Arthur's Birthday (An Arthur Adventure) [Paperback]

Marc Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1991 | Grade Level: P and up

Arthur can't wait to hand out his birthday party invitations. But it turns out Muffy is having her party on the exact same day! All of his friends are split between the two parties so Arthur and Francine hatch a clever scheme to make sure Arthur and Muffy have the best birthdays yet!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

About this 13th book starring the bespectacled aardvark, PW said, "The festive watercolor-and-ink drawings are full of the homey details, lovably familiar characters and verve that has come to be associated with this series." Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- The adventures of Arthur the aardvark continue as he anticipates his birthday party. Excitement builds as he hands out invitations to his friends at school--and then he discovers that Muffy is having a party on Saturday afternoon, too. The dates can't be changed; Arthur's relatives are coming, and Muffy's booked a clown and a rock band. By the next day, the boys have decided to go to Arthur's party, the girls to Muffy's. With his usual wisdom, Arthur saves the day. He and Francine forge Muffy's handwriting on new invitations, changing the location of her party to Arthur's house (his parents are included in the plan). The unsuspecting Muffy is lured there by the promise of a present too big to fit in her mailbox. Of course, the gift is a surprise party, heartily enjoyed by both boys and girls. Brown's familiar watercolors have lots of interesting details--kites caught in trees, a male relative wearing a "Liberated Partner" apron. Arthur's warm, loving family and his diplomatic approach to problem solving strike just the right note--positive and believable. The "Arthur" stories are primary-grade favorites; children will enjoy this latest offering. Other recent birthday stories are Frank Modell's Ice Cream Soup (Greenwillow, 1988), in which another joint party turns into a surprise, and the Sick-in-Bed Birthday Book (Viking, 1988) by Linda Tyler, about a delayed celebration that turns out fine. --Lucy Young Clem, Evansville Vanderburgh County Public Library, Ind.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316110744
• ISBN-13: 978-0440843122
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > TV > Arthur
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Brown, Marc

More About the Author

Marc Brown is the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure book series and co-developer of the children's PBS television series, Arthur. He has also created a second book series, featuring D.W., Arthur's little sister, as well as numerous other books for children. Marc Brown lives with his family in Tisbury, Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's cute, January 12, 2004

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Arthur's Birthday (An Arthur Adventure) (Paperback)

I've started reading Arthur's books to my sons and they love the colorful pictures in the book. The storyline is cute ~~ nothing spectular or exciting. Arthur invites everyone to his birthday party only to find out one of his friends, Muffy, has her birthday party the same day. Arthur decided to surprise Muffy by hosting the party at his house and all ends well.

It's a cute story though I am not quite sure about "Spin the Bottle" gift at the end. That may be a little too old for 8 year olds. But it's not offensive or anything ~~ it's just a cute story about birthday parties.

1-12-04

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Arthur steals Muffy's party and spoils her parents' plans, January 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arthur's Birthday (Turtleback)

Arthur and Muffy schedule parties for the same day and invite the same people. Muffy's parents have put time and money into organising a party for her. Nevertheless it is presented as a splendid idea that Muffy be tricked into coming to Arthur's party, despite the lack of consideration shown for Muffy's parents' wishes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My boys like this, I find it unfinished!, January 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Arthur's Birthday (An Arthur Adventure) (Paperback)

We have this book, as well as a CD-ROM version, and have also seen this episode on TV. My boys like all versions, but I am bothered with every reading or playing by the fact that nothing really explains what happens to Muffy's party---supposedly the rock band and the clown have been booked for weeks, but somehow this all seems forgotten once Muffy is tricked into coming to Arthur's house to join his party. Is the plan that Arthur and Francine come up with simply to trick Muffy into not going to her own party? My husband says I read too much into a simple story, but I think kid's books should make sense. I do have to admit this troubling plot confusion has never bothered my boys a single bit!