First read aloud book to my toddlers. I had to change a few words and phrases to words and phrases that were easier for them to understand… just because a book written in 1965 has a few words and phrases that just aren’t the same almost 60 years later.

I remember reading lots of Beverly Cleary books growing up, I loved Ramona and Beezus, and Ellen Tebbits was one of my favorites. I can't say I recall reading much of Henry Huggins or the Ralph S. Mouse series though, so it was nice to recapture some of that feeling I so enjoyed from the other books. I loved how Cleary captures the desire of Keith and Ralph both wanting to be seen as responsible by their parents and how wanting to grow up too fast isn't as important as being patient. There are many nice messages about friendship and being truthful, but the two I most enjoyed were the one of keeping ones word and when Ralph's mom keeps talking about "tipping room service," (Keith, for all the food that he has been bringing them.). A wonderful story that I know I would have loved reading when I was around eight or nine.

Such a cute little story. My son loved having me read it to him.

I first read 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle' as a young child. It is one of the books that stands out in my memory. It sparked a love of reading that has stayed with me for a lifetime.

The local library, where my grandmother would take me for story time when I was a little girl, had very high ceilings with crown molding all the way around the top. Only, this library left about a one foot gap between the ceiling and the top of the molding, resulting in a small ledge/shelf, high up on the wall and all the way around the room. On that "ledge" they had managed to get a "Ralph" riding a motorcycle around the room. I'm sure it was some sort of simple pulley system, but it did the trick. I think I believed in Ralph longer than I believed in Santa. Nobody was going to tell me that he wasn't real after seeing him ride around at the library!

Listening to the audiobook for the first time with my daughters, I was happy to see that they seemed to enjoy all of Ralph and Keith's adventures as well. It held their attention from start to finish, which is invaluable when you're trapped in a car with children. This was another one of our road trip selections as we made the 3.5 hour drive from my home to my grandmother's and back. The timing was just right to finish it on the way there, listening to another story on the return trip.

This book tells the story of a young boy that is staying at a hotel with his parents. Living in the older hotel is a family of mice. Ralph is the young "boy" mouse, struggling to stay out of trouble as he yearns for adventure.

Keith and Ralph become fast friends when Keith rescues Ralph from the wastebasket. For the rest of Keith's stay, they grow closer, forcing each other to view life through a different lens. It is a story about kindness, responsibility, trustworthiness and tolerance. Ralph and Keith learn some tough lessons about friendship along the way.

Overall, this remains a fantastic children's story. My girls really enjoyed listening to the adventures of Ralph play out as we listened. The narration was good and the length was just right. I definitely recommend this book for young, school age children.

Rereading this as an adult I didn't find it as charming or endearing as I remembered it from my childhood. Ralph was a bit selfish and sometimes annoying. However, my 8 and 5 year olds absolutely loved it and were so sad when it was over they begged me to immediately start the next book! So, I think my old age has made me too pessimistic and unable to just let things be simple and fun. No over-critiquing needed. When a read-aloud is a win with the kids, it's a win!

This is a classic children’s story about a young mouse and a young boy who share a love of motorcycles and a strong desire to be grown up. It was a delight to discover how engaging this story remains forty years after I first read it. The chapters unfold with simple clear prose and a captivating storyline built on strong personalities that everyone—young and old—can relate to people in their own lives. Two scenes still stood out strongly in my mind even after forty years and they were even more exciting than I remembered them. In one, Ralph (the mouse of the title) desperately tries to escape the laundry basket before he can be dumped into the washing machine; and in the other he engages in an even more desperate struggle to transport an aspirin to his young human friend who is sick with a fever. This sort of imagery helps to build a wonderful dramatic story that you can enjoy by yourself or with the whole family.

This is a timeless tale for all kids... Beverly Cleary is a great author for young readers!

Alternate endings found in Beverly Cleary's files:



#1
The doctor closed his case and sadly shook his head. "What did he say again?"
Mr. Gridley stood with his arm around a weeping Mrs. Gridley. "He said...he said a mouse brought him an aspirin tablet."
The doctor shook his head again. "It wasn't aspirin. If only your ten-year-old son had been able to spell 'aspirin'."
Mrs. Gridley sobbed.

THE END



#2
The doctor closed his case and sadly shook his head. "What did he say again?"
Mr. Gridley stood with his arm around a weeping Mrs. Gridley. "He said...he said a mouse brought him an aspirin tablet."
The doctor shook his head again. "It was an aspirin, alright. Probably shouldn't have taken it from a mouse with plague, though."
Mrs. Gridley sobbed.

THE END



#3
The doctor closed his case and sadly shook his head. "It was the second aspirin from the milkman that did it. Aspirin overdose, what a way to go."
Mrs. Gridley sobbed.

THE END

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?

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.

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

I read The Mouse and the Motorcycle out loud to my 4 year old boy and he loved it! He kept asking for more. I appreciate how Ralph grows in his maturity and gains wisdom as the story progresses.