The Infamous Ratsos (Infamous Ratsos Series #1)

by Kara LaReau Narrated by Mark Turetsky

Overview

A 2017 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book

Louie and Ralphie Ratso are no softies! Readers are sure to chuckle as the determined Ratso brothers' plans to act tough go hilariously awry.

Louie and Ralphie Ratso's dad, Big Lou, always says that there are two kinds of people: those who are tough and those who are soft. Louie and Ralphie are tough, tough, tough, just like Big Lou, and they're going to prove it. But every time they try to show just how tough they are, the Ratso brothers end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. What'll Big Lou do when he finds out they've been acting like softies all over the Big City? Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers, this clever and surprisingly warmhearted chapter book shows that being tough all the time can be really tough.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 08/01/2016
Louie and Ralphie Ratso are determined to be as tough as their truck-driver father, but the rats’ efforts go hilariously awry in this funny, thoughtful, and smart chapter book. In episodic escapades, they steal a classmate’s hat, make a new student a sandwich from the “worst foods they can find,” and soap a neighbor’s windows, only to be met with gratitude. “Pickled mushrooms and beets and eggplant, just like my nana used to make!” gushes gleeful sandwich recipient Fluffy Rabbitski. LaReau packs substantial comedy and poignant emotion into each chapter (the boys’ mother has “been gone for a little while now”), adeptly amplified by Myers’s spot art. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

Louie and Ralphie Ratso are determined to be as tough as their truck-driver father, but the rats’ efforts go hilariously awry in this funny, thoughtful, and smart chapter book...LaReau packs substantial comedy and poignant emotion into each chapter (the boys’ mother has “been gone for a little while now”), adeptly amplified by Myers’s spot art.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books...The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers' sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos' "unwelcome" mat. A nicely inventive little morality "tail" for newly independent readers.
—Kirkus Reviews

The father-son dynamic is realistic and honest. Young readers will feel for the family as they learn to deal with the absence of a loved one. This slender novel packs a strong message of overcoming loss through love and kindness. A solid purchase; a chapter book that entertains and uplifts.
—School Library Journal

Generous black-and-white illustrations evoke setting (a rundown city neighborhood) as well as reinforce the storyline and the light tone of the text, with its natural vocabulary. Here’s a beginning chapter book with heart.
—Horn Book

Action and real emotion are packed appealingly into this rumbustious tale for readers ages 5-8.
—The Wall Street Journal

School Library Journal

06/01/2016
Gr 2–4—Everyone in the Big City knows the Ratsos. Third grader Ralphie and fifth grader Louie live with their father, Big Lou, in the animal metropolis. Their mother's unexplained absence has the family resorting to "toughness" as a means of survival. Big Lou tells his sons to "hang tough." These half-pints surmise that talking about your feelings, making friends, and being kind are only for "softies." They plan to show how tough they are by pulling pranks on their classmates and neighbors. But all of their antics backfire, leading to unwanted consequences. This animal protagonist tale is lighthearted and fun. The writing is straightforward and easy, while the pen-and-ink artwork is detailed. These characters are complex enough to interest newly independent readers, and the story resolution is heartfelt and solid. The father-son dynamic is realistic and honest. Young readers will feel for the family as they learn to deal with the absence of a loved one. This slender novel packs a strong message of overcoming loss through love and kindness. VERDICT A solid purchase; a chapter book that entertains and uplifts.—Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

2016-05-04
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that "tough" means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton's hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What's a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they've been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers' sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos' "unwelcome" mat.A nicely inventive little morality "tail" for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169181395
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Series:	Infamous Ratsos Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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