The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid

by Kara LaReau, Matt Myers (Illustrator)

Overview

When Louie and Ralphie Ratso set out to transform a cluttered lot into an arcade, they end up conquering a few surprising fears along the way in this follow-up to the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book The Infamous Ratsos.

Louie and Ralphie Ratso have a genius idea: if they clear out the lot down the street, they can use all the junk lying around to build makeshift games for a Big City FunTime Arcade! With their friends to help, they’ll be able to recycle all the old abandoned stuff into whack-a-mouse, a high-striker, a fortune-telling booth, and more. Everyone says the house next to the lot is haunted, but if Louie just pretends it’s not there, maybe he can ignore the goose bumps he gets every time he looks at it. Ralphie’s head’s not exactly in the game, either, because of some rumors that have been swirling around school. But they’re Ratsos, and like their dad, Big Lou, Ratsos aren’t afraid of anything — right? Kara LaReau and Matt Myers team up for a second surprisingly touching chapter book proving that sometimes the things you fear the most aren’t at all what you thought — and might be exactly what you need to feel better.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763676377
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Series:	Infamous Ratsos Series
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	488,431
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 8.06(h) x 0.52(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kara LaReau is the author of numerous picture books, as well as the middle grade novel The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Matt Myers is the illustrator of E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm with a Little Help from a Hen by Judy Sierra, and Pirate’s Perfect Pet by Beth Ferry, as well as many other books for young readers. Matt Myers lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2017
Gr 2–4—This second book in the series takes a look at facing one's fears and telling the truth. Louie and Ralphie Ratso are brothers with a plan: build a Big City FunTime Arcade that offers carnival games for neighborhood kids. With the help of their friends, they clean up a vacant lot located next to the neighborhood's haunted house, despite Louie's fear of the ghosts that may live there. Ralphie has his own troubles when a story circulates around school that he has a girlfriend, Stinky Stanko, known only for her overpowering odor. Who started the rumor, and how will he stop it? As Louie and Ralphie face their respective fears, they discover their own roles in creating them, and learn that the answer to facing fear is having the courage to look past beliefs and see the truth. LaReau's dialogue is fast-paced and funny, and the frequent black-and-white illustrations by Myers further develop the characters. The story is believable and resolves in a realistic way without feeling heavy-handed. However, the large number of secondary characters, many introduced in the first book in the series, might leave new readers feeling out of the loop. VERDICT A strong chapter book that will appeal to both newly independent and slightly older but reluctant or stuggling readers.—Casey O'Leary, Mooresville Public Library, IN

School Library Journal

2017-07-02
Following The Infamous Ratsos (2016), Louie and Ralphie Ratso deal with different types of fear while starting a carnival-style arcade.The Ratso brothers love the carnival but wish it weren't just once a year. While walking past the junk-filled lot next to a house rumored to be haunted, Louie has a great idea. He gathers up their friends to clean the lot so that they can turn it into the Big City FunTime Arcade, with carnival games in lieu of video games. Though it's Louie's idea, he's secretly afraid of the haunted house and does his best to avoid it. Meanwhile, after Ralphie picks up and returns Stinky Stanko's fallen pen, rumors fly that they like each other, and he fears the rumors will be believed. Over a dinner Louie and Ralphie confess their fears to their father, Big Lou, who reassures them that even he is afraid of some things, tells Louie that ghosts aren't real, and encourages them to face their fears. Ralphie, seeking the source of the rumors, finds that Stinky's not odorous at all, but she's hurt by that nickname…which he gave her. Readers will be following right alongside these two likable rats as Ralphie confronts his past misdeeds and Louie screws his courage to the sticking post to ask the haunted house's resident for permission to use part of the yard. Charming. (Animal fantasy. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Myers endows LaReau’s large type, well-leaded narrative with plenty of cartoons infused with humor (one of the Arcade games is a variant on “Whack-a-mole” dubbed “Whack-a-Chad”) and featuring an expressively posed, all-animal cast in human dress. The arcade’s triumphant opening adds an upbeat closing flourish to another tale for fledgling chapter book readers that highlights the profound value of kindness to others.
—Booklist (starred review)

Readers will be following right alongside these two likable rats as Ralphie confronts his past misdeeds and Louie screws his courage to the sticking post to ask the haunted house's resident for permission to use part of the yard. Charming.
—Kirkus Reviews

LaReau’s dialogue is fast-paced and funny, and the frequent black-and-white illustrations by Myers further develop the characters...A strong chapter book that will appeal to both newly independent and slightly older but reluctant or stuggling readers.
—School Library Journal

Myers’s black-and- white illustrations not only move the plot along and give expressive faces to the animal characters but also conclude the tale on a light note with a couple of delightful puns. The relatable situations, familiar characters, progressive plot, and easy-to-read text (plus a little romance) create a satisfying follow-up to the Geisel Honor–winning The Infamous Ratsos (rev. 9/16).
—The Horn Book

Short chapters with lots of cartoonlike pictures make this perfect for those starting to read chapter books.
—Providence Journal

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