What do you think?
Rate this book
RRRalph
Would you believe that Ralph the dog can talk? Yip, yip, yip—it's true!
With bestselling author Lois Ehlert's simple, funny, call-and-response text and bold, playful collage illustrations, this fresh, young book is sure to get little ones laughing (and talking to their dogs)!
With bestselling author Lois Ehlert's simple, funny, call-and-response text and bold, playful collage illustrations, this fresh, young book is sure to get little ones laughing (and talking to their dogs)!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2011
9 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Lois Ehlert
85 books197 followersLois Ehlert has created numerous inventive, celebrated, and bestselling picture books, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Holey Moley, The Scraps Book, Mice, Ten Little Caterpillars, RRRalph, Lots of Spots, Boo to You!, Leaf Man, Waiting for Wings, Planting a Rainbow, Growing Vegetable Soup, and Color Zoo, which received a Caldecott Honor. She lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
July 14, 2011
Listen up you hallowed members of the Caldecott Committee. Lois Ehlert deserves your medal. She has deserved your medal for years, while you have repeatedly passed her by for everything from a biography illustrated with woodcut prints to a frickin' pseudo graphic novel.
Take a look at this one. It embodies everything Ehlert can do. Look at her use of various media to create her collages. Look at her bold, clear designs that have appeal for even a toddler.
Combine that with a simple, clear text that has jokes a kindergartener will roar at, yet still be enjoyed by the kids too small to get the joke.
AND it's a dog book. How can you resist a DOG book?
Well, I can, but that's another story....
Take a look at this one, Caldecott folks. And then read the rest of Ehlert's stuff.
Because if she isn't doing award worthy picture books, no one else out there is!
Take a look at this one. It embodies everything Ehlert can do. Look at her use of various media to create her collages. Look at her bold, clear designs that have appeal for even a toddler.
Combine that with a simple, clear text that has jokes a kindergartener will roar at, yet still be enjoyed by the kids too small to get the joke.
AND it's a dog book. How can you resist a DOG book?
Well, I can, but that's another story....
Take a look at this one, Caldecott folks. And then read the rest of Ehlert's stuff.
Because if she isn't doing award worthy picture books, no one else out there is!
May 18, 2011
Ehlert returns with another cleverly illustrated book, this time featuring a dynamic dog. Ralph is a dog who is able to talk. No, really! When they brought him home and asked him his name, he replied with “RRRalph Ralph.” He can tell you where he is when he climbs up on his doghouse: “Roof roof.” Just ask him what is on the outside of a tree, and he knows that it’s BARK. The book continues with more questions for Ralph and him answering them with a variety of barks, until at the end, he only replies with a snore since he’s fallen asleep.
The book has a great sense of humor and after the first couple of examples of how Ralph replies to questions, children will be trying to guess the next answers that Ralph will give. The dynamic color combinations of the backgrounds with the pop of black-and-white dog on them add to the fun. Ehlert excels at her illustrations done using collage and found objects. The can tab nose gives Ralph a jaunty friendly feel, as does the colorful collar and heart-shaped tag.
A dog book that is barking up just the right tree for young children, this book belong on every library’s shelves and adds to the incredible body of Ehlert’s work. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
The book has a great sense of humor and after the first couple of examples of how Ralph replies to questions, children will be trying to guess the next answers that Ralph will give. The dynamic color combinations of the backgrounds with the pop of black-and-white dog on them add to the fun. Ehlert excels at her illustrations done using collage and found objects. The can tab nose gives Ralph a jaunty friendly feel, as does the colorful collar and heart-shaped tag.
A dog book that is barking up just the right tree for young children, this book belong on every library’s shelves and adds to the incredible body of Ehlert’s work. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
May 18, 2011
Bringing this home to my boys (8 and 3). The older one will like all the jokes and the little one will like the pictures (I want to see Lois Ehlert's studio someday - I have visions of piles of all sorts of fun stuff).
September 21, 2021
This was a really cute book, perfect for dog lovers like our family.
January 11, 2018
Would you like to meet a talking dog? Rrralph named himself when he came home with his boy and has been talking since. He can tell you there is bark on a tree, and that the gravel is rough rough on his paws. Lois Ehlert books are always interesting to read because she uses various methods to create her art such as drawing, cut up paper, bottle caps, pieces of fabric, a zipper for a mouth, etc.
This book would be good for a child who loves I Spy books where you have to find the hidden object because Ehlert uses such diverse methods in her art.
This would be a good book for an art unit to show children that art isn't just coloring on paper.
This is also a good book for an imagination unit as the dog "talks" by the owner asking questions that a dog can respond to with normal dog sounds. Woof woof can sound like roof roof for example.
This book would be good for a child who loves I Spy books where you have to find the hidden object because Ehlert uses such diverse methods in her art.
This would be a good book for an art unit to show children that art isn't just coloring on paper.
This is also a good book for an imagination unit as the dog "talks" by the owner asking questions that a dog can respond to with normal dog sounds. Woof woof can sound like roof roof for example.
June 12, 2016
Amazing pictures
February 9, 2019
Ralph is the author's dog, and the author illustrates that Ralph is the dog could talk.
The plot consisted of the narrator, who is the author, believing that Ralph could talk. For instance, when she asked Ralph’s name, Ralph said “RRRalph, RRRalph”. When she asked where Ralph was, Ralph said “Roof, Roof”. The dog did not talk literally, but the author wittily portrayed that Ralph could talk by interpreting onomatopoeia from the perspectives of a human. The story was a bit clumsy, so rather than the storyline, what I enjoyed was the artwork of this picture book. By using collage techniques, Ralph was vividly illustrated. Scraps of tree bark, zippers, screws, and pull tabs were used to create the form of Ralph and the backgrounds. Children could be inspired to create their own Ralph and stories.
The plot consisted of the narrator, who is the author, believing that Ralph could talk. For instance, when she asked Ralph’s name, Ralph said “RRRalph, RRRalph”. When she asked where Ralph was, Ralph said “Roof, Roof”. The dog did not talk literally, but the author wittily portrayed that Ralph could talk by interpreting onomatopoeia from the perspectives of a human. The story was a bit clumsy, so rather than the storyline, what I enjoyed was the artwork of this picture book. By using collage techniques, Ralph was vividly illustrated. Scraps of tree bark, zippers, screws, and pull tabs were used to create the form of Ralph and the backgrounds. Children could be inspired to create their own Ralph and stories.
December 18, 2018
So...I'm in the middle of a Christmas storytime when a little girl (maybe...three years old...) comes up to me and says this is the FUNNIEST book and I just HAD to read it for storytime. Well, I declined (it is NOT a Christmas book!), but I went ahead and read it when I was done and cleaned up. And you know what? It's a really cute little book! Ralph's speech is clever, and the illustrations are great. I see why the little one loved it! So while it didn't make it into my storytime today, it just MAY in the future.
March 22, 2019
This one is just plain fun! The narrator is convinced that her dog can talk. Afterall, when she asked him his name he answered, "Rrralph! Rraplh!" And, when she found him on top his doghouse and asked him where he was he answered, "Roof! Roof!"
After the first few pages preschoolers will get the pattern and have fun trying to guess what sound Ralph will make next. Highly recommended!
After the first few pages preschoolers will get the pattern and have fun trying to guess what sound Ralph will make next. Highly recommended!
February 9, 2021
Highest possible rating! Preschoolers and even older kids will enjoy the hilarious text and colorful pictures in this short book. Warning: reading aloud may lead to uncontrollable barking, giggling, and begging to “read it again!” I saw it at the public library and knew immediately I had to buy a copy for my Ready Readers. This book has legs. And a tail.
December 20, 2023
I have always loved Lois Ehlert's illustrations. They are bright and whimsical collages. I think they would be great for art classes.
The stories are generally simple and appealing to pre-school and kindergarten aged kids. A great demographic to share them with.
Rrralph is a cute story about a talking dog. Does your dog talk?
The stories are generally simple and appealing to pre-school and kindergarten aged kids. A great demographic to share them with.
Rrralph is a cute story about a talking dog. Does your dog talk?
September 26, 2017
I was hoping this book would be cuter than it was. Ralph is a dog who can talk...kind of. It felt like an old joke being put into a child's book. But then again, maybe that's the appeal for a child.
November 7, 2017
A cute little book that my three year-old loves!
December 1, 2017
A really funny book for an older child who would understand word play!
February 13, 2018
I love the book but am not as big a fan of the illustrations. They're unique...but not my thing.
April 25, 2018
I loved the play on words!
Surprised me how many dog sounds can be made to sound like human words!
Surprised me how many dog sounds can be made to sound like human words!
April 29, 2018
Cute story, funny pictures. Baby likes when doing voices for the dog.
May 19, 2018
Does Ralph really talk? B
September 7, 2018
This whole book is just puns
September 9, 2018
Dog puns! Example... "what's on that tree Ralph?" "Bark bark bark!"
February 11, 2019
Hits me right in the punny bone.
March 18, 2019
Meet RRRalph; a talking dog who answers questions asked by his owner in this funny, humorous story inspired by jokes told by a grandfather to his grandchildren.
October 24, 2019
I think kids will love guessing what Ralph is going to say next. Will be a fun read-aloud.
January 10, 2020
Illustrations aren't my style but they are cute. The stories funny and sweet.
December 12, 2020
“Bark! Bark!”
Read
January 21, 2021Strange and ugly book
July 15, 2021
So cute.
September 26, 2021
If you love dogs and puns, this book is 100% for you!
August 14, 2022
The illustrations are cute, and the story is adorbs.
February 7, 2023
Cute book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews