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.
K-Gr 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.
In Brown's 13th book about Arthur, the bespectacled hero finds out he has scheduled his birthday party at the same time as Muffy's party. Arthur has relatives coming from Ohio; Muffy has already booked a rock band and Pickles the Clown. Neither of them can change the date. Their friends reluctantly take sides, the girls choosing Muffy's party and the boys choosing Arthur's, even though they wish they could go to both. Finally, Arthur and his friend Francine surprise everyone with a fine compromise. ``After all,'' says Arthur, ``what's a birthday party without all your friends!'' Because of the spare text, the resolution of the plot may not be entirely clear to all readers, but 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. (May)
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