D.W.'s Library Card (episode)

Summary
When D.W. discovers that she can get her own library card, she rejoices at the world of books waiting for her. (Now if only she could sign her name to get the card in the first place...)

Plot
The episode starts off with Arthur explaining to the viewers that he loves coming to the library and what he likes most about it is how quiet is—but then D.W. comes in and starts pestering her brother, which leads to him saying, "Except on the days when I have to bring [my sister] with me."

After Arthur tells D.W. to go pester someone else, she runs into Binky, who reads a book called Chopin to her. Arthur eventually comes by to get his sister, and after they leave Binky and walk past a cart with lots of books on it, D.W. sees a book called Hopalong the Frog, which interests her. D.W. asks her brother to check out the book for her on his library card, but her refuses, not wanting to check out what he considers a "baby book" on his card. After he puts the book back where D.W. found it, she says that sooner or later, she will have her very own library card and check out whatever book she wants.

Eventually, D.W. goes to watch one of Mr. Ratburn's puppet shows with her fellow preschoolers, and after the show ends, D.W. asks Ms. Paige Turner, the librarian, when she and her classmates will be old enough to get their own library cards. Ms. Turner explains to her that she and her classmates are in fact old enough to have their own library cards. This gets D.W. and the other kids excited, and when they ask how cards they can have, Ms. Turner explains that the kids can each have one library card and that the only real requirement for them is that they have to be able to write their full names on the card.

Despite her initial excitement, D.W. gets worried about this last thing, as she doesn't know how to read or write. The Tibble-twins brag that they know how to write their own names, but D.W. expresses worry about how she'll be able to write out her full name ("Dora Winifred Read"), especially since hardly anyone (including herself) says it. The twins assure her that it's at least a lot simpler than having a name like "Aloysius Zimmerplotz."

As they're walking home from the library, D.W. brags to her brother about how once she gets her library card, she's going to check out whatever book she wants, with the first book being Hopalong the Frog. However, Arthur reminds his sister that she doesn't know how to read or write, but D.W. claims that she'll practice writing out her full name once they get home. D.W. soon gets to work doing so, but has great trouble with writing out her full name—her final attempt with writing out her full name ends with "DoBa Minifred ReaBed." While she and Arthur are later having dinner with their parents and Kate, D.W. complains to her parents about how she's been having trouble with writing out her full name for her upcoming library card. But Jane points out that D.W. has just written out her full name in the mashed potatoes that are part of her dinner—when D.W. looks down at the potatoes, she realizes that she's spelled her name out perfectly, which gets her excited.



The next time D.W.'s at the library is for her and her classmates to get their first library cards. D.W.'s focused on practicing her writing out her full name while the rest of her classmates are in line to get their cards. After the Tibble-twins get their cards, they bet that D.W. will end up messing up on writing her full name and end up not getting her library card. D.W. confidently states that she's already written out her full name 100-times, but when she gets in line to get her card, she starts getting nervous about what the Tibbles said. As soon as she walks up to Ms. Turner's desk, she writes out her full name on the card, and finally gets her first library card, which she shows off to her mom and brother.

D.W. then goes to check out her first library book, which is Hopalong the Frog. However, when she goes to the place where she and Arthur last saw it, the book isn't there anymore. Arthur figures that the library-workers probably just put it back on the shelves and suggests that they just go ask about it at the front desk. They do so, and Ms. Turner explains to them that someone has already checked out the book and that Hopalong the Frog won't come back for at least a week. The librarian admits that it might come back sooner, but the due date for it is next Saturday.

D.W.'s ultimately forced to leave the library and wait for the book to come back, during which she pesters Ms. Turner about it. On the night before the book is due, D.W.'s pestering her brother about her worries for not being able to check out Hopalong the Frog, but Arthur says that the book is due in twelve hours. The next morning, D.W. wakes up Arthur at 6:30 and tells him that she wants to get to the library as soon as it opens. Once they get to the library after it opens, D.W. once again asks if Hopalong the Frog has been returned yet. When Ms. Turner explains that it still hasn't been returned and admits that it might end up being late (meaning that it might not be returned until the next day or even later), D.W. gets mad. Arthur points out that D.W. could just check out a different book, but D.W. claims that that she only wants to check out Hopalong the Frog. Though Arthur's tempted to just leave D.W. at the library by herself, he ultimately stays with her while she waits for her book to be returned.

While D.W.'s hiding behind some bookshelves, she's spying on the front desk for people who're returning books. When she finds a boy walking up to the desk with a book, D.W. rushes over to the boy with a book, and asks him if it's a book on frogs, and he responds by saying it's called Chippy the Choo-Choo.

D.W. is afraid that Hopalong the Frog might never come back, and then the Tibble Twins greet D.W., and she rushes over to them with the book they just checked out a week ago. D.W. thinks they damaged the book, but Miss Turner points out that the book was in that condition before the Tibble Twins checked it out, because the book was old.

The Tibble Twins point to D.W. that they would never damage a library book, and that D.W.'s library card might be revoked if she does. Then Miss Turner scans the book for D.W. along with her library card, and makes D.W. a promise to take good care of the book.

D.W. then imagines herself getting ready to read the book, but then accidentally tears off the front cover and looks in shock and unfortunately her dream became a nightmare, and after putting the cover back on, the book crumbles up and turns into a cyclone and sends D.W. back to the library.

Back at the library, it is not just a library, but rather a library courtroom with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. An evil Miss Turner then reprimands D.W. about damaging books, and that she will never have another library card again, and then stamps D.W.'s library card with a large red X-mark.

D.W. is standing in front of the desk that is at the height of a judge's podium, and the walls are made from bricks instead of smooth textures and the floor is of wood instead of carpeting, and the place itself was a terrible mess.

D.W. complains that she worked so hard to get the library card, and then the Tibble Twins walk by with a stack of books and taunt to D.W. that there are more books for them. Then her evil brother Arthur walks by and insults her by telling her that she could'nt have a library card. Then D.W. falls to her knees and starts to cry that it isn't fair what happened.

Back at home, D.W. is in her room, still worried about the book's condition. Arthur then walks into her room, and thinks she was bothering him all night to make him read her Hopalong the Frog.

D.W. then hides the book and believes that Arthur has already done enough for her. Then the days pass by from Saturday the 12th until Saturday the 19th. As D.W. is eating her breakfast, Arthur reminds her it is Saturday, and time to return the book, but neither one read the book.

D.W. then rushes back to her room to find the book, only hidden in a box and covered with one of her blankets. D.W. was too afraid to open the book, that it would fall apart and that she might lose her library card, and then asks Arthur to open the book, so he does it for her.

Arthur then finds out he checked out Hopalong the Frog when he was D.W.'s age after he learned to write his name, and then tells D.W. it was the first book he ever checked out and imagines his younger self (before he got glasses) saying it was his first book.

Arthur then admits that Hopalong the Frog is not a baby book, but he really loved the book when he was in preschool, and that it's fun to read to little kids.

Arthur then starts reading the book to D.W., and after reading the whole book, D.W. starts crying, and Arthur says it was a happy story if D.W. liked it or not, and D.W. proves she did like the book and that she is sad she needs to return the book. Arthur points out that it is possible to re-check a book in order to read it as many times as possible.

Then Arthur and D.W. return to the library, and D.W. gets Hopalong the Frog renewed, and then she tells Miss Turner that Arthur is going to read her the book as many times as possible. Arthur then decides he's bored with the book, and admits that D.W. should have returned the book than had it re-checked.

Major

 * D.W. Read
 * Arthur Read
 * Paige Turner
 * Jane Read
 * David Read
 * Binky Barnes

Minor

 * Timmy and Tommy Tibble
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Ms. Morgan's Students
 * Aloysius Zimmerplotz
 * Francine Frensky (voice in Arthur's imagination)
 * Muffy Crosswire (voice in Arthur's imagination)

Cameo

 * Steve
 * Brian
 * George Lundgren
 * Maria Pappas
 * Liam
 * Amanda Hulser
 * Kyle
 * Edwin
 * Maryann
 * Sarah
 * Lisa
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 2)

Trivia

 * The library cards depicted in this episode feature a book with wings, but "Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival", the cards included a picture of the cardholder. This may have been to avoid spending time on a scene in which D.W. and the other children had to have their photos taken for their cards. (In reality, library cards in the United States are not typically also photo IDs.)
 * One image is in 16:9 very rare for Season 1-15 to do that.
 * A screenshot from this episode is featured in the picture book If All the Animals Came Inside, which was written by Eric Pinder, but illustrated by Marc Brown. In the scene in question, the main character of the book is in his living room with several rhinoceroses, and it states "The rhinos downstairs would be watching TV. They'd stand in the way and leave no more room for me!". The television shows D.W. with Arthur, reading Hopalong the Frog.
 * This is the first episode D.W. says her own full name herself, even though she still prefers her initial name, and she learns how to spell it herself for her own library card.
 * This is the first episode where D.W. is voiced by Oliver Grainger, who succeeded Michael Caloz.
 * This is the first episode to use digital ink-and-paint animation.
 * Timeline: According to the calendar in Arthur's room, this episode takes place in September.

Cultural references

 * When D.W. looks on the same shelf looking for Hopalong the Frog, you can see a book called "Pete Rabbit", obviously referencing ""; and a book called "The Life and Times of Marc Brown".
 * The book D.W. found that was titled The Red Dog is partly a reference to , which itself was adapted as a television series for PBS Kids. It also references an actual book, The Red Wolf (Endangered in America) by Alvin, Virginia and Robert Silverstein, which appears in the "Word From Us Kids" interstitial for this episode.

Episode connections

 * Arthur wearing baby clothes is a reference to a reunion flashback where Mo once dressed him up as a baby in "Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe".
 * D.W. later shows her Hopalong the Frog book in "Arthur's New Friend".
 * Arthur mentions D.W.'s Hopalong the Frog book in Hide and Snake.

Errors

 * While Arthur is wearing his black jacket, the yellow sweater that he usually wears is missing whenever the jacket is seen partially unzipped.
 * At the beginning when D.W. has the book "The Red Dog" the dog on the cover is mistakenly colored brown instead of red.

Home Video
DVD
 * Arthur's Lost Library Book (DVD)