Review by Booklist Review
Preparing for baseball tryouts, Sarah encourages her incorrigible cat, Rotten Ralph, to practice his skills, too. But during tryouts, Ralph gets beaned as he daydreams about superstardom and cheering fans. Chosen as the bat boy, his one chance to play in a game results in a comic disaster. This colorful volume from the Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series counterbalances Sarah's good advice and experiences with Ralph's bad attitude and results. A quirky but warmhearted baseball story that will amuse young readers, sports fans or not.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this early reader, Ralph, the storied tomato-red cat with a jack-o-lantern grin, has home run aspirations. But when it's time for tryouts, Ralph is too focused on being a "superstar" to listen to his owner Sarah's advice. Though Sarah makes the Fighting Squirrels and Ralph doesn't, he becomes the team's "cat boy," giving him a chance to hone his skills. Busy daydreaming and practicing his autograph, Ralph doesn't bother practicing, and when he fills in for a sick player, his overconfidence results in a belly flop. Gantos and Rubel offer easy reading, funny pictures, and an accessible lesson about humility and hard work-sprinkled with some legit baseball pointers. Ages 6-8. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Rotten Ralph has his future planned out. He's designed his own baseball card, embellished his uniform with the words Superstar #1, and practiced how he'll sign autographs and give interviews with the media. He hasn't worked on his hitting, throwing, or running skills though. After tryouts, Ralph's owner, Sarah, makes the team, but Ralph is designated the new "cat boy." His duties include washing socks and sweeping the dugout. During the season, he is given different responsibilities, but his dreams of stardom never materialize. Ralph's antics on and off the baseball field may seem rotten to some, but he manages to remain a superstar in Sarah's eyes. There is never a dull moment in this colorful and appealing early reader.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Ralph spends more time dreaming of glory than practicing, so instead of earning a spot on the baseball team, he's given the job of "cat boy." In true Rotten Ralph spirit, the story's message never gets too message-y, thanks largely to impish embellishments--as when Ralph spits in all the players' new gloves to soften them--in both art and text. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Has Ralph learned nothing in more than 30 years of misadventures and misbehavior? As always, when faced with a challenge, he takes the path of least effort. Sarah has endless patience with her recalcitrant cat while preparing for baseball tryouts. She practices throwing, fielding and hitting; he just practices his idea of superstar skills, like signing autographs and giving TV interviews. Of course his tryout is a disaster, but he becomes the "cat-boy." When he finally gets his chance, his showboating nearly loses the game. For this Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader, Gantos employs simple, direct language with just the right infusion of baseball jargon. He plays it straight, describing the events, the relationship between child and cat, the baseball action and the celebrity status of the game's heroes. Rubel's bright, sharp cartoons provide the hilarity, depicting Ralph's goofy expressions as he reluctantly performs his duties, including substituting for the "mighty flying squirrel" mascot, all the while imagining himself a hero and a media darling. Ralph's only redeeming quality is his love for Sarah, but his irrepressible rottenness will delight newly independent readers. (Early reader. 6-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
