Horn Book

Youngsters who enjoyed Rotten Ralph in his picture book outings can now encounter the fractious feline in a beginning reader. Sarah, Ralph's long-suffering owner, has to do a project on ancient Egypt, and Ralph's "help" is of little value. The narrative unobtrusively includes many facts about Egypt. Rubel's illustrations parallel the story and also reflect its underlying frenzy.

Kirkus Reviews

Rotten Ralph's bouncy, semi-bad behavior and amusing antics have been delighting children for years in the long-running series from the versatile Gantos ( Joey Pigza Loses Control , 2000, etc.). Now the irrepressible Ralph has moved on to "Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers" in this upper-level easy reader with an Egyptian theme that will dovetail nicely into first- and second-grade classrooms studying ancient Egypt. Ralph's owner, the ever-cheerful Sarah, shares all the interesting facts she's learned in the class Egyptian unit, and Ralph tries to help her with her library research and her individual class project, causing his familiar brand of minor troubles at every turn. (He does at least attempt to be helpful in this story, rather than rotten as in some of his previous capers.) Rubel's flat, stylized illustrations in full color are a natural complement to the Egyptian style of art, and she adds a good deal of additional information on ancient Egyptian culture through her illustrations. The text is set in large type with plenty of white space, and the story is divided into four simple chapters. Although this will function well as an amusing and educational easy reader, it contains enough facts and illustrations about ancient Egypt to serve as the corner stone for a classroom thematic unit—all that and rascally red Rotten Ralph, too. (Easy reader. 6-8)

School Library Journal (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 1-3-That infamous feline is now appearing in a new series of beginning readers. In this story, Ralph assists his owner, Sarah, with her class project on ancient Egypt. Readers will learn a bit about the life and customs of this fascinating place and time while they build their literacy skills. Throughout the short chapters, Ralph is up to his usual tricks; he gets into trouble for building a pyramid of books and writing hieroglyphics on the walls during a visit to the library. The colorful and humorous illustrations add appeal and reinforce Ralph's rotten behavior. A wise choice for youngsters making the transition from picture books to chapter books.-Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

ALA Booklist

Rotten Ralph and Sarah explore all things Egyptian in this latest adventure. Sarah invites Ralph to help her come up with a school project that represents Egyptian culture. Of course, everything goes hilariously awry. At the library, Ralph builds a pyramid of books and draws hieroglyphics on the walls; at home, he floods the hallway while trying to make a boat, and piles sand in the living room, to re-create a desert oasis. Every time I want to do something fun you spoil it, says Sarah. In the end, however, Ralph's Sphinx costume makes him the hit of the class. The text's short sentences and dialogue are basic enough for new readers while imparting plenty of interesting facts about the Egyptians. Rubel's familiar, richly colored cartoon illustrations show the chaos and humor.