Product Description

"The rousing notes of the bugle and the laughter and shouting increased the feeling of rebellion within Ralph. As the last strains of the bugle call hovered in the clear mountain air, Ralph made up his mind. He knew now what he was going to do. He was going to run away.

Fed up with his timid mother and uncle and his squirmy little cousins, Ralph hops onto his toy motorcycle and zooms down the road to summer camp. It turns out camp is not all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fun. A strict watchdog, a mouse-hungry cat, and a troubled boy named Garf lead Ralph on some fur-raising escapades. Perhaps home isn't such a bad place to be, if only Ralph can find a way to get there again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41392 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-15
• Released on: 1991-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 191 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780380709533
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Cleary again successfully combines fantasy and reality." -- -- Booklist

Review
"Cleary again successfully combines fantasy and reality."  --Booklist

From the Inside Flap
Read by William Roberts
2 cassettes / 2 hours 35 mins.

Even mice get away from their pestering siblings.  Ralph is no different.  And he sure has had it with his mother telling him what to do all the time.  But is he prepared for the vast and scary world he'll find once he takes to the road on his motorcycle?

Customer Reviews

Ralph gets more than he bargained for on this adventure!
Ralph S. Mouse is tired of being told what to do. He's annoyed with his younger siblings. So, what's a young mouse with a motorcycle going to do? Why, take off on an adventure of the open road. With a "Pb--pb--p--p--p" Ralph heads downhill toward Happy Acres Camp to seek the company of boys his "age" and PBJ sandwiches. But the adventure isn't what he expected. He doesn't like the smells of gasoline or the dust and wind that whips his face, and when he finally gets to the camp, he finds that things aren't quite what he anticipates. There is a cat to avoid, a problem kid who sings songs about torturing helpless animals, and he gets caught in a cage. How will Ralph get back to safety, will anyone find the motorcycle he's hidden in the shrubbery? And how will he ever get up the hill that he came down? Anybody who enjoys adventure, or has ever run away from home ( I got as far as our boat when I was 5), will love the excitement of going on this adventure with Ralph.

A mouse's marvelous adventure
"Runaway Ralph," by Beverly Cleary, tells a story about Ralph, a mouse who lives with his family in a hotel. Ralph finds himself in conflict with both the nagging older generation of mice and the annoying younger group; he longs for "a life of speed and danger and excitement." So he sets off on his mouse-sized motorcycle and has an adventure in which he encounters many new people, animals, and situations.

"Ralph" is a fun adventure story that is filled with humor and suspense. Cleary includes well-written characters and many clever details as Ralph's journey progresses. An important aspect of the novel is Ralph's ability to talk to both other animals (of various species) and certain humans. This fantasy element of the book, similar to the communication in the classic story "Charlotte's Web," is skillfully handled by Cleary.

Ralph is a great character. Despite his personal flaws, his essential courage and resourcefulness make him admirable. I see Ralph as a questing hero in the mold of such classic characters as Homer's Odysseus or Cervantes' Don Quixote. Finally, for an interesting companion text to "Ralph," try Felice Holman's powerful novel "Slake's Limbo."

Runaway Ralph
This is an absolutey adorable book to read to your little ones! Mine loved it! It has quite a bit of adventure in it for one little mouse.