Arthur's Halloween: An Arthur Adventure (Paperback)

by Marc Brown (Author) "It was the night before Halloween..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2. Sure to be popular due to the success of the new PBS television series, these new additions to the series demonstrate the vocal talent of author/illustrator Marc Brown. Arthur's creator reads the texts, giving each character a distinctive voice. He is able to portray the females, like mother and D.W., while avoiding stereotypical high, squeaky voices. The production values on the recordings are excellent, with background music and helpful sound effects. The slamming of car doors, the sound of rain or footsteps, and other sound effects give the tapes the quality of old radio shows. Each tape opens with the theme song, "Say Hello to Arthur." Both sides of each tape are the same except for the page-turning signal bell on one side. In Arthur's Family Vacation, rain ruins the family's stay at the beach until Arthur thinks of activities they can do. In Arthur's Halloween, Arthur and D.W. learn you can't presume a house is haunted just because the outside looks run down. The artwork in each book features Brown's customary cartoon-like ink and watercolor illustrations that add humor to the stories. The tapes work well even without the books.
Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library, CA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description
Arthur finds everything about Halloween scary, including his little sister's costume, his morning snack, and the big house on the corner.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (September 30, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316110590
• ISBN-13: 978-0316110594
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #280,573 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining offering from Arthur, December 27, 2002

By	W. K. Miller "kenmiller32" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're looking for entertaining Halloween picture books for 3 and 4 year olds, Arthur's Halloween fits the bill.

Arthur and his friends go trick or treating. Arthur is very scared at first, but he learns to overcome his fears along the way. Only D.W. is brave enough to approach the "witch's" house, but then Arthur and D.W. learn that the "witch" is really just a misunderstood elderly lady with a messy house and yard.

Arthur's Halloween is about trick-or-treating, mainly, and there is no mention of Halloween parades, bobbing for apples, or other Halloween traditions. If your children are afraid of trick-or-treating, this book may help them to escape their fear.

Often characters in Arthur videos and books daydream or imagine episodes, and I find that those episodes are presented in a way that my three year old finds confusing. He does not distinguish between the trappings of characters' imaginations and the regular plot. Now I know that I can add commentary so that he understands that certain elements in a book are just the dreams of a character.

For example, in Arthur's Halloween, some of the kids imagine that the "witch" is harming Arthur and D.W. in several different ways. When a toddler sees illustrations of the "witch" doing such things, he believes it just as he believes the rest of the plot. I have learned that I can say "Francine (or The Brain, or Buster, etc.)just THINKS this is happening. It's not really happening, is it?" Then my child doesn't confuse the "real" plot with the characters' fanciful thoughts.

In any case, Arthur's Halloween is not a bad Halloween picture book, and even if you steer your child away from "series" books or books allied with television series, give this one a try.

ken32

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Arthur Gets Over Himself, September 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Arthur's Halloween (Arthur Adventure Series, No. 10) (Audio Cassette)

This Arthur installment is a cute Halloween story that reminds us appearances can be deceiving. Arthur is scared of everything this Halloween -D.W.'s costume, the family decorations, the batwing brownie snacks at school - things that everyone else seems to enjoy. Obligated to bring little sister D.W. along while trick or treating with his friends, Arthur is crabby about everything, expecially when D.W. runs into the creepy house on the corner. Everyone's afraid to go in, but Arthur has to go in after D.W. When he does so, he finds D.W. contendly eating chocolate doughnuts with the elderly lady owner. He realizes that the old lady is not a witch, just unable to keep up the maintenance on her house all by herself. At the end, Arthur and D.W. leave hugging the old lady and promising to help her rake leaves. All Arthur's friends are impressed, Arthur has learned that there is nothing to be afraid of, and even leads the group home through the cemetary! This is a really important lesson for little ones to learn; not to judge by appearances. My kids love the Arthur books. Despite the fact that they are all aardvarks, rabbits, monkeys, and rats, the problems they encounter are very real-to-life, and D.W. the pesty sister is just perfect! You won't be disappointed with this book if your kids like Arthur!

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for young children to overcome their fear of Halloween!, October 15, 2008

By	Bebe Belisma "Thepowerof" (UK) - See all my reviews

Arthur the Aardvark is having trouble falling asleep as it is the night before Halloween and his house is decorated to look incredibly spooky.

When he finally does fall alseep and wakes up the next morning,things get even worse when his annoying little sister D.W scares him as she is dressed in her Halloween costume ready to go trick or treating.

Arthur feels embarrassed and irritated that he has to take D.W trick or treating with him because he'll be "the only one who has to drag my baby sister along".

When Arthur,his friends and D.W eventually go trick or treating,they are all scared to go into 'the Witch's House'.

But D.W breaks her candy bag,Arthur has to pick it up,and when he turns round D.W has gone into the Witch's House...meaning Arthur will have to go in after her!

Arthur's friends worry what has happened to them...'Maybe the Witch put them into an oven just like Hansel and Gretel,maybe she's using them for horrible scientific experiments or maybe she's locked them in a cellar to starve'...

Arthur's Halloween is a really good book to read to young children who are scared of Halloween.

It features colourful illustration and shows Arthur back when he looked more like an aardvark and less like the TV version we all know so well today!