Arthur's Halloween

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, and on Martha's Vineyard.

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
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