Arthur's Nose (An Arthur Adventure)

After 25 years of Arthur adventures, enthusiastic readers still agree with the conclusion of the very first book about this Everychild aardvark: "There's a lot more to Arthur than his nose." This 25th anniversary edition includes, in addition to the original story, Arthur's Nose, a scrapbook of fun facts, photos, and letters all about the evolution of Arthur over the years. Readers can compare photos of author Marc Brown's family with pictures of Arthur and his family. (Note the spooky similarity between Brown's sister, Bonnie, and Arthur's sister, D.W.--Brown doesn't deny it!). In a letter to his fans, Brown describes how Arthur came to be, and how he has developed over the years. A special illustrated section demonstrates just how much this friendly fellow's nose has changed, from a long, droopy, aardvarky nose in 1976, gradually shortening over the years to his nearly nonexistent schnoz today. Arthur has also acquired glasses and a much sunnier disposition over the last quarter century.

In Arthur's Nose, first grader Arthur decides that he doesn't like his nose. He goes to the rhinologist to change it, but ultimately decides, to the relief of his friends and family, "I'm just not me without my nose!" Luckily for readers today, Arthur is still Arthur, even without the original elongated proboscis. Fans of Arthur's First Kiss, Arthur Accused!, Arthur and the Crunch Cereal Contest, and the many other Arthur titles, will be thrilled to get a peek behind the scenes in this very special edition. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter