Arthur's First Sleepover: An Arthur Adventure

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.)