrain occurs), but look closer (and children will—they notice every little detail). Pete Oswald changes these spreads, ever so slightly, leading to a big surprise at the end. This book the whole package—games and arguments, repetition and hand-play; darling illustrations of friends and dogs and cats, houses and apple trees; and a charming story of best friends who have a rotten day and then become best friends again. I cannot say enough about this beautiful, perfect picture book. Run up and down as many hills as you must in order to read this book!
April 3, 2020
Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day by Carmen Agra Deedy,illustrated by Pete Oswald. PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic Press, March 2020. $18. 9781338216387
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Rita and Ralph love meeting underneath the tree that’s in the middle of their two houses. But one day Rita gets hurt and the friends have a hard time saying that they are sorry.
What a great way to show kids in a quiet way that there are good ways and bad ways to apologize – and that apologizing is important. Teachers of many grades will want to read and discuss this with their charges.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Rita and Ralph love meeting underneath the tree that’s in the middle of their two houses. But one day Rita gets hurt and the friends have a hard time saying that they are sorry.
What a great way to show kids in a quiet way that there are good ways and bad ways to apologize – and that apologizing is important. Teachers of many grades will want to read and discuss this with their charges.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
March 5, 2020
Love this!! Cannot wait to use it for Kindergarten the first month of school/friendship unit. The finger/hand actions in the back are just what I love to work into a storytime for Kinders. So much fun with repetitive "up the hill and down the hill". Will have to buy several copies. The kids will want to borrow the one I read aloud to take home and read it with their caregivers. Also a great gift idea for grandparent to give Kinder/preschooler.
March 8, 2020
Rita and Ralph are best friends. They each run out their doors and run up and down hills to meet in the middle. One day something bad happens and they both run home. Each makes the trip to the other's home but masks their emotions with anger. The next day they meet in the middle again and work it out because that's what friends do.
Expressive character illustrations show the full range of emotions.
The message to work it and work together comes through clearly.
Expressive character illustrations show the full range of emotions.
The message to work it and work together comes through clearly.
October 16, 2020
This is a seriously cute book about two friends. Best friends. They live on opposite hills and meet in the middle to play together each day. One day they have a disagreement and it will take a lot of back and forth on those hills before they can figure out how to meet in the middle again. A sweet story about friendship and the disagreements that unfortunately arise, but how they can get put back together again. Great repetition and the darlingist of illustrations.
April 23, 2020
Sweet book about friendship and forgiveness and made even better by wonderful watercolor illustrations. Back matter includes the simple hand game that inspired the book. Perfect for toddlers and their parents to begin conversations about playing together and feeling happy, mad, and sad, and to be repeated over and over again through 1st or 2nd grade.
March 5, 2020
This was a very cute story that opens up a conversation of what friendship is and what communication should look like between friends. The style in which the message is presented makes it relatable for as young as 3 years old and upwards.
August 6, 2023
Cute and heartwarming, a timeless tale of friendship.
June 22, 2020
This book has many great elements for a read aloud to school or library time groups. The first thing I noticed was its extra long horizontal case that would symoblize that there is going to be a pronounced emphasis on going on a journey of some kind. When you begin reading you realize quickly that the two children are going to be moving towards and away from each other often as they meet and seperate. Oswald's illustrations expertly translate the text into a visual format and they are large enough to been by a group.
The element that makes this fun to read aloud is the use of repition in the text. The refrain of "down the hill, and up the hill" several times in the story allows the children a predictable point in the plot to join with the adult reader in saying out loud. There is also repeated text as both children open and close doors when they leave or enter the houses. The third repeated concept is what the children enjoy playing together. Their favorite activities are mentioned both at the begininng and at the ending giving the reader cues that children have resolved their disagreement.
The final element that makes this a fun read aloud is that the author includes a hand rhyme that inspired the story and how to do it. It is very easy to learn and I could see reading the story one time through without mentioning that there are motions to the kids, but then "discovering it" together as you turn the final pages. You could teach the kids the rhyme and motion, then go back and read the book inserting the motions when they appear in the story.
The element that makes this fun to read aloud is the use of repition in the text. The refrain of "down the hill, and up the hill" several times in the story allows the children a predictable point in the plot to join with the adult reader in saying out loud. There is also repeated text as both children open and close doors when they leave or enter the houses. The third repeated concept is what the children enjoy playing together. Their favorite activities are mentioned both at the begininng and at the ending giving the reader cues that children have resolved their disagreement.
The final element that makes this a fun read aloud is that the author includes a hand rhyme that inspired the story and how to do it. It is very easy to learn and I could see reading the story one time through without mentioning that there are motions to the kids, but then "discovering it" together as you turn the final pages. You could teach the kids the rhyme and motion, then go back and read the book inserting the motions when they appear in the story.
December 2, 2020
Picture book. Two friends, Rita and Ralph, live "in two little houses on two little hills." They spend a lot of time going up and down hills to meet each other at a tree in the middle. When a new game goes wrong and Rita ends up with a bump on her head, the two friends split ways. With Rita mad and Ralph sorry, Ralph tries to patch things up. But since Rita isn't coming out, Ralph has to go all the way to Rita's house, which is double the amount of hills. Luckily the next day both friends have the same idea and once again meet in the middle. Back matter includes a note from the author and a fingerplay that can be used throughout the story.
My first thought was that this book was a bit dull and repetitive, but seeing that a fingerplay accompanies the repetitive bit makes it much more enjoyable. Other reviewers also pointed out that the details in the picture change, specifically with the birds, the cat, and the dog. Looking at those details also made the hill scenes more fun-- one has the dog with a soccer ball on its nose! Though this story is simple, it's a great message of seeking forgiveness and apologizing, and how one bad day doesn't have to ruin a friendship. I do wish the fingerplay had been noted in the front of the book, but I can see this as a useful tool for reinforcing social emotional learning. Doing the fingerplay in storytime or with a class would also keep the children engaged while listening.
My first thought was that this book was a bit dull and repetitive, but seeing that a fingerplay accompanies the repetitive bit makes it much more enjoyable. Other reviewers also pointed out that the details in the picture change, specifically with the birds, the cat, and the dog. Looking at those details also made the hill scenes more fun-- one has the dog with a soccer ball on its nose! Though this story is simple, it's a great message of seeking forgiveness and apologizing, and how one bad day doesn't have to ruin a friendship. I do wish the fingerplay had been noted in the front of the book, but I can see this as a useful tool for reinforcing social emotional learning. Doing the fingerplay in storytime or with a class would also keep the children engaged while listening.
January 12, 2021
Hurting a friend and the process of reconciliation is a topic that should be introduced to kids early and often. I have read three books in the past two days that deal with doing something intentional that results in a friend being hurt plus the anger and sorrow that follow. Two were picture books (this book plus A Mystery in the Forest by Susanna Isern) and an illustrated chapter book (The Best of Iggy by Annie Barrows). They are all a little different but they do come to the same conclusion. You do something that is not well thought out and a friend ends up being hurt. In this story, Rita and Ralph play together every day. They are best friends - until the day they decide to play sticks and rocks. Ralph throws the rock and hurts Rita. (Bearing in mind it could just as easily have been Rita poking Ralph with the stick...). Ralph is sorry; Rita is angry. Ralph tries to apologize but Rita doesn't believe him -- and so now Ralph is angry and Rita is sorry. This picture book is formatted based on the traditional rhyme Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle. If that doesn't sound familiar - they go up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill to visit each other every day. I think it would make a nice read-aloud for storytime since everyone can join in on the "up the hill" and make the motions that go along with it (which are included in the book).
November 20, 2020
Rita and Ralph are best friends. Each day, they open their front doors and run down the hill and up the hill to meet in the middle between their houses at an apple tree. But one day, when Rita gets hurt while they are playing, Rita and Ralph get angry with each other. Both will have to go up the hill, down the hill, and up the hill again several times to learn how to make amends and become best friends again.
A really cool thing about this book is how wide it is. I didn't notice much until someone pointed it out to me, but having the width of the book longer than other books emphasizes the distance Rita and Ralph have to go in order to maintain their friendship. On the good days, they still have to cross some distance to be best friends, and on the bad days, they have to go even further. (Isn't that so true to life? Love it!)
Such a fun, adorable story with great pictures and a wonderful message that will resonate with children. I especially loved the cat and dog in the pictures. Kids will love trying to find where the dog and cat have gone on each page and following Rita's and Ralph's dotted-lined paths. I loved this book!
A really cool thing about this book is how wide it is. I didn't notice much until someone pointed it out to me, but having the width of the book longer than other books emphasizes the distance Rita and Ralph have to go in order to maintain their friendship. On the good days, they still have to cross some distance to be best friends, and on the bad days, they have to go even further. (Isn't that so true to life? Love it!)
Such a fun, adorable story with great pictures and a wonderful message that will resonate with children. I especially loved the cat and dog in the pictures. Kids will love trying to find where the dog and cat have gone on each page and following Rita's and Ralph's dotted-lined paths. I loved this book!
July 8, 2021
Rita and Ralph are best friends, but when their play gets a little out of hand and one of them gets hurt, they part ways. Ralph feels bad and Rita is mad. The thing is, in order to get to Rita's house to apologize, there are a number of hills Ralph must climb up and down (4 to be precise), and by the time he goes all that way he's tired and grumpy and doesn't sound particularly sorry. They go back and forth (down the hill and up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill...) a number of times before finally meeting in the middle in their usual place, both apologizing. Humor is found in the repetitive trips over all those hills, but also in their individual grumpinesses. It's a great story about what goes into maintaining friendships when harm, sometimes unintentional and sometimes not, is done. The author's note says, "Nothing feels worse than hurting a friend. Breaking things takes little effort; mending them takes time, humility, and a heap of trips up and down the hills of reconciliation."
Read
June 5, 2020 Cheerful colors; a childlike, expressive artistic style; and predictable rhythms in the text will invite young readers into this book and make them feel comfortable. Symmetry is used in both the narrative and the illustrations to show that Ralph and Rita’s experiences mirror each other in many ways, but there are also some differences to show that they are both their own people with their own perspectives.
I imagine this book living in a ‘cooling down corner’ kids can retreat to when they are feeling angry or overwhelmed. The hand game described at the end could even be used as a secret signal to indicate when a friend is ready to work things out after a fight.
This book will appeal to young children who frequently find themselves in conflict with others and feel like nobody understands their side. These children will relate to both characters and appreciate the possibility of a fresh start.
I imagine this book living in a ‘cooling down corner’ kids can retreat to when they are feeling angry or overwhelmed. The hand game described at the end could even be used as a secret signal to indicate when a friend is ready to work things out after a fight.
This book will appeal to young children who frequently find themselves in conflict with others and feel like nobody understands their side. These children will relate to both characters and appreciate the possibility of a fresh start.
December 12, 2020
This would be great for storytime. But first you need to go to the back and learn the hand motions that go with the story. The story itself is about friendship and forgiveness and meeting in the middle, but the telling of it has lots of repeating phrases. So tell this story in a storytime about emotional intelligence, opposites, friendships or being angry. But what I would do would be to teach the kids the motions and have them participate while I read the book. Or I might have them stand up/sit down, or simply raise their hands up and down as the protagonist friends go up and down the hills between their houses. The book itself is wide rather than tall, and the pictures inside use the entire width of the open pages to show the panorama as Rita and Ralph go back and forth. I also like their noseless angry faces.
January 19, 2021
There was so much about this book I liked
1.) The fact that the friendship was between a boy and a girl. I like seeing that. After all, girls and boys CAN be friends ;)
2.) it encourages meeting in the middle. Both literally and figuratively. Sometimes, even with the best of friends, that is what is called upon.
3.) An excellent book about emotions and character building
But I struggled with TOO MUCH REPETITION. "Down the hills....up the hill....down the hill....up the hill." Oh good grief, I could quote it in my sleep. A few times is great but it was almost on every page. Yeah I was over it quickly.
1.) The fact that the friendship was between a boy and a girl. I like seeing that. After all, girls and boys CAN be friends ;)
2.) it encourages meeting in the middle. Both literally and figuratively. Sometimes, even with the best of friends, that is what is called upon.
3.) An excellent book about emotions and character building
But I struggled with TOO MUCH REPETITION. "Down the hills....up the hill....down the hill....up the hill." Oh good grief, I could quote it in my sleep. A few times is great but it was almost on every page. Yeah I was over it quickly.
March 10, 2021
Rita and Ralph are best friends. They meet at the apple tree between their houses every day. But when a game goes south and someone gets hurt, angry feelings and hurt feelings result. Can the friends mend things up?
I like how this covers how saying sorry in the wrong way doesn't really help things. There's a pattern and rhythm to the story echoing the ups and downs of relationships, and how both sides can feel hurt in the process. In the end, there's a very good and healthy resolution. A great little picture book about conflict resolution that has touches of humor (in text and illustrations) and hand signals in the back of the book that can go with the story. Highly recommended.
I like how this covers how saying sorry in the wrong way doesn't really help things. There's a pattern and rhythm to the story echoing the ups and downs of relationships, and how both sides can feel hurt in the process. In the end, there's a very good and healthy resolution. A great little picture book about conflict resolution that has touches of humor (in text and illustrations) and hand signals in the back of the book that can go with the story. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2020
The Summer Reading Ambassador this year was Carmen Agra Deedy and I had the privilege of watching her tell a story a few times. She is a master and this book is a gem that I think we can all have fun with. At the end of the book there are hand motions to the rhyme in the story. It begs to be read aloud. I'm going to try it out next week with a group of K-1 students I get to share a book with, in person, every week - lucky me! Time to practice those hand motions.
Recommended for Preschool and up.
Recommended for Preschool and up.
March 12, 2021
If you've been looking for a book about apologizing, pick this one.
After a rotten day of being angry at each other, Rita and Ralph both want to say sorry for the things that they have done. I like that, from our perspective at least, both choose to say sorry because of how they feel so rotten, not because someone makes them. A good book about natural consequences and mending relationships.
I love that they meet in the middle, or sometimes have to go the distance. Good metaphor.
Has interactive motions to play-act the story...FUN!
After a rotten day of being angry at each other, Rita and Ralph both want to say sorry for the things that they have done. I like that, from our perspective at least, both choose to say sorry because of how they feel so rotten, not because someone makes them. A good book about natural consequences and mending relationships.
I love that they meet in the middle, or sometimes have to go the distance. Good metaphor.
Has interactive motions to play-act the story...FUN!
May 20, 2021
Rita and Ralph's Rotten Day is a book about friendship and conflict. All kids will identify with what happens between these two friends. It can serve as a conversation starter to deal with situations that happen between neighbors or in school. It can, also, be used in counseling with small children.
It uses repetition making it a good book for kids learning to read or smaller kids that like to follow by repeating phrases found in the book.
Roth has taken a complex topic and presented it with sensitivity and realism.
It uses repetition making it a good book for kids learning to read or smaller kids that like to follow by repeating phrases found in the book.
Roth has taken a complex topic and presented it with sensitivity and realism.
June 9, 2022
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)
This was a cute story about two best friends that loved to play together. One day they got into a fight and had to learn to work through saying I'm sorry. This is something that young children struggle with so I think this would be a great book to read to my kindergarteners for an SEL lesson. In addition, young children love repetition and there is a lot in this book with going up the hill and down the hill to get to each others houses. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars.
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)
This was a cute story about two best friends that loved to play together. One day they got into a fight and had to learn to work through saying I'm sorry. This is something that young children struggle with so I think this would be a great book to read to my kindergarteners for an SEL lesson. In addition, young children love repetition and there is a lot in this book with going up the hill and down the hill to get to each others houses. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars.
December 6, 2022
Deedy is a story teller the likes of which I've not read since Margaret Read MacDonald. We need more collaborations between story-tellers who are performers, illustrators, and book designers. The last because, look at the book, *much* wider than it is tall. These kids realio-trulio want to be friends through thick & thin.... ;)
Highly recommended to anyone who is learning what friendship means, of any age, tbh.
Highly recommended to anyone who is learning what friendship means, of any age, tbh.
September 24, 2021
I love everything about this book! The long size of it, the illustrations, all of the detail in the pictures, and the great story line about two friends who are having a fight. Bonus content at the end: directions on how to do a special handshake the way the characters in the book do and the last page, hidden after the copyright page, that shows what Rita and Ralph built after they read the "101 Things to Build..." book near the end.
So. Great.
So. Great.
January 25, 2022
Based on the cover I was not excited to read this book. I know, I know. Don't judge a book by its cover... This book was so cute and one that everyone can relate to. Friendships often go up and down. This book navigates a friendship through a "moment", all the while going "down the hill, and up the hill". Genius. And the emotions the characters feel we can all relate to. I will certainly be recommending this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews