Arthur Knows That a Nose Needn't Pose Many Woes

I am fond of Arthur the aardvark. He's a charming lad, and creator Marc Brown's connection with Erie is such that I almost feel compelled by civic duty to support him in any way I can. And it doesn't hurt that he twice shared his show with Art Garfunkel. Anyway, the Arthur books and TV series are imaginative yet incredibly relatable. Most kids can find, amongst Arthur's group of friends, someone who strikes a chord with them.

In the 25th anniversary edition of Arthur's Nose, we get some insight into how Arthur has evolved into a character of such enduring popularity. There's a note of appreciation from Brown, a page of trivia about the characters, pictures of Arthur at six points in his progression - always eight years old, but looking significantly different as the years go by. There are also photographs of Brown and his family and comparative pictures of Arthur and his gang. We have an original manuscript of this book and sketches that are held up in comparison with finished pages. Finally, there's a letter to the reader from the coordinator of children's services at the New York Public Library featuring her observations of how kids interact with the books.

The book itself is very simple, with few sentences on most pages. The illustration style is very different than what is found in modern Arthur books, in which it is very easy to forget that these characters aren't human. Here, Arthur does not look human at all. He looks like a strange creature with a very long nose. That is the subject of this book, of course. I don't blame Arthur for feeling frustrated with his nose, but after all, that's just the way aardvarks are. Still, what if it doesn't have to be that way?

Arthur decides to go to a rhinologist and get a new nose. Never mind that a first-grader would never be able to just walk into a doctor's office and ask for a nose job. Arthur is determined, and he tries on all sorts of noses for size. It makes for an entertaining couple of pages, though I would imagine affixing an alligator or toucan nose to an aardvark would be very tricky business. What nose does Arthur eventually choose? Well, anyone familiar with the later books might guess he just chose to have the thing lobbed off with no replacement. Over the course of twenty-five years, his prominent nose is reduced to a couple of pin prick nostrils. But here, at least, Arthur learns to take pride in his facial features, strange as they may be.

It’s strange to see Arthur’s class, as he is only in first grade, so Mr. Ratburn, who teaches third grade and is the teacher I’m used to, is nowhere to be found. Instead we have Ms Yollanda, who looks like an older version of Francine, who is the only one of Arthur’s friends I recognize. The others are a bear, a stork, an owl, a giraffe and a pair of cats. All of the pictures look rather crude compared to the smooth Arthur illustrations of today. Nonetheless, there is a simple, nostalgic charm about this book that make it endearing.

It was a long journey from Arthur’s Nose to the Arthur stories of today. If nothing else, I sure am glad Marc Brown took that first step.

My Little Town Makes a Guest Appearance in Arthur's Teacher Moves In

In Erie, Pennsylvania, my hometown, Arthur the aardvark is a big deal. We haven't a host of celebrities to boast about, so we pay extra attention to the color-coded security system Tom Ridge designed, we sing along loudly every time Train comes on the radio and we cluster around our televisions to watch Arthur on PBS. Or maybe that's just me. But Marc Brown has been good to our town. There was the exhibit at the Erie Art Museum featuring his work, the Youtheatre production for whose writing he gave special permission, the giant Arthur wandering around CelebrateErie! in search of kids to pose with for pictures.

There is even the occasional odd reference to little ol' Erie in his books and series. I caught one a couple months ago when, in the Christmas special, Arthur and his friends go to the movies at the Millcreek Mall, where I have worked on and off for several years. I caught another when I snagged Arthur's Teacher Moves In, based on an episode of the show, from the library last week.

Poor Arthur is distressed to discover that his teacher, Mr. Ratburn, is houseless after an excess of snow caused his roof to collapse (a likely scenario here in blizzardy Erie!). It's not empathy for his teacher that causes Arthur such pain, however; it's the fact that his mother has invited him to stay with them for a few days. Tormented by visions of walking in on Mr. Ratburn in the tub, he borrows intellectual books and posters from the Brain and anticipates one of the most miserable weekends of his life.

What a surprise, then, when Mr. Ratburn - whom pesky D.W. calls everything from "Mr. Ratbite" to "Mr. Ropeburns" - actually turns out to be cool, fond of cartoons and magic tricks and disposed to wear t-shirts around the house. Unfortunately, just when Arthur is thinking this invitation wasn't such a bad thing after all, Monday rolls around, and he scores an A on a difficult math test. Suddenly everyone - even faithful Buster - is accusing him of receiving preferential treatment. Is there any way out of this new mess?

This book reminds me of an episode of Jakers! in which Piggley's strict teacher, Mr. Hornsby, calls at his students' houses for dinner, starting with Piggley. Oh, 'tis a fate too horrible to be imagined... or is it? Ironically enough, I got my picture taken with both Arthur and Piggley downtown over the summer... At any rate, it teaches the worthwhile lesson that teachers have lives just like the rest of us.

The Erie reference is slight, just a sticker on Mr. Ratburn's suitcase, but it made the book, with its detailed, funny illustrations and cute story, all the more enjoyable to me. Marc Brown has been good to our town. And our town has been good to Arthur's many fans, even if they don't know it.

Arthur the Aardvark

It took me a little while to figure just exactly what Arthur was. But long before I had conclusively determined that he was, indeed, an aardvark, I decided that I liked him. He's such a nice kid, and his everyday adventures are something that schoolchildren can easily relate to. Bullies, new classmates and pesky little sisters are just a few of the things that Arthur has to deal with as he goes through his day. He doesn't always get it right the first time, but eventually he learns how to face each obstacle that comes his way.

His furry friends add to the fun he finds out on the baseball diamond, in the classroom, and at home. They add a new dimension to his life which was first made popular through the books. Most of his friends are as hard to categorize as him. There's a rabbit, but other than that the species of the others are difficult to determine. I guess that just goes to show that it's what's on the inside, not the outside, that's important.