The Mouse and the Motorcycle audiobook

Another fun and nostalgic re-read for me. I have very fond memories of reading this book when I was a kid. Now I have the pleasure of reading it out loud to my kids. I could not be happier in reporting that they loved it, too!This book is a timeless modern classic that is perfect for kids. Even though my son is still learning to read, he loved listening to the escapades of Ralph S. Mouse. And, because he loved it, I hope it promotes his interest in reading books as he gets more comfortable.There are a few things here I think may start to get lost on kids as we move farther and farther away from the era it was written in. There are mentions of ashtrays in the hallways, the descriptions of the hotel are of a more classic, early 20th century style, etc. But it is not enough to distract, it just could require some extra explanations – I know my kids were raising their hands with questions throughout!Whether you are reading this to your kids, reading it for the first time as a child (probably not a lot of those will be reading my Goodreads review!), or just discovering it for the first time on your own as an adult, there is a good chance you are going to find something you love with Ralph Pb-pb-b-b-b-ing up and down the hallway on his motorcycle searching for adventure.

This, the underrated, overlooked and oft forgotten prequel to Runaway Ralph and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence, tells the tail (yes I did!) of one Ralph S. Mouse, a grease monkey of an entirely different genus (Mus). Praised in France for its controversial use of alcoholism in mice and free-spirited sexuality, the book received numerous awards including the prestigious Caldecott Medal. It was later the basis for the film Motorcycle Diaries, for which it was rumored method actor Gael Garcia Bernal spent months preparing for his role as Ralph only to have the role changed to a more believable, though less interesting, Che Guevara. In recent years, the books exclusion from the New York Times' 10,000 Greatest Books from the 20th Century has spawned a grass roots support group called "In the Hearts of Mice."

♥ A childhood book that I just love to no end ♥

Well this book took me a while to read, it's heavy reading, but I did get through it. This mouse get's a rippin' bike and proceeds to kick ass. Lot's of foolin' around. I do think he needed some sort of biker babe for the back seat, and maybe have some ties to a biker gang of woverines. The mouse didn't have any cool tatoos either. All in all a pretty good read.

This was the first book I ever owned. This book is why I write.

No telling how many time I read this book when I was a kid. One of the top ten of my childhood!

So appealing, so delightful, and yet when you think about it, deeply weird.

As a child Beverly Cleary was my favorite author. For some reason I just really loved this one. My mother collected mouse figurines when I was a child, so in a way, I just thought I was so cool being able to share this story with my mom about a mouse who was so intrigued by a toy motorcycle. I bet I read this book a dozen times. I even convinced my mom to let me have a pet mouse in which I named Ralph. Secretly I wished he would ride a motorcycle... but deep down I knew that wasn't going to happen, but a child can dream right?

This was a super fun read aloud to my kindergartner and fourth grader. They loved it.

Sweet, funny, creative--a joy from start to finish. The scenes of Ralph S. Mouse zipping about on his motorcycle through the rooms and halls of the rundown hotel are worth the price of admission alone (though I did have trouble imagining what the motorcycle sounds he makes [pb-pb-b-b-b] really translate into :). The adventures Ralph has as he explores the hotel are both fun and suspenseful (the latter esp. as the reader learns about the sad fates of some of Ralph’s uncles and aunts at the hands of maids, owls, etc.). Add to these the wonderful friendship that grows between Ralph and his new human friend, Keith, as they console one another about how long it takes to grow up, as they learn about responsibility and forgiveness, and as they demonstrate that, while the best-laid plans of mice and men might “gang aft agley”, those between mice and boys sometimes go just fine :)

This story about a mouse and a boy (and a toy motorcycle) is from the 1965 list of My Big Fat Reading Project. I'll tell you one thing. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, just read anything by Beverly Cleary. I read this in a couple hours and was swept away from all my negative thoughts into a world where a small boy and a mouse can communicate, have adventures, build trust, and learn those necessary lessons required to navigate through it all.

I just finished “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Cleary. The book is about a young mouse named Ralph. He lives in a hotel with his mother and two younger siblings. He wants to explore the hotel more but his mother will not let him. Then one day a boy name Keith checks in at the hotel and both of their lives change. Both Keith and Ralph can both understand each other and Keith lets Ralph drive his mouse sized motorcycle. They both help each other throughout the book and they really get to understand each other a lot. Whether it is helping to feed Ralph and his family, or finding medicine for Keith. I thought this book was good. It is very easy to read and to get to know the characters. I like that Beverly Cleary thought of a mouse being able to talk to a human and be able to ride a motorcycle. The two main characters are Keith and Ralph. Keith is just a young boy on vacation and loves playing with his toy vehicles. He is messy just like any other boy, but he likes having fun. Ralph is very similar to Keith. Ralph is very mischievous and quite daring. He wants to explore the whole hotel and go see the world. Now that Keith moved in for a week, he finally has the chance to do so. He gets to go to the ground floor and even outside of the hotel, thanks to Keith’s red motorcycle.This book takes place in a hotel in California. The hotel is old and not in the best condition. The only reason why Keith and his family are at the hotel is because his dad was sick of driving hundreds of miles, so they stopped at the hotel to take a break. I would recommend this book to younger kids. It is easy to read, and helps your imagination grow.