School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Author Marc Brown's reading of Arthur's Chicken Pox is lively entertainment for listeners. Introduced by a song sung by kids, this adventure revolves around whether or not Arthur will get over his chicken pox in time to go to the circus with his family. In the meantime, D.W. makes her own plans to invite a friend to go as Arthur's replacement, and feigns chicken pox herself in a bid for attention from her family. At the end of the story, in a nod to justice, Arthur recovers in time, but D.W. comes down with spots on the morning of the circus. Equally entertaining is Brown's reading of Arthur's First Sleepover. The possibility of aliens making an appearance during Arthur's campout with his friends adds to the excitement. Of course, D.W. is making her own preparations to provide an alien so the boys won't be disappointed. Once again, humor abounds with Arthur's efforts to get even. Listeners will delight in hearing Mar Brown's interpretation of the characters and enjoy these stories with their predictable and satisfying endings.-Marcia Brightman, Mark's Meadow Laboratory School, Amherst, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Brown offers yet another Arthur adventure-his 20th-that entertainingly taps into a familiar childhood experience. Here Arthur is planning his first sleepover party in his tent. Nothing-neither local reports of a spaceship sighting nor best friend Buster's mother's initial reluctance to let her son attend-can dampen the young aardvark's enthusiasm. He even has his camera at the ready lest the aliens drop in, so he can snap pictures and sell them to the National Requirer. But after trading baseball cards, eating pizza and fighting with pillows, Arthur, Buster and the Brain see an eerie light. Is the spaceship about to land? As usual, Brown's art contributes significantly to the fun: the boys make amusing welcome signs for their potential visitors ("We are your friends"; "Please do my homework"); and the vision of the petrified pals running blindly through the yard, tangled in their collapsed tent, will bring on plenty of snickers. Kids definitely like to read about themselves, and Brown knows well how to make Arthur everykid. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
These board book editions don't compare to the original picture book versions. The illustrations remain intact, but the text in each has been truncated, losing much of the stories' humor. In any case, toddlers and babies won't have much interest in tales of chicken pox or sleepovers. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Arthur's first sleepover is everything it should be: He and his two best friends camp out in the backyard, eat pizza, trade baseball cards, and stay up until all hours. The camp-out also gets an added dose of fun from pranks played on the campers by Arthur's sister, D.W., and the boys' reciprocation. It seems there have been alien sightings in the area and, as much as Arthur protests that he doesn't believe in UFOs, he runs as fast as anyone when he sees flashing lights outside the tent. The culprit is D.W. and her flashlight. Arthur and his friends, in turn, create a frightening green creature out of cardboard to hold up outside of D.W.'s window. She sees it and screams loud enough to wake the house. When Arthur's parents go to check on the boys, they are all sleeping sweetly. Or so the parents think. Yet another diverting adventure from veteran Arthurian Brown (D.W. Rides Again, 1993, etc.). (Fiction. 4-8)
Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. Arthur's twentieth adventure is not as tightly plotted as some of the previous stories, but its charm lies in how it mirrors life. Arthur and his friends Butch and Brian are having a rambunctious sleepover in the backyard. Arthur's sister, D. W., suggests there may be some space aliens in the neighborhood and, with flashing lights, manages to scare the boys into thinking the aliens have landed. Not to be outdone, the boys draw their own space monster, giving D. W. a fright. At this point, the Arthur books are a known (and beloved) quantity. The art is energetic, and the story is fun. There always seems to be room for another Arthur. ~--Ilene Cooper
