Arthur's Really Helpful Bedtime Stories - Hardcover

Brown, Marc

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679884688 ISBN 13: 9780679884682

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 1998

Synopsis

Arthur, D.W., and their friends bring a touch of their own personalities and senses of humor to this sprightly collection of classic bedtime stories. "Could you please be more careful--you're drooling on my cape," says D.W. to the wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood." "Lucky I'm not afraid of heights," proclaims Francine as she climbs to the top of the mattresses in "The Princess and the Pea." Master weaver Arthur has the last laugh in "The Emperor's New Clothes." Each short, fun-to-read story has just the right mixture of the familiar tales with the contemporary spin of Arthur and his friends. "The Frog Prince," "The Three Bears," "The Three Little Pigs," and others round out this big, heavily illustrated hardcover bonanza for parents. Yes, it's really helpful in getting the kids settled down and ready for bed!  

About this title

Review:

Arthur, the endearing aardvark, helps modernize (and warp) 10 classic stories, including "The Emperor's New Clothes," "D.W. and the Three Bears," "The Frog Prince," and "Buster and the Beanstalk." Witty versions of these favorites, with appealingly believable characters, will keep young readers clamoring for more. Children who are already fans of Arthur and his buddies will recognize their idiosyncratic personalities, even through these twisted yet familiar tales in which Red Riding Hood's dad is a cook; the three little pigs use earthquake-resistant, reinforced I-beams rated to withstand a Force-3 hurricane; and the princess in "The Princess and the Pea" is a pretty tough chick. Marc Brown's charming illustrations add immeasurably to the humor of these stories. A perfect bedtime standby. (Great read aloud, ages 2 and older) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Marc Brown is best known as the author and illustrator who created the beloved aardvark Arthur.  This popular character was born one night over twenty years ago, when Brown was telling his oldest son, Tolon, a bedtime story.  Most of the stories he told were about animals, but that night the story just happened to be about an aardvark.  Brown has written and illustrated more than fifty Arthur and D.W. (Arthur's little sister) books since then.  He has also illustrated twelve other books with his wife--author, illustrator, and psychologist Laurie Krasny Brown.

As a child, Marc Brown's passion for drawing was encouraged by his grandmother Thora, who saved his artwork in the bottom drawer of her bureau.  "I knew it must be special," recalls Brown, "because she didn't save many things."  His grandmother later provided an education fund that helped Brown pay for art school.  He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1964 to 1969.

Grandma Thora is just one person in Marc Brown's life who has afforded the inspiration for one of his characters.  Many other characters are based on children he knew while he was growing up and going to school in Mill Creek, Pennsylvania.  His sisters--Bonnie, Colleen, and Kimberly--have all served as models for his characters D.W. and Francine.  Brown patterned Buster after Terry Johnson, his best friend in elementary school, while Mr. Ratburn is based on "the meanest algebra teacher ever."

Brown was born in 1946 in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Before he created the Arthur series, he worked at a variety of jobs, including stints as a truck driver, short-order cook, college professor, soda jerk, actor, chicken farmer, and television art director.  Now, in addition to developing the Arthur television series on PBS, Brown continues to create new books both for Random House Children's Publishing and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Marc Brown lives in Hingham, Massachusetts, and Martha's Vineyard with Laurie and their young daughter, Eliza.  He also has two grown sons, Tolon and Tucker.  Brown looks to his three children for inspiration and story ideas.  He also gets many suggestions from children he meets in schools, libraries, and bookstores around the country.  "The most interesting--and the funniest--things," Brown says, "happen in real life."

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0679884688
• ISBN 13: 9780679884682
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48