(2) K-3 Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series. Illustrated by Nicole Rubel. After finding an old photo album, Ralph visits his family. His mother treats him well, but the other relatives heap humiliation on him. Ralph realizes the reason he is so rotten is that his own family was rotten to him. The longer format serves Ralph well, allowing a more sophisticated story line to emerge. Lively tongue-in-cheek illustrations extend the action.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(3) K-3 Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series. Illustrated by Nicole Rubel. 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.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(2) K-3 Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series. Illustrated by Nicole Rubel. Ralph is unwilling to work to win prizes at the carnival, and he scoffs at perfect cousin Percy's constant practicing. Naturally, Ralph shames himself. Percy wins a slew of prizes, which prompts Ralph to devise a scheme, a dangerous proposition. Ralph's misbehavior is as entertaining as it is reprehensible. Illustrated with Rubel's deadpan pictures, this is a prize for newly independent readers, for whom "practice makes perfect" indeed.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(2) K-3 Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader series. Illustrated by Nicole Rubel. 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.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001