Rotten Ralph

Rotten Ralph is a series of children's picture books written by Jack Gantos and illustrated by Nicole Rubel. About twenty Rotten Ralph books have been published from 1976 to 2011. Rotten Ralph is also the first book in the series, a 32-page picture book published by Houghton Mifflin of Boston in 1976. It was the first published book for both Gantos and Rubel.

Alternatively, Rotten Ralph is the title character of the series, initially "a very very nasty cat" —a bright red domestic cat who enjoys playing mean, practical jokes on his human family.

There was a children's television series by Cosgrove Hall Films, Tooncan Productions and Italtoons Corporation based on the books, first broadcast on CBBC from 1998 to 2001. It also went to air on Nickelodeon in the UK too, around 2000. The show hasn't been aired in the UK since reruns ended in 2005. The show aired in the United States on the Fox Family Channel from 1999 to 2001.

Books
All of the Rotten Ralph books have been written by Jack Gantos and illustrated by Nicole Rubel.


 * Rotten Ralph (Houghton Mifflin, 1976) @
 * Worse than rotten, Ralph (H.M., 1978) @
 * Rotten Ralph's rotten Christmas (H.M., 1984) @
 * Rotten Ralph's trick or treat (H.M., 1986) @
 * Rotten Ralph's show and tell (H.M., 1989) @
 * Happy birthday Rotten Ralph (H.M., 1990) @
 * Not so Rotten Ralph (H.M., 1994) @
 * Rotten Ralph's rotten romance (H.M., 1997) @
 * Back to school for Rotten Ralph (HarperCollins, 1998) @
 * The Christmas spirit strikes Rotten Ralph (HC, 1998)
 * Rotten Ralph's Halloween Howl (HC, 1998)
 * Rotten Ralph's Thanksgiving wish (HC, 1999)
 * Wedding bells for Rotten Ralph (HC, 1999)
 * Rotten Ralph helps out (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001) ‡
 * Practice makes perfect for Rotten Ralph (Farrar, 2002) ‡
 * Rotten Ralph feels rotten (Farrar, 2004) ‡
 * Best in show for Rotten Ralph (Farrar, 2005) ‡
 * The nine lives of Rotten Ralph (Houghton Mifflin, 2009) @
 * Three strikes for Rotten Ralph (Farrar, 2011) ‡
 * Three strikes for Rotten Ralph (Farrar, 2011) ‡


 * @ Rotten Ralph Picture Books listed by Gantos (10, nine published by Houghton)
 * ‡ Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers listed by Gantos (5, all published by Farrar)

This list of nineteen titles with publishers and publication dates is compiled from U.S. national library and WorldCat library catalog records. According to a Horn Book Magazine review of The Nine Lives of Rotten Ralph in May 2009, the series had previously comprised "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." Eight Rotten Ralph books had then been published by Houghton Mifflin, all picture books; Nine Lives was the ninth. Four "rotten readers" had been published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Regular characters

 * Rick Jones - Rotten Ralph
 * Jennifer Seguin - Mom
 * Mark Camacho - Dad
 * Brigid Tierney - Sarah
 * Daniel Brochu - Percy
 * Sonja Ball - Lulu / Additional Voices
 * Terrence Scammell - Fleabag / Bones / Additional Voices
 * Richard Dumont - Bongo Bob / Additional Voices

Guests

 * Jaclyn Linetsky - Brenda / Additional Voices
 * A.J. Henderson - Buddy / Additional Voices
 * Justin Bradley - Kid / Additional Voices
 * Helena Evangeliou - Linda / Additional Voices
 * Arthur Holden - TV Announcer / Additional Voices
 * Eleanor Noble - Additional Voices
 * Liz MacRae - Lola / Reporter / Additional Voices
 * Harry Standjofski - Naughty Nathan
 * Susan Glover - Madame Olga / Additional Voices

United States

 * Rotten Ralph volume 1 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1999)
 * Rotten Ralph volume 2 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1999)