The Nine Lives of Rotten Ralph

Starred review from April 20, 2009
Uh oh. Rotten Ralph is in bigger trouble than ever. After a rough night of “being rotten with his alley cat friends,” he gets some bad news from the vet: he's used up eight of his lives and, per the nine lives chart, “Next Stop: Cat Heaven (Good Cats Only!)” At his owner Sarah's request, a forlorn Ralph recaps (in thought bubbles) how he lost his eight lives, providing a quick tour of his previous eight picture-book misadventures, a reminder of just how uproarious—and timeless—these stories are. Sarah announces that Ralph's rotten days are behind him, vowing to protect her pet: he ends up in a baby buggy, wearing a bonnet. Kids won't expect this to last, and it doesn't. Leaping out the window, he engages in some typical shenanigans (“He ran into the aquarium and grabbed two electric eels. That shocked him back into action”) but, luckily for fans (and his owner), he returns, last life intact. Gantos and Rubel remain in perfect comic sync, as wryly understated text and dynamic art deliver Ralph at his rotten best. Ages 3–7.

April 1, 2009
K-Gr 2-Rotten Ralph has really done it this time. After a night of carousing, he looks in the mirror only to be terrified by the ghostly figure that stares back. Loving Sarah takes him to the vet, who unceremoniously declares that the cat has used up eight of his nine lives. A short trip down memory lane reviews his antics from the eight previous stories. Sarah dotes on him even more than usual and cautions him to "take it easy." His rottenness gets the better of him and though he doesn't use up that last life, he doesn't repent either. Rubel's familiar illustrations once again add humor and vigor to the story. The feline plays sad and dejected after his diagnosis, encouraging readers' empathy. He later grabs two electric eels from the aquarium to "shock him back into action," which frizz out his fur, greatly enlarge his green eyes, and raise him off the floor. Ralph's fans won't want to miss this latest offering."Linda Meneses Kenton, Pickleweed Public Library, San Rafael, CA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2009
Grades K-3 After a night on the town, Rotten Ralph seems so pale and sickly that Sarah takes him to the vet, who proclaims that hes used up eight of his nine lives. Shaken by the diagnosis, Sarah begins treating her beloved cat like a baby. Coddling doesnt suit Ralph, though, and soon hes out gallivanting again. From the long-running Rotten Ralph picture-book series, this darkly amusing story features flashbacks to eight catastrophic encounters (Ralphs reminiscences of his past lives). Deadpan storytelling and brightly colored, somewhat zany ink-and-wash artwork combine for a decidedly droll and sometimes hilarious picture book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
Ralph awakens with the kitty equivalent of a hangover after a night of carousing. The vet's dire diagnosis: "Your cat has used up eight of his nine lives." Rubel's sly caricatures recount how each life got starved, shaken, and snowballed away in previous books. Will Ralph now adhere to Sarah's prescription of an extra-cautious ninth life? His fans already know the answer.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2009
Thirty-three years of rottenness take a toll on a guy. Starting with 1976's Rotten Ralph, Sarah's incorrigible cat has misbehaved his way through eight picture books (plus four early readers). This ninth volume flashes back to those marvelous stories and the unbridled antics therein, which, unfortunately for Ralph, shaved off eight of his lives. Here he awakens with the kitty equivalent of a hangover after a night of carousing. Frightened by his unhealthy-looking reflection in the mirror, he begs Sarah for help, and she takes him to the vet, who delivers a dire diagnosis. "'Your cat has used up eight of his nine lives,' she whispered...'Sadly, I believe his best days are behind him.'" Rubel and Gantos have always been the perfect wicked team, and Rubel's sly caricatured art vividly fills in the details of Ralph's memories as he recounts to Sarah how each life got starved, shaken, carried, and snowballed away in one of the previous picture books. Does this mean Ralph will from now on adhere to Sarah's prescription of an extra-cautious ninth life, spent riding in a baby carriage, downing vitamins, and never going outside to carouse with his alley-cat buddies? Ralph fans know the answer already. c.m.h.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)