‘Arthur’ Episode Isn’t One for the Books

Whew. Getting your first library card and going to the library are pretty scary activities. At least, that’s the conclusion some young viewers might draw from watching the season opener of PBS’ multiple-award-winning animated series “Arthur.”

The show, about an 8-year-old bespectacled aardvark kid and his family and friends, rarely stumbles. It may be that this new episode, entitled “D.W.’s Library Card,” simply suffers from too much research.

The intended pro-reading message is great: Arthur’s little sister D.W., discovering she’s old enough for a library card, is as excited as all get out. She learns to write her name just so she can get one and check out a special book she can’t wait to take home.

As someone who considered her local library home away from home from the age of 4, I’m all for that.

The problem is that in attempting to anticipate children’s questions and concerns about how to get that magic card and use the library, the episode actually undermines its good intentions with tense negativity.

When D.W. asks Arthur to check out the book she wants for her, he contemptuously calls it a “baby book” and refuses, imagining in a fantasy sequence the humiliation that he’ll be subjected to if he puts it on his card. Not a great way to foster positive feelings toward books in young children.

The process of getting the card is made to look intimidating, too, as D.W. frets over learning how to print her name, suffers teasing barbs and then is terrified that she won’t remember how to sign the form. This sparks another dark fantasy sequence.

Then, misunderstanding something that is said, D.W. imagines she’ll never be allowed to get another card if something happens to the book, so she’s too darned frightened to read it.

When the warm note comes, with Arthur rediscovering that D.W.’s book is the very first one he checked out at her age and then reading it to her, it’s a bit late to dispel all the preceding anxiety and anguish.

* “Arthur” airs Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. on KCET-TV. The network has rated it TV-Y (suitable for all children).