Arthur Babysits: An Arthur Adventure (Arthur Adventures) - Hardcover

Marc Brown, who was born in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1946, received great encouragement and support from his grandmother and uncle. Inspired by the books of Maurice Sendak, Brown decided to pursue his ambition of becoming an illustrator. After receiving a B.F.A. in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art, he worked as a TV art director, a professor of mechanical drawing, and a freelance illustrator, before becoming a writer. In his books, he addresses the fears and problems which children face and events like friendship, family, school and pets. For his illustrations, Brown uses pencil with watercolor on a variety of papers to achieve different visual effects. The "Arthur" series, about the everyday adventures of a lovable aardvark, began in 1976 and continues to this day with 25 titles published. Brown has also created other series such as the "Rhymes" series, and the nonfiction "Dinosaur" series, which conveys messages of do's and don'ts. These series, like the stories of Arthur, hold the attention of young children while transporting their imaginations on magical journeys.

Brown's 16th adventure starring the affable aardvark has the bespectacled fellow take on his first babysitting job. Of course he has had experience looking after his sisters, D. W. and Kate, but they are less of a challenge than the terrible Tibble twins. Though D. W. telephones to coach her brother, the feisty, cowboy-suited twins almost get the best of their frenzied sitter. But luckily Arthur calls on his colorful imagination to come up with the story of a horrible, big, slimy, stinky green swamp thing who prowls around searching for his favorite meal-twin boys. Suddenly subdued, both youngsters take cover in Arthur's safe lap, where their pleasantly surprised grandmother finds them on her return. Typically loaded with kid appeal, Brown's tale is simple and satisfying. Little ones will savor the action-filled pictures depicting the riotous chaos caused by Arthur's charges. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.