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Arthur Adventure Series
Arthur's Valentine
Valentine's Day is just a few days away and Arthur can't figure out who his secret admirer is. It might be Fern, but he hopes it's Sue Ellen. Or is it Buster playing pranks? Can you guess?
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 1980
49 people are currently reading
776 people want to read
About the author
Marc Brown
553 books385 followersMarc Tolon Brown is perhaps best known for his series of children's books about Arthur the aardvark, which was turned into an animated television show on PBS. Brown is a three-time Emmy Award winner, for his role on the television show inspired by his books.
He lives on Martha's Vineyard and in New York City with his wife, Laurie Krasny Brown. He has three children, sons Tolon and Tucker, and daughter Eliza. The names of his two sons have been hidden in all of the Arthur books except for one: Arthur's Tooth.
He lives on Martha's Vineyard and in New York City with his wife, Laurie Krasny Brown. He has three children, sons Tolon and Tucker, and daughter Eliza. The names of his two sons have been hidden in all of the Arthur books except for one: Arthur's Tooth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
February 13, 2021
Here is one of my last reviews from last year when I had to many to post and so I saved it a year.
The review:
It’s Valentine’s day and Arthur has a secret admirer. In trying to figure it out he experiences some embarrassment. It’s a rough day for him, but the day after Valentine’s Arthur figures out who it was. I have to say it’s an odd ending and I’m not sure what to make of it except secret admirers are not the way to go.
This is one of the original Arthur books, so his nose is longer and he looks more like an anteater. I like the early books best honestly. The setting & art is safe and cozy.
Neither the niece or nephew read this with me. Today, it’s all my opinion.
The review:
It’s Valentine’s day and Arthur has a secret admirer. In trying to figure it out he experiences some embarrassment. It’s a rough day for him, but the day after Valentine’s Arthur figures out who it was. I have to say it’s an odd ending and I’m not sure what to make of it except secret admirers are not the way to go.
This is one of the original Arthur books, so his nose is longer and he looks more like an anteater. I like the early books best honestly. The setting & art is safe and cozy.
Neither the niece or nephew read this with me. Today, it’s all my opinion.
February 1, 2015
huh?
He left her at the movies after all the cards she made him? That was my 6 year olds response.
He left her at the movies after all the cards she made him? That was my 6 year olds response.
May 25, 2016
Lots of teasing and I'm not sure how I feel about the ending (definitely, not happy!).
February 21, 2015
Well I needed a book from 1980 for a challenge, and it's Valentine's Day, so figured why not. But the ending????? When the kids say, ummmm what???? Well......
*Challenge: A book that came out the year yo were born*
*Challenge: A book that came out the year yo were born*
February 14, 2019
The cover is so pretty, with cute little Arthur bundled up in a coat, holding a heart in his mitten hands. The red, orange, and pink really go well together. The inside pages have these white hearts outlined in red covering the entire area. They say so many different things, and as I was browsing at them some phrases started to jump out.
“Ding dong. Jerk. No way. Get lost. Monster. Zebra. Daddy-o. Egg head. Hot dog. No.” What kind of messages are those? Those are so wrong!
And lover, hot mama, and big daddy which are just inappropriate for children.
I didn’t know what happened to that cute cover and the pretty back of the book with all those pink hearts outlined in red on an orange background, and that circle portrait of this cute little, curly-haired cat girl or whatever she is. As soon as I opened the book I went “Oh no” because the illustrations were terrible. The colors were deep and dark and splotchy, with all these lines and things that looked like they’d been done in crayon. Why, why have the cover art one way and the art in the book a completely different style? It’s so misleading. I didn’t even want to look at the pictures.
This was kind of like a mystery, because Arthur had been receiving cards prior to Valentine’s Day and didn’t know who it was. He had some suspects. Fern, no reason for it, Buster who could be playing a prank on him, Francine who always teases him, or the new girl, Sue Ellen, who he hoped it was.
I can’t understand why so many children’s authors end up writing mean-spirited Valentine’s Day cards. Has it been so long since they were in school that they can’t remember how it goes? Arthur got a new card saying “Apples, bananas, peaches, a pear, with a face like yours, you’re lucky I care.” Signed from his secret admirer. How is that admiring, telling someone their face is ugly? And why care if you don’t like their face? That doesn’t even make any sense.
The note in his lunch box said “Candy is sweet, lemons are sour. I’ll be watching you the whole lunch hour” which was kinda funny. Arthur looked at Sue Ellen and she smiled at him, while combing her hair. Francine was looking over angrily, like she didn’t like it.
Arthur carefully put all the valentines in his pocket when the kids were getting ready to leave school that day. I felt so bad for him when he went to play soccer and they all fell out and the kids read them, making fun of him for them. Poor thing just left.
I felt so bad for him again when Sue Ellen got the card he’d made for her and put in her box. The day before he had made her a card when he was supposed to be making a box for others to put his cards in, and she called out “Ick! Who sent this mushy valentine?” Well she looked like a fool with her tongue hanging out like that and what a terrible person to call it out. She’s an unworthy jerk and that showed her true colors and took her out of the running. Francine looked so mad as she read the card over Sue Ellen’s shoulder. Poor Arthur was turned away, using one hand to hide his face. This poor boy!
Arthur went to be alone in his treehouse, his cute little legs dangling over the edge. He found another valentine and he looked funny with his hand pressed to his forehead. The person mentioned that they loved him and to look in his mailbox when he got home. He said “Oh, gross” and ran home.
His mom gave him the letter and it told him to go to the theater at a certain time and sit in a certain seat, had the ticket included. He saw a smudged out F, R, A, and he put it together that it was Francine.
Sure enough, she was there in the seat beside him and smiled at him. Arthur had a secret plan and it was terrible that he told her to close her eyes and count to 10 because he wanted to give her a kiss. There she was with her eyes closed and lips puckered, asking if she could open her eyes now and he’d left a heart saying kisses for Francine and a bunch of Hershey kisses. How mean and totally out of the spirit of the holiday. She clearly liked him and hadn’t meant it as a joke so why did he act like that? Gosh that was a terrible thing to do. That, and his friends making fun of him the entire time, made me not like the story at all. No one was there for him and I'm wondering where his friends are? Buster was the one who called out that Sue Ellen's card was from Arthur. What was the big deal about Arthur having a crush when you know everyone likes someone? Looks like Arthur needs to get some new friends.
“Ding dong. Jerk. No way. Get lost. Monster. Zebra. Daddy-o. Egg head. Hot dog. No.” What kind of messages are those? Those are so wrong!
And lover, hot mama, and big daddy which are just inappropriate for children.
I didn’t know what happened to that cute cover and the pretty back of the book with all those pink hearts outlined in red on an orange background, and that circle portrait of this cute little, curly-haired cat girl or whatever she is. As soon as I opened the book I went “Oh no” because the illustrations were terrible. The colors were deep and dark and splotchy, with all these lines and things that looked like they’d been done in crayon. Why, why have the cover art one way and the art in the book a completely different style? It’s so misleading. I didn’t even want to look at the pictures.
This was kind of like a mystery, because Arthur had been receiving cards prior to Valentine’s Day and didn’t know who it was. He had some suspects. Fern, no reason for it, Buster who could be playing a prank on him, Francine who always teases him, or the new girl, Sue Ellen, who he hoped it was.
I can’t understand why so many children’s authors end up writing mean-spirited Valentine’s Day cards. Has it been so long since they were in school that they can’t remember how it goes? Arthur got a new card saying “Apples, bananas, peaches, a pear, with a face like yours, you’re lucky I care.” Signed from his secret admirer. How is that admiring, telling someone their face is ugly? And why care if you don’t like their face? That doesn’t even make any sense.
The note in his lunch box said “Candy is sweet, lemons are sour. I’ll be watching you the whole lunch hour” which was kinda funny. Arthur looked at Sue Ellen and she smiled at him, while combing her hair. Francine was looking over angrily, like she didn’t like it.
Arthur carefully put all the valentines in his pocket when the kids were getting ready to leave school that day. I felt so bad for him when he went to play soccer and they all fell out and the kids read them, making fun of him for them. Poor thing just left.
I felt so bad for him again when Sue Ellen got the card he’d made for her and put in her box. The day before he had made her a card when he was supposed to be making a box for others to put his cards in, and she called out “Ick! Who sent this mushy valentine?” Well she looked like a fool with her tongue hanging out like that and what a terrible person to call it out. She’s an unworthy jerk and that showed her true colors and took her out of the running. Francine looked so mad as she read the card over Sue Ellen’s shoulder. Poor Arthur was turned away, using one hand to hide his face. This poor boy!
Arthur went to be alone in his treehouse, his cute little legs dangling over the edge. He found another valentine and he looked funny with his hand pressed to his forehead. The person mentioned that they loved him and to look in his mailbox when he got home. He said “Oh, gross” and ran home.
His mom gave him the letter and it told him to go to the theater at a certain time and sit in a certain seat, had the ticket included. He saw a smudged out F, R, A, and he put it together that it was Francine.
Sure enough, she was there in the seat beside him and smiled at him. Arthur had a secret plan and it was terrible that he told her to close her eyes and count to 10 because he wanted to give her a kiss. There she was with her eyes closed and lips puckered, asking if she could open her eyes now and he’d left a heart saying kisses for Francine and a bunch of Hershey kisses. How mean and totally out of the spirit of the holiday. She clearly liked him and hadn’t meant it as a joke so why did he act like that? Gosh that was a terrible thing to do. That, and his friends making fun of him the entire time, made me not like the story at all. No one was there for him and I'm wondering where his friends are? Buster was the one who called out that Sue Ellen's card was from Arthur. What was the big deal about Arthur having a crush when you know everyone likes someone? Looks like Arthur needs to get some new friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2020
Read this because I was bored and it was available on Kindle Unlimited.
This takes place the week of Valentine's, and Arthur receives notes from a secret admirer. He keeps hoping it's from Sue Ellen, but of course, we all know it's from . She tells him to meet her at the movie theater, and when they do meet, he tells her to close her eyes because he wants to give her a kiss. When she opens them, she sees that he's gone and he left a bunch of Hershey Kisses in her seat. Um, what? That was kind of rude.
And also, the drawings in the book are much different from what's shown on the cover. The cover matches the tv show, but not the book.
This takes place the week of Valentine's, and Arthur receives notes from a secret admirer. He keeps hoping it's from Sue Ellen, but of course, we all know it's from . She tells him to meet her at the movie theater, and when they do meet, he tells her to close her eyes because he wants to give her a kiss. When she opens them, she sees that he's gone and he left a bunch of Hershey Kisses in her seat. Um, what? That was kind of rude.
And also, the drawings in the book are much different from what's shown on the cover. The cover matches the tv show, but not the book.
February 6, 2019
The amount of teasing probably wouldn't fly in any modern children's book--not to mention the kids going to the movie theater by themselves--but this is a fairly accurate representation of the dynamics of an elementary school classroom on Valentine's Day (minus the kids being aardvarks and rabbits, of course!)
January 20, 2017
Just a whole story about kids feeling anxious and making each other feel bad. If Lord of the Flies took place on Valentine's Day.
February 15, 2019
I haven't read many of the books that came out before the t.v. Series. I found the art unsettling and the story to be a little cruel.
April 7, 2010
“Arthur’s Valentine” is another classic book from Marc Brown’s legendary “Arthur” series. When Arthur discovers valentines in his lunchbox, he tries to figure out who this secret admirer really is. “Arthur’s Valentine” is a cute book about the trials of having your first love interest that will make children feel all cuddly inside themselves.
Marc Brown has done it again at both illustrating and writing this book about the trials of puppy love. Marc Brown’s story is cute and bittersweet at the same time as we sympathize with Arthur trying desperately to get Sue Ellen to notice him. Marc Brown’s illustrations may be a bit old fashioned in this book since it is one of the earlier “Arthur” books, however they are still creative to look at as Arthur and the rest of the characters are illustrated with having animal heads and human bodies and the illustrations give a great retro style of the 80s to the characters.
“Arthur’s Valentine” is one of Marc Brown’s most inspirational books since “Arthur’s Eyes” and will surely intrigue children who love stories about romance and the spirit of Valentine’s Day. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.
From my Epinions review:
http://www99.epinions.com/review/Arth...
Marc Brown has done it again at both illustrating and writing this book about the trials of puppy love. Marc Brown’s story is cute and bittersweet at the same time as we sympathize with Arthur trying desperately to get Sue Ellen to notice him. Marc Brown’s illustrations may be a bit old fashioned in this book since it is one of the earlier “Arthur” books, however they are still creative to look at as Arthur and the rest of the characters are illustrated with having animal heads and human bodies and the illustrations give a great retro style of the 80s to the characters.
“Arthur’s Valentine” is one of Marc Brown’s most inspirational books since “Arthur’s Eyes” and will surely intrigue children who love stories about romance and the spirit of Valentine’s Day. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.
From my Epinions review:
http://www99.epinions.com/review/Arth...
January 12, 2019
4) Arthur’s Valentine By: Marc Brown Ages: 6-9 Grades: First Grade- Third Grade
Arthur’s Valentine by Marc Brown is an oldie but goodie. Arthur (who is an aardvark) receives several Valentine’s Day cards from a secret admirer. His mystery friend writes poems to pique Arthur’s curiosity. Can you figure out who it is before the secret is revealed?
Please see my full post "6 Best Valentine’s Day Books for Children Ages 1-10 & Exciting Activities" at https://www.teacher-librarian-forlife...
Arthur’s Valentine by Marc Brown is an oldie but goodie. Arthur (who is an aardvark) receives several Valentine’s Day cards from a secret admirer. His mystery friend writes poems to pique Arthur’s curiosity. Can you figure out who it is before the secret is revealed?
Please see my full post "6 Best Valentine’s Day Books for Children Ages 1-10 & Exciting Activities" at https://www.teacher-librarian-forlife...
February 15, 2025
Simplicity, heart, and detailed background illustrations are the engine that drives Marc Brown's Arthur Adventures series, and Arthur's Valentine reveals something new about the core characters. Valentine's Day is approaching, and a stream of valentines comes Arthur’s way courtesy of a "Secret Admirer." Could it be Sue Ellen? That's Arthur's fondest wish, but he fears the cards are a prank being pulled by Buster or Francine. Other kids tease Arthur for the attention paid by his secret admirer; how will he survive to Valentine's Day?
Arthur crafts a heartfelt card and slips it into Sue Ellen's box, but she laughs at the frilly valentine. Arthur wants to go home and forget the whole debacle, but a message is waiting there from his secret admirer. It asks Arthur to meet her at the movies to find out who she is. Will there be a happy ending to the Valentine's season?
Rereading this book, you'll discover plenty of visual clues as to who is sending Arthur the sweet, tart messages. The reveal at the end makes sense; she and Arthur always had a rapport like that, with an underlying feeling that someday they might date. Arthur's Valentine is a good introduction to the truth that feelings run below the surface; you have to read between the lines to know how others feel about you. The book is a satisfying addition to the Arthur Adventures canon.
Arthur crafts a heartfelt card and slips it into Sue Ellen's box, but she laughs at the frilly valentine. Arthur wants to go home and forget the whole debacle, but a message is waiting there from his secret admirer. It asks Arthur to meet her at the movies to find out who she is. Will there be a happy ending to the Valentine's season?
Rereading this book, you'll discover plenty of visual clues as to who is sending Arthur the sweet, tart messages. The reveal at the end makes sense; she and Arthur always had a rapport like that, with an underlying feeling that someday they might date. Arthur's Valentine is a good introduction to the truth that feelings run below the surface; you have to read between the lines to know how others feel about you. The book is a satisfying addition to the Arthur Adventures canon.
September 30, 2016
Someone was sending Arthur valentines cards, but he couldn’t figure out who. Arthur put all of his valentines in his pocket, and they fell out. All of his classmates teased him. Arthur made Sue Ellen a valentine, who he hoped was sending him valentines, and all of his friends made fun of him again. Arthur found out that his secret admirer was Francine. Arthur goes to the movies to meet Francine, and ends up leaving her with just a box of kisses. In my classroom, I could see myself using this around Valentine's Day to break the ice about crushes and writing Valentines. I would use this book to teach my students that making fun of other people is not okay, and that giving out Valentines is normal.
I didn't enjoy the ending of this book. Arthur finds out that Francine is the one who has sent him multiple Valentines, and ends up leaving her alone at the movies. This ought to confuse a child.
I didn't enjoy the ending of this book. Arthur finds out that Francine is the one who has sent him multiple Valentines, and ends up leaving her alone at the movies. This ought to confuse a child.
February 14, 2017
The illustrations are a bit strange.
Do they always use the t.v. animation images on the book covers? My son was an avid Arthur watcher as a child and we had a couple of Arthur themed board games, too. We must not have borrowed any of the books from the library because I had no clue the artwork was different in the books. It is strange that they use the cartoon images on the covers when the illustration are different on the inside. I really liked the way Arthur was rendered because he looked much more like an aardvark. We always used to remark how t.v. Arthur looked more like a hamster. I really liked the way Buster was drawn, too, but Francine looks horrible. Her mouth is weird and lopsided and even in happy scenes she looks angry. A couple of the other secondary characters faces were misshapen, too. The story was good, but not great. I can see it being a fun Valentine's Day read and then not read again. On my blog I use half stars so it would be a 3.5 rating.
Do they always use the t.v. animation images on the book covers? My son was an avid Arthur watcher as a child and we had a couple of Arthur themed board games, too. We must not have borrowed any of the books from the library because I had no clue the artwork was different in the books. It is strange that they use the cartoon images on the covers when the illustration are different on the inside. I really liked the way Arthur was rendered because he looked much more like an aardvark. We always used to remark how t.v. Arthur looked more like a hamster. I really liked the way Buster was drawn, too, but Francine looks horrible. Her mouth is weird and lopsided and even in happy scenes she looks angry. A couple of the other secondary characters faces were misshapen, too. The story was good, but not great. I can see it being a fun Valentine's Day read and then not read again. On my blog I use half stars so it would be a 3.5 rating.
September 4, 2012
Arthur’s Adventures has always been one of my favorite series but sadly this book is not one of my favorites. The basic plot is Arthur finding valentines from a secret admirer but he can’t figure out just who they’re from. The overall story is cute and would get some giggles from a young group of kids. Unfortunately I was disappointed in the story’s ending. I found it sad and thought there were much better ways to go about it. My biggest problem with this story is that there really is no lesson taught to young children who pick up this book. There is some bullying and teasing in this book and it’s never resolved or even pointed out that it’s bad. If Mark Brown had changed the ending and the overall moral to this story I would have enjoyed it much more and it would be a better learning experience for kids.
April 22, 2023
Arthur receives valentines from a "secret admirer."
During the week of Valentines Day, Arthur keeps getting valentines from a "secret admirer." He hopes it is his crush although he knows that this is unlikely. When she reveals herself, his secret admirer turns out to be one of his friends whom he had initially suspected.
I wasn’t quite sure what motives were. Did she have a sincere interest in Arthur? Or was she just winding him up as a joke? I was happy to see Arthur play a little trick of his own on her as payback rather than deflating with disappointment like Charlie Brown would have.
During the week of Valentines Day, Arthur keeps getting valentines from a "secret admirer." He hopes it is his crush although he knows that this is unlikely. When she reveals herself, his secret admirer turns out to be one of his friends whom he had initially suspected.
I wasn’t quite sure what motives were. Did she have a sincere interest in Arthur? Or was she just winding him up as a joke? I was happy to see Arthur play a little trick of his own on her as payback rather than deflating with disappointment like Charlie Brown would have.
February 15, 2017
This story is from Arthur the TV show. If you or your children enjoy the show this may be for them.
While this book is a Valentine's Day book is does not have much love other than Arthur wanting Sue Ellen to be his secret admirer and then his secret admirer sending him cards. It does have kids picking on one another for liking another and instead of thanking others for their Valentine they laugh and make fun. There is a lot of rejection as well in this book. Lastly, the picture are terrible.
While this book is a Valentine's Day book is does not have much love other than Arthur wanting Sue Ellen to be his secret admirer and then his secret admirer sending him cards. It does have kids picking on one another for liking another and instead of thanking others for their Valentine they laugh and make fun. There is a lot of rejection as well in this book. Lastly, the picture are terrible.
February 9, 2020
What an awful awful children’s book! As I read it to my child, I found myself continuously skipping over passages and altering content. It shows kids how to tease and make fun of friends without any consequence or moral lesson at the end. It also opens children’s eyes to some uninnocent concepts like “secret admirer”, “closing eyes and kissing at a movie theater”... seriously? How this book got such a high ranking is astonishing to me.
July 31, 2017
Marc Brown's books were always a part of my library when I was first reading, and I think I read almost all of them growing up. Arthur was always someone I could connect to because like him, I wasn't always the "cool" kid. This story is just another great lesson about love and friendship.
February 4, 2018
This book is a funny ("hey hot lips"), holiday mystery, and I know I can count on entertainment from Arthur every time.
February 10, 2020
Cute and I got a good laugh.
March 22, 2017
2nd installment of the Grandparent/Grandbaby book club.
The ending made me laugh.
The ending made me laugh.
November 12, 2017
Reading Level: 2.5
Book Level: K
Book Summary: Arthur has been receiving anonymous love-letters from a secret admirer leading up to Valentine’s Day, and he is on a quest to figure out who the secret admirer is! Arthur thinks that it might be the girl he likes, Sue Ellen, and sends her a love letter of his own, only to discover that it is actually his friend Francine! To get even with Francine for the teasing he endured as a result of the love letter he sent Sue Ellen, Arthur plays tiny trick on Francine when she finally reveals herself to him as the secret admirer.
Characteristics that support the genre: Arthur’s Valentine fits the genre of a “picture book” because it meets many of the archetypal traits featured in children’s picture books, such as: animals that live, talk and act like people, including having human feelings/ emotions and problems. This tactic allows children to easily identify with the characters in the story and understand the emotions exhibited and actions taken by the characters. Moreover, the book clearly boasts a vividly inspired creativity that will appeal that will appeal to the imaginations of a younger student audience and features illustrations that support comprehension of the characters, story and setting occupying a majority of the page.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Ideas:
-Sentence Fluency: The text of Arthur’s Valentine showcases a variety of sentence structures: simple and complex; dialogue and narration. Additionally, parts of the text are quite expressive, as accented by the change in conventions. The writing also features especially rhythmic passages in the poems and love letters.
-Presentation: The font in this book is clean, large, well-spaced and easy for young readers to read. Also, the pictures on each page directly correspond with the text on the page (or previous page).
-Conventions: The text in this story demonstrates proper use of conventions in both simple and complex sentences in the areas of punctuation, grammar, spelling and capitalization of the first word. This book also “breaks” come of the conventional rules for added expression, such as italicizing the poems in the book or capitalizing entire words for emphasis.
Classroom Integration: When students finally begin attempting to write their own stories involving dialogue, this story can be used as an example of the proper style and conventions used. The rhyming patterns in the poems/love letters can be explored as part of lessons on poetry and as well. Arthur’s Valentine could also serve as a fun selection for Reader’s Theater, since there are quite a few characters with dialogue parts, and various narration roles the students could take on. In addition, due to the relatable nature of the story and characters, this would be an ideal leveled reading book for second graders, (or advanced readers in first grade/ struggling readers in third or fourth grade). The story could also be read aloud to a kindergarten class for a seasonally appropriate story to spark discussion on the holiday.
Other Suggestions: ***Note: As many schools are no longer allowing the celebration of ANY type of holidays, religious or otherwise, this book may not be appropriate for classroom integration at some schools!***
Book Level: K
Book Summary: Arthur has been receiving anonymous love-letters from a secret admirer leading up to Valentine’s Day, and he is on a quest to figure out who the secret admirer is! Arthur thinks that it might be the girl he likes, Sue Ellen, and sends her a love letter of his own, only to discover that it is actually his friend Francine! To get even with Francine for the teasing he endured as a result of the love letter he sent Sue Ellen, Arthur plays tiny trick on Francine when she finally reveals herself to him as the secret admirer.
Characteristics that support the genre: Arthur’s Valentine fits the genre of a “picture book” because it meets many of the archetypal traits featured in children’s picture books, such as: animals that live, talk and act like people, including having human feelings/ emotions and problems. This tactic allows children to easily identify with the characters in the story and understand the emotions exhibited and actions taken by the characters. Moreover, the book clearly boasts a vividly inspired creativity that will appeal that will appeal to the imaginations of a younger student audience and features illustrations that support comprehension of the characters, story and setting occupying a majority of the page.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Ideas:
-Sentence Fluency: The text of Arthur’s Valentine showcases a variety of sentence structures: simple and complex; dialogue and narration. Additionally, parts of the text are quite expressive, as accented by the change in conventions. The writing also features especially rhythmic passages in the poems and love letters.
-Presentation: The font in this book is clean, large, well-spaced and easy for young readers to read. Also, the pictures on each page directly correspond with the text on the page (or previous page).
-Conventions: The text in this story demonstrates proper use of conventions in both simple and complex sentences in the areas of punctuation, grammar, spelling and capitalization of the first word. This book also “breaks” come of the conventional rules for added expression, such as italicizing the poems in the book or capitalizing entire words for emphasis.
Classroom Integration: When students finally begin attempting to write their own stories involving dialogue, this story can be used as an example of the proper style and conventions used. The rhyming patterns in the poems/love letters can be explored as part of lessons on poetry and as well. Arthur’s Valentine could also serve as a fun selection for Reader’s Theater, since there are quite a few characters with dialogue parts, and various narration roles the students could take on. In addition, due to the relatable nature of the story and characters, this would be an ideal leveled reading book for second graders, (or advanced readers in first grade/ struggling readers in third or fourth grade). The story could also be read aloud to a kindergarten class for a seasonally appropriate story to spark discussion on the holiday.
Other Suggestions: ***Note: As many schools are no longer allowing the celebration of ANY type of holidays, religious or otherwise, this book may not be appropriate for classroom integration at some schools!***
February 18, 2017
A really cute read. I adore the Arthur series and his adventures. This story is about Arthur who keeps getting letters from a secret admirer right before valentines day. He can't seem to find out who it is, but he really hopes it's the new girl in class. In the end he meets his secret admirer and there is such a cute picture for the ending page. This would be cute to read to kids around valentines day. I think for youngsters they can really relate to it.
June 29, 2018
My children love these little books. They thoroughly enjoy each and every story, as if they are all unique and individual without any cause for similarity among them. Even though sometimes, they might seem tedious and repetitive to me as a parent, I do enjoy being able to read short-stories to my children that are clean and respective.
January 12, 2018
Copyright 1980. The illustrations in my copy are from that date. I see he's updated them to look more like the tv show.
This was one we always read around Valentine's Day. The text is simple & not too wordy, so it was a good before bed book. The end was goofy.
This was one we always read around Valentine's Day. The text is simple & not too wordy, so it was a good before bed book. The end was goofy.
January 18, 2018
Really awesome book! I love
My daughter loves this story. It is a bit short , but really sweet. Reading this story brings back my childhood days; especially with the little crushes we used to have as kids
My daughter loves this story. It is a bit short , but really sweet. Reading this story brings back my childhood days; especially with the little crushes we used to have as kids
February 15, 2019
Someone is sending Arthur anonymous valentines. He tries to find out who his secret admirer is. He thinks he knows so he writes her a card and gets teased about it. The ending is a surprise ending for kids. They think they will kiss, but........
February 25, 2020
One of my favorite Valentine stories! A silly twist at the end always gets a reaction from the kids.
May 17, 2020
i remember in elementary school making valentines for every one ... so fun. were those not the best days ever ... so cute.
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