An Arthur Thanksgiving
By Ashley Moulton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Arthur celebrates community in charming holiday special.
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An Arthur Thanksgiving
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What's the Story?
It's Thanksgiving Day, and the residents of Elwood City are getting ready to celebrate. Arthur, D.W., and Kate's strict Aunt Minnie comes to stay with them, and Arthur's dad is cooking up a feast. Arthur's about to head downtown to ride his class's float in the Thanksgiving Parade, when his new dog Pup runs away. Arthur, his mom, and other people from the community make fliers and search for Pup. To make things worse, the parade starts, and the special turkey balloon escapes and flies away. Can Arthur and the community come together to find Pup and the lost turkey balloon, and save Thanksgiving?
Is It Any Good?
An Arthur Thanksgiving follows the same Arthur formula that resonates with kids: things go awry, and in making things right, Arthur and his friends learn some valuable life lessons. In many ways, the special emphasizes the importance of fostering community, especially around the holidays. Arthur makes the tough choice to skip the parade so he can go find Pup, and relies on the kindness of people in his town to help find Pup. Meanwhile, Pup is having a grand adventure of his own. He meets dogs in a shelter and realizes they won't get to feast on Thanksgiving leftovers, so he enlists the help of another dog friend to help deliver the shelter dogs a Thanksgiving treat. The Thanksgiving parade's turkey balloon is rescued by the town's firefighters. And D.W. eventually befriends her very serious Aunt Minnie, and realizes she's probably just lonely. Kids will enjoy the gentle adventure and happy ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their community. Who are people in your own community that help you and help others?
Pup is generous when he gives food to the shelter dogs. What are some ways our family can be generous to people or animals that need help?
What sorts of things do we celebrate at Thanksgiving? How did Arthur and his friends and family celebrate Thanksgiving?
TV Details
- Premiere date: November 16, 2020
- Cast: Roman Lutterotti
- Network: PBS Kids
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Holidays
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Last updated: February 7, 2022
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