  | Rita and Ralph's rotten day Author: Deedy, Carmen Agra | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Rita and Ralph live on neighboring hills and they are best friends, until a silly accident while goofing around ends up with both of them angry and unhappy--and they both need to find a way to heal the break in their relationship.
| Illustrator: | Oswald, Pete |
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 2.80 Points: .5 Quiz: 508184 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (11/15/19)
Booklist (+) (02/15/20)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/02/20)
The Hornbook (00/05/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/15/2020 *Starred Review* Rita and Ralph are best friends and neighbors. Each day, they walk down and up a pair of hills to meet beneath the apple tree between their houses. They have a secret handshake, games they play, and dances they like to do. But one day while playing a new game, Sticks and Stones, Rita gets hurt by Ralph’s rock. “‘UH-OH.’ Ralph froze. This was bad. Really bad. So they ran away . . .” Back in their houses, Rita feels angry and Ralph feels sorry. The incident morphs into a fight that leaves both friends sad and sleepless. The next day they run up and down their hills, meeting in the middle with earnest apologies. Oswald’s illustrations take full advantage of this book’s elongated format, accentuating the distance between the friends’ houses, especially when each child makes the entire journey (down and up and down and up and down and up and down and up) alone. The long trip impacts their moods, with contrite Ralph growing grumpy and remorseful Rita relapsing into anger. Deedy’s realistic portrait of the ups and downs of friendship will strike a familiar chord with young readers. This well-crafted story is an excellent choice for those seeking books featuring conflict-resolution to help children learn to manage their emotions and build healthy friendships and boundaries. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
