From Publishers Weekly
Ages 4-8. Brown offers yet another Arthur adventure-his 20th-that entertainingly taps into a familiar childhood experience. Here Arthur is planning his first sleepover party in his tent. Nothing-neither local reports of a spaceship sighting nor best friend Buster's mother's initial reluctance to let her son attend-can dampen the young aardvark's enthusiasm. He even has his camera at the ready lest the aliens drop in, so he can snap pictures and sell them to the National Requirer. But after trading baseball cards, eating pizza and fighting with pillows, Arthur, Buster and the Brain see an eerie light. Is the spaceship about to land? As usual, Brown's art contributes significantly to the fun: the boys make amusing welcome signs for their potential visitors ("We are your friends"; "Please do my homework"); and the vision of the petrified pals running blindly through the yard, tangled in their collapsed tent, will bring on plenty of snickers. Kids definitely like to read about themselves, and Brown knows well how to make Arthur everykid. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3. As Arthur prepares for his first sleepover, his sister D.W. and all his friends are talking about the UFOs that have been sighted in the area. However, Arthur, Buster, and the Brain don't let the rumors interfere with their plans for a backyard adventure in Arthur's tent. In typical fashion, D.W. waits until the boys quiet down for the night and launches her own "alien" invasion, and Arthur thinks of a way to beat her at her own game. As usual, Brown treats his subject with warmth and humor, and his illustrations enhance the text through their detail and the visual clues they give readers. This is a title that will have wide appeal. Mary Ann Bursk, Bucks County Free Library, Levittown, PA - Copyright © 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Spaghetti Book Club
In the book, Arthur's First Sleepover, Arthur is having a sleepover party. Arthur's dad looks in the newspaper and sees an article about a spaceship. Arthur's sister scares Arthur and his friends when they are in their tent having a sleepover. They hear footsteps coming towards them. They were really scared but it turned out to be the pizza delivery man. When they saw flashing lights they got so scared the tent collapsed when they were trying to get out. Arthur figured out it was his sister, D.W., trying to scare them. Arthur pays her back by making a fake alien and scaring D.W.
I really like this book because it is funny when they run into a tree. My favorite part is when Arthur said he knows that an alien came from planet D.W. It is really funny because he says it in a funny voice. My favorite character is Arthur because he is always joking around.
I recommend this book to first graders and anyone who likes Arthur books. Michael B. (age 9) - Copyright © 1999 Happy Medium Productions, Inc.