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Arthur Adventure Series
Arthur's Family Vacation
In this classic Arthur Adventure, everyone's favorite aardvark is unhappy about going on vacation with his family. But when their trip is rained out and the family ends up stuck in a motel, he shows them how to make the best of a bad situation.Kids will love listening along as Marc Brown reads this classic Arthur story.Book Book+CDPublication 6/1/2008 32Reading Age 3 and Up
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
11 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Marc Brown
549 books384 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 60 reviews
June 17, 2019
This had absolutely no flow whatsoever and was so disjointed. Almost every time I flipped the page it was to discover a new thought that didn't follow along with the previous page and had nothing to do with it. The story wasn't very clear because it bounced around to so many different things like the author didn't know what to do with it. It wasn't at all what I expected and the way it started made me think it was going to be one way, only for it to end a completely different way.
It began with the last day of school and the teacher giving them a surprise spelling test, for some reason. Anyone who has ever attended school knows that you do not take a test on the last day of school, much less a surprise one. The last test would be the EOG at the most, because the teacher wouldn't have time to give and grade a test that close to the end. He passed out report cards and there would be no way he had time to add the spelling test scores and calculate it in. A small detail, but one you need to get right.
Buster was going to camp and Arthur was going on a family vacation he wasn't excited about. They packed and D.W. asked if she could bring her dollhouse and her swing. No one made one comment in response to her. I waited for them to say something about packing too much and not being able to fit those things in the car or her not needing them or something, but it was nothing. I was so confused why it was in there if it served no purpose.
Arthur wished Buster could come, despaired of being without his best friend for a whole week. He imagined Buster doing all these fun things like swimming, canoeing, archery, roasting marshmallows and horse riding.
When they got to the beach the motel advertised that there's always a vacancy which was a bad sign to me. Also, there was an angry customer speaking to the woman at the desk through the window. The "ocean view" wasn't oceanfront at all, was across a road and a mall. The pool was tiny.
That evening they had a lobster dinner and Arthur asked if they could go to the beach tomorrow, and his dad replied that he's sure the rain would stop. When did it start raining? No one mentioned rain, and he was just making up one thing after another in an attempt to have all these calamities and bad things happen one right after another.
The next day it rained and they decided to send out postcards. Arthur wished Buster was there and D.W. said their grandma was smart not to come. When was she ever coming? The grandma was never in the picture. So random!
All of a sudden Arthur realized that at camp there's always something fun to do even in the rain. So he took them on a field trip. It started with a cow festival, in which Arthur got a cow T-shirt. Arthur and D.W. rode on the back of a cow--yeah, right. Most cows are not the riding kind..--in a wet pasture while a man fed the cows...It was so random. Like okayy. Their dad took a pic and Arthur mentioned a milking contest.
That led to other activities like alligators, fudge factory, jungle tour, and a movie. It didn't make for engaging reading, just having all these random scenes with a little script. On the last day they finally got to go to the beach on a beautiful day. Back at home, Arthur came over and they both missed each other. Buster asked how he got along with D.W. and Arthur said great and showed him a picture of him burying her in the sand, which made Buster say Arthur really did have a good time.
Idk if I've read one with the baby sister before, but just like with the Berenstain Bears, it's like the authors didn't know what to do with just two kids, the boy and the girl, so they introduced a third kid because they didn't know what else to do. And the baby serves no purpose other than to be in pictures because she certainly didn't say anything and no one commented to her or about her even once! If you didn't look at the pictures you wouldn't even know she existed. I mean no point whatsoever to have her there.
It began with the last day of school and the teacher giving them a surprise spelling test, for some reason. Anyone who has ever attended school knows that you do not take a test on the last day of school, much less a surprise one. The last test would be the EOG at the most, because the teacher wouldn't have time to give and grade a test that close to the end. He passed out report cards and there would be no way he had time to add the spelling test scores and calculate it in. A small detail, but one you need to get right.
Buster was going to camp and Arthur was going on a family vacation he wasn't excited about. They packed and D.W. asked if she could bring her dollhouse and her swing. No one made one comment in response to her. I waited for them to say something about packing too much and not being able to fit those things in the car or her not needing them or something, but it was nothing. I was so confused why it was in there if it served no purpose.
Arthur wished Buster could come, despaired of being without his best friend for a whole week. He imagined Buster doing all these fun things like swimming, canoeing, archery, roasting marshmallows and horse riding.
When they got to the beach the motel advertised that there's always a vacancy which was a bad sign to me. Also, there was an angry customer speaking to the woman at the desk through the window. The "ocean view" wasn't oceanfront at all, was across a road and a mall. The pool was tiny.
That evening they had a lobster dinner and Arthur asked if they could go to the beach tomorrow, and his dad replied that he's sure the rain would stop. When did it start raining? No one mentioned rain, and he was just making up one thing after another in an attempt to have all these calamities and bad things happen one right after another.
The next day it rained and they decided to send out postcards. Arthur wished Buster was there and D.W. said their grandma was smart not to come. When was she ever coming? The grandma was never in the picture. So random!
All of a sudden Arthur realized that at camp there's always something fun to do even in the rain. So he took them on a field trip. It started with a cow festival, in which Arthur got a cow T-shirt. Arthur and D.W. rode on the back of a cow--yeah, right. Most cows are not the riding kind..--in a wet pasture while a man fed the cows...It was so random. Like okayy. Their dad took a pic and Arthur mentioned a milking contest.
That led to other activities like alligators, fudge factory, jungle tour, and a movie. It didn't make for engaging reading, just having all these random scenes with a little script. On the last day they finally got to go to the beach on a beautiful day. Back at home, Arthur came over and they both missed each other. Buster asked how he got along with D.W. and Arthur said great and showed him a picture of him burying her in the sand, which made Buster say Arthur really did have a good time.
Idk if I've read one with the baby sister before, but just like with the Berenstain Bears, it's like the authors didn't know what to do with just two kids, the boy and the girl, so they introduced a third kid because they didn't know what else to do. And the baby serves no purpose other than to be in pictures because she certainly didn't say anything and no one commented to her or about her even once! If you didn't look at the pictures you wouldn't even know she existed. I mean no point whatsoever to have her there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2020
A family goes on a pretty awful family vacation but they end up having a great time. The lesson is that your experience is what you make of it!
June 15, 2022
I laughed! DW steals the show.
October 30, 2016
1) Book Summary: It was the end of the school year, and Arthur's family had planned a family vacation. Arthur wasn't excited at all, he wanted to go to camp with Buster. Their first night of the trip was horrible their hotel room was small and the pool was even smaller. As the days goes by Arthur decided the family should go on a field trip and explore in the rain after the trip was over Arthur realized he had so much fun with his family.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile : The grade level for this book is preschool to 3rd grade. The interest level for this book is 5-8 years old. The lexile for this book is 380l.
3)Appropriate classroom use (subject area): I could use this book during language art/ writing period.
4)Individual students who might benefit from reading: I feel every child would benefit from this book majority every family goes on a family's vacation trip.
5)Small group use (literary circles): In small group setting, I can have the children tell me what they enjoyed on the summer with their families. Give each student a minute or two telling their group.
6)Whole class use (read aloud): I can make this a writing assignment, and have the students write down their favorite memory with their family over the summer and if they can't remember one then to make one up.
7)Related books in genre/subject or content area: Arthur's new puppy, Arthur's underwear, and Arthur's goes to camp
8)Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available : Kindle, Library Binding, Paperback
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile : The grade level for this book is preschool to 3rd grade. The interest level for this book is 5-8 years old. The lexile for this book is 380l.
3)Appropriate classroom use (subject area): I could use this book during language art/ writing period.
4)Individual students who might benefit from reading: I feel every child would benefit from this book majority every family goes on a family's vacation trip.
5)Small group use (literary circles): In small group setting, I can have the children tell me what they enjoyed on the summer with their families. Give each student a minute or two telling their group.
6)Whole class use (read aloud): I can make this a writing assignment, and have the students write down their favorite memory with their family over the summer and if they can't remember one then to make one up.
7)Related books in genre/subject or content area: Arthur's new puppy, Arthur's underwear, and Arthur's goes to camp
8)Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available : Kindle, Library Binding, Paperback
July 25, 2019
Arthur's Family Vacation by Marc Brown
I dearly love this book. I love any book that has to do with Arthur. They did not have these books when I was growing up so I am kinda making up for lost time now.
I give this Book 5/5 Stars. I will be reading more books of Arthur in the very near future.
Happy Reading :)
I dearly love this book. I love any book that has to do with Arthur. They did not have these books when I was growing up so I am kinda making up for lost time now.
I give this Book 5/5 Stars. I will be reading more books of Arthur in the very near future.
Happy Reading :)
August 2, 2021
Arthur ans his family go on vacation, and at first everything seems to go wrong. Arthur wants to be at camp with his best friend buster. The hotel is awful, it rains, etc. The. Arthur realizes sometimes you need to look outside the ordinary to find your fun and just enjoy things the best you can-this is actually a good lesson. I also liked the little humorous bits in the story and illustrations (the angry guest at the motel, DW trying to pack every toy, dollhouse, and swing set-that is SO my kids). However overall the story is so disjointed and that made it hard to enjoy for me. At one point Arthur asks to go to the beach and his dad says if it stops raining-but the author never mentioned that it had started to rain in the first place. I honestly checked to make sure we weren’t missing a page. There was just no flow from page to page with seemingly random events popping up, poor writing.
February 27, 2023
At first Arthur did not want to go on the vacation with his family while his friend Buster was away at camp. Arthur ended up having a great time with his family and had a lot of fun. I think that this is a great book for kids when they might feel the same way about going on a vacation with their own family. It is important to always make the best out of a situation because you can really end up having a good time.
October 3, 2023
Another fun installment in the Arthur series. This time Arthur is upset that he has to go on a family vacation, instead of hanging out with his best friend, Buster, at camp. When they get to the vacation spot, things aren't what they seem. The pool is the size of a sink, and it starts to rain, for days! But Arthur decides to seek new adventures, despite the rain, and the family has a good time together doing things they wouldn't have done otherwise. My rating - 4/5
July 20, 2018
Loved the illustrations! Every semester I'm asked to pick books to read to esl students. Even though this was still a little bit out of their vocabulary range they still managed to understand and enjoy the book thanks to the illustrations.
January 18, 2018
I loved this book! The Arthur series is one my favorite shows and book series so I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are great and the story is wonderful.
June 20, 2018
This is a good story for a beginning reader. Children can easily relate to the characters. The vacation isn't going well but the family makes the most of it.
January 7, 2019
Average Arthur story.
July 25, 2019
Only writing this to exit out of kindle.
Super annoying that kindle forces you to write a review just to exit out of the story so I can read another.
Super annoying that kindle forces you to write a review just to exit out of the story so I can read another.
May 19, 2021
This was sweet.
July 2, 2021
Arthur plans a vacation it was raining but at the last day of was nicw
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 2, 2022I am 5. I love Arthur's book.
July 7, 2022
A good book about making the best out of situations.
July 28, 2022
My personal favorite. I think it is the most relatable one to the way kids feel out of the entire series.
October 28, 2022
The Arthur story series is amazing, the illustrations and vacation vibes are so cute!
June 29, 2023
Very cute
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May 18, 2024One of my favorite books as a kid :)
October 10, 2024
A good book to go along with a Mr. Rogers episode about rain.
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October 6, 2025Grandma Thora you were smart to stay at home. best line ever
November 25, 2016
Very cute. I've always loved author!
October 10, 2017
It is the last day of school and the bell rings into summer. Arthur is feeling sad because his best friend in the world is going to summer camp, while he is stuck with his family on a road trip vacation. He keeps thinking that he is going to have a bad time with his family, and that there is no fun if his best friend is not there. After a few days with his family, he starts to notice that he is actually having a lot of fun. He ends up having great experiences and creating fun memories with his family in this summer vacation.
I think this children book is really cute. I can relate to Arthur, because when I was a kid I used to think that hanging out with my parents or siblings was not cool. I thought hanging out with my friends was much cooler. But as I grew older, I noticed how important it is to be with your family and how time spent with them is amazing.
This book can teach children that being with their family is not lame, that it actually can be very fun.
I think this children book is really cute. I can relate to Arthur, because when I was a kid I used to think that hanging out with my parents or siblings was not cool. I thought hanging out with my friends was much cooler. But as I grew older, I noticed how important it is to be with your family and how time spent with them is amazing.
This book can teach children that being with their family is not lame, that it actually can be very fun.
July 28, 2019
It started out a little confusing, saying that Mr. Ratburn gave the class a surprise spelling test, then saying all the other classes had parties, and then it shows Mr. Ratburn saying “the moment you’ve all been waiting for. report cards and…” and then says “school’s out!” I thought he was giving them the spelling test then, but apparently that happened before.
Buster is going to camp, and Arthur is going on a family vacation, which he’s dreading, because he wants to be with Buster at camp.
I didn't remember there being another sibling in the mix so I was surprised to see the baby in here.
I love the humor of the dad asking DW to use the bathroom, and she said “don’t look at me” as if she wouldn’t need to go, and then on the way to the beach she announces she has to use the bathroom. That’s very typical for a kid on a trip.
Arthur continues thinking about Buster, calling him before they leave and when they go out to eat lobster, he says Buster loves lobster. He wakes up and says he had a dream about Buster.
It’s raining at the hotel so they can’t go to the beach. They send postcards while they wait. D.W. writes to their grandma, saying ‘You were smart to stay home!’ which was funny.
I thought the change from having no fun to Arthur suddenly planning a field trip was a little sudden.
I found the activities to be random, like the cow festival, where they’re pictured sitting on a cow in the rain--which wouldn’t be fun. Then they go to Gatorville, also in the rain. A fudge factory, which you can do in the rain. And then a jungle cruise, which I don’t think you’d wanna do in the rain. It always annoys me when it rains on vacation, so I wouldn't be enjoying myself anywhere in the rain. They also see a scary movie, Jaws of the Deep.
On their last day there, the sun comes out, which sounds like one of my vacations. So they’re able to have a fun day at the beach.
It ends with them on the way home, D.W. saying she had to use the bathroom again.
Buster shows up as soon as they get home, and says he missed Arthur. He asks after their trip and if him and D.W. got along. Arthur shows him a picture of him burying D.W. in the sand, and she has a scared expression on her face. I thought it was a funny way to end the book off.
The humor kept going throughout, which I appreciated. It made it more enjoyable to read. It even ended on a humorous note, with the picture of Arthur burying DW in the sand.
The shark float was familiar; I wondered if it was an episode on TV that I must have seen as a kid. The float was always just sitting around. It seemed like it should have been a focal point, to have a scene with Arthur using it in the ocean or something, if you're going to have it in the book.
I was surprised that each time you flipped the pages it picked up with a new scene, instead of carrying on in chronological order, like most picture books do.
2.5
Buster is going to camp, and Arthur is going on a family vacation, which he’s dreading, because he wants to be with Buster at camp.
I didn't remember there being another sibling in the mix so I was surprised to see the baby in here.
I love the humor of the dad asking DW to use the bathroom, and she said “don’t look at me” as if she wouldn’t need to go, and then on the way to the beach she announces she has to use the bathroom. That’s very typical for a kid on a trip.
Arthur continues thinking about Buster, calling him before they leave and when they go out to eat lobster, he says Buster loves lobster. He wakes up and says he had a dream about Buster.
It’s raining at the hotel so they can’t go to the beach. They send postcards while they wait. D.W. writes to their grandma, saying ‘You were smart to stay home!’ which was funny.
I thought the change from having no fun to Arthur suddenly planning a field trip was a little sudden.
I found the activities to be random, like the cow festival, where they’re pictured sitting on a cow in the rain--which wouldn’t be fun. Then they go to Gatorville, also in the rain. A fudge factory, which you can do in the rain. And then a jungle cruise, which I don’t think you’d wanna do in the rain. It always annoys me when it rains on vacation, so I wouldn't be enjoying myself anywhere in the rain. They also see a scary movie, Jaws of the Deep.
On their last day there, the sun comes out, which sounds like one of my vacations. So they’re able to have a fun day at the beach.
It ends with them on the way home, D.W. saying she had to use the bathroom again.
Buster shows up as soon as they get home, and says he missed Arthur. He asks after their trip and if him and D.W. got along. Arthur shows him a picture of him burying D.W. in the sand, and she has a scared expression on her face. I thought it was a funny way to end the book off.
The humor kept going throughout, which I appreciated. It made it more enjoyable to read. It even ended on a humorous note, with the picture of Arthur burying DW in the sand.
The shark float was familiar; I wondered if it was an episode on TV that I must have seen as a kid. The float was always just sitting around. It seemed like it should have been a focal point, to have a scene with Arthur using it in the ocean or something, if you're going to have it in the book.
I was surprised that each time you flipped the pages it picked up with a new scene, instead of carrying on in chronological order, like most picture books do.
2.5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2024
4.5 ⭐️s
Want to read
October 13, 2015Title: italicize Arthur’s Family Vacation
Author: Marc Brown
Illustrator:
Genre: Picture book
Theme(s): Family Life, Holidays
Opening line/sentence: It was Arthur’s last day of school.
Brief Book Summary: School is out and Arthur is headed on a family vacation. He isn’t excited to be spending a week without his best friend Buster and when the vacation starts off on a downward slope he is missing him even more. However, even though it rains almost every day of their family vacation they start going to the cow farm, jungle tour, fudge factory in the rain and Arthur forgets about missing Buster. By the end of the week he is having a great time and even got some one of a kind pictures of his younger sister DW.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The irrepressible Arthur and his equally high-spirited kid sister star in aardvarkian antics that offer, said PW, ``substantial doses of Brown's trademark understated humor and art brimming with witty details.'' Ages 3-8; 4-8. (May)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot
School is out and Arthur and his family are headed off for a week's vacation. Imagine a family of five in a small motel room at the beach while it's raining. But Arthur steps up to the mark and begins planning outings for the family. They visit a fudge factory, go to the movies, and take a jungle cruise, none of which are affected by the rain. When the sun finally shines, it's time to pack up and head home, but all in all it was a pretty good vacation. 1996 (orig.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The Arthur series are a trademark and there is underestimated humor and witty details displayed throughout this particular book and the entire series. Realistic life lessons and events are shown in the book and they make you imagine yourself being in that situation. DW is portrayed as high-spirited and Arthur as irrepressible.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: A lot of dialogue is shown throughout this book between Arthur and his friends and family. Many of DW comments are made using inference of what happened the scene before, not everything that happens is clearly written out. The illustrations bring you right into the story, they are draw and use watercolors and portray the characters emotions and reaction to the events that are happening perfectly. They also bring humor into the story.
Consideration of Instructional Application: A writing assignment of writing about a family vacation that you have gone on would fit perfectly with this book. Also the students could then illustrate their personal narratives to also display either humor, excitement or trauma that they experienced on their on vacation. Students could also write about a time or event that they thought they were going to hate but ended up enjoying. Postcards was shown in this story and are a great writing tool, students can make post cards to relatives or friends telling them what they are doing in school or about their personal narrative.
Author: Marc Brown
Illustrator:
Genre: Picture book
Theme(s): Family Life, Holidays
Opening line/sentence: It was Arthur’s last day of school.
Brief Book Summary: School is out and Arthur is headed on a family vacation. He isn’t excited to be spending a week without his best friend Buster and when the vacation starts off on a downward slope he is missing him even more. However, even though it rains almost every day of their family vacation they start going to the cow farm, jungle tour, fudge factory in the rain and Arthur forgets about missing Buster. By the end of the week he is having a great time and even got some one of a kind pictures of his younger sister DW.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The irrepressible Arthur and his equally high-spirited kid sister star in aardvarkian antics that offer, said PW, ``substantial doses of Brown's trademark understated humor and art brimming with witty details.'' Ages 3-8; 4-8. (May)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot
School is out and Arthur and his family are headed off for a week's vacation. Imagine a family of five in a small motel room at the beach while it's raining. But Arthur steps up to the mark and begins planning outings for the family. They visit a fudge factory, go to the movies, and take a jungle cruise, none of which are affected by the rain. When the sun finally shines, it's time to pack up and head home, but all in all it was a pretty good vacation. 1996 (orig.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The Arthur series are a trademark and there is underestimated humor and witty details displayed throughout this particular book and the entire series. Realistic life lessons and events are shown in the book and they make you imagine yourself being in that situation. DW is portrayed as high-spirited and Arthur as irrepressible.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: A lot of dialogue is shown throughout this book between Arthur and his friends and family. Many of DW comments are made using inference of what happened the scene before, not everything that happens is clearly written out. The illustrations bring you right into the story, they are draw and use watercolors and portray the characters emotions and reaction to the events that are happening perfectly. They also bring humor into the story.
Consideration of Instructional Application: A writing assignment of writing about a family vacation that you have gone on would fit perfectly with this book. Also the students could then illustrate their personal narratives to also display either humor, excitement or trauma that they experienced on their on vacation. Students could also write about a time or event that they thought they were going to hate but ended up enjoying. Postcards was shown in this story and are a great writing tool, students can make post cards to relatives or friends telling them what they are doing in school or about their personal narrative.
April 4, 2019
Several years after this book was first published, the Arthur television show created an episode based on it. In my view, both versions succeed well, though I noticed that the role of D.W.'s inflatable toy "Sharky" is not nearly as important in the book as it is on the T.V. series. Just an interesting side note.
With a slightly more close-cropped story and an obvious lack of audio effects considered, I still must say that this book version offers things that one just can't get from the television episode. Marc Brown's illustrations are all deep and colorful and delightfully homey, even when the action takes place in the Read family car or their hotel room or the beach. The narrative is solid and fun, the perfect type of book for an early-elementary-school audience. I enjoyed reading Arthur's Family Vacation, and would rate it a solid two stars.
With a slightly more close-cropped story and an obvious lack of audio effects considered, I still must say that this book version offers things that one just can't get from the television episode. Marc Brown's illustrations are all deep and colorful and delightfully homey, even when the action takes place in the Read family car or their hotel room or the beach. The narrative is solid and fun, the perfect type of book for an early-elementary-school audience. I enjoyed reading Arthur's Family Vacation, and would rate it a solid two stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews