Bedtime Without Arthur
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Bella has a bear named Arthur. Like other bears, he's soft and cuddly. Unlike other bears, Arthur knows karate and works tirelessly all night to protect Bella from monsters, dragons, slugs, and other things that lurk in the shadows. One night, Arthur goes missing. Her mother, her father, and her little brother search high and low, but he is nowhere to be found. Will Bella ever find him again? Or can she find a way to be brave all on her own?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bella can't imagine sleeping without her stuffed bear, Arthur. A black belt in karate, Arthur guards the bed and keeps away monsters that come sneaking from the shadows, so Bella can safely dream of her favorite things, like rainbows and rainforests. Then Arthur goes missing and in uncovering the culprit, Bella also discovers something new about herself. Meserve (Can Anybody Hear Me?) is an overly literal writer; it's as if she underestimates her effectiveness as a visual storyteller. Which she shouldn't, because as befits a book about nightmares, sweet dreams, and strong attachments her pictures are florid, dramatic, and often skewed in perspective. When Arthur disappears, Bella's cast-iron bed takes on an almost prisonlike quality, as fire-breathing dragons, slugs and grizzly bears threaten (even the small stuffed elephant in the corner of her bedroom has a menacing glint in its eye). Meserve's artwork propels the story forward, skillfully mixing drama and comedy, and makes a persuasive case for being an empathetic and decidedly grown-up older sibling. Ages 4 9.
