Ralph the cat displays a truly rotten attitude in this hilarious picture-book from 1976, behaving atrociously to his loving human girl, Sarah, as well as to Sarah's parents and everyone and everything else he meets. Things come to a head when the family attend the circus, and Ralph's rotten antics ruin the experience for all. Fed up, Sarah's father marches his family out leaving Ralph behind. A period of living rough on the streets follows for our feline anti-hero, and Ralph learns to appreciate what he had in Sarah. When finally reunited with her, he has learned to be less rotten... sort of.

I had a copy of Rotten Ralph as a girl, as well as a few others about the misdeeds of this cantankerous cat, and I recall reading and enjoying it countless times. There was something so transgressive and humorous about Ralph, who was truly rotten, and only ever marginally reformed, and it tickled my funny bone. The heartwarming conclusion was so satisfying to the younger me, providing some reassurance that even those who misbehaved in spectacular ways could be loved. I undertook my current reread because I would like to track down some later entries in the series, and I thought I would revisit the origin of the character. I am glad I did, as not only was I reminded of one of my childhood favorites, but I gained a greater appreciation for the somewhat trippy, 70s-style illustrations from Nicole Rubel. Somehow, although Jack Gantos' story stuck with me, I don't have a strong memory of reacting one way or another to the artwork. Perhaps this is because it didn't then seem so distant, aesthetically speaking, as it does now.

In any case, this is one I would recommend to young cat lovers, and to picture-book readers who enjoy slightly less sweet stories. ( )

Hilarious. I loved the trippy illustrations by Nicole Rubel. Think about that time period between Yellow Submarine and disco. As one reviewer points out, despite the demonic expressions on Ralph's face, he doesn't actually seem to mean much harm - he's just exuberantly playful (usually) and self-centered. Um, like toddlers, maybe? ;) I'm definitely looking for more stories about Ralph. ( )

This story is about a cat who is rotten. He is sent to school to learn how to be polite and nice. The major theme showed is personality change. This story follows the picture book grid by Jack Gantos. ( )

funny ( )

The illustrations found here are fun and are much more detailed than you’d think after first glance. Ralph is drawn bright red and rather scary looking. Everything has a purpose in the picture and its own personality. This story provides lots of personification. Fun for children to read and see the this nasty cat performing practical jokes, but also shows that actions have consequences. ( )