The Reads go camping at D.W.'s suggestion, much to Arthur's relief. During the trip, she tries to befriend a deer since it's the first wild thing they've seen. Deer are easily startled, however, so D.W. tries to stay still and he will return. She also imagines taking it home and making friends with "Walter".
Tropes for this episode include:
- And Then What?: D.W. starts crying when her parents firmly say they can't take a deer home. Jane then comes and talks to her to point out one thing: Walter has a home in the woods and a family. He would miss them, just as D.W. would miss her family if she was ever taken away. D.W. then has an Imagine Spot about Walter crying about missing all of his brothers and sisters and is sad about being the only deer in town. This allows her to come to terms with not taking a deer back to Elwood City.
- Bait-and-Switch: The Reads overhear D.W. telling Arthur about how they should experience the great outdoors, only to find that she's parroting the slogan of a nature channel.TV ad: GO.D.W.: I wanna go! Let's go now!David: Camping is still a good thing.Jane: I've got to buy her more books.
- Call-Back: Arthur thinks D.W. is going to suggest Pony Land, which is where she wanted to go instead of Washington, DC on their last trip.
- Character Development: The first time D.W. meets and (for lack of better words) befriends Walter, she's pretty distraught when he runs away from her. Towards the end of the episode, after accepting animals are happier in the wild, she takes Walter's fleeing with grace, content with seeing her deer friend one last time.
- Due to the Dead: David and Arthur catch a fish for dinner, but D.W. starts crying for it, forcing them to bury it.
- Furry Reminder: Walter's father refers to the Reads as "those animals."
- Green Aesop: Animals deserve to live free in their environment. If they're perfectly happy where they belong, there's no sense in ruining that for them.
- Hidden Depths: D.W. turns out to be quite enthusiastic about camping. Downplayed, as she was inspired by a nature channel on television and wishes to emulate it, as opposed to if she developed the passion for herself.
- Irony: As D.W. is leaving the camping grounds, her new deer friend bemoans to his father about how he wanted to keep her as a pet. His father says something similar to Jane, that a human wouldn't be happy in these woods.
- Misplaced Wildlife: Invoked and subverted. While they're driving to the campground, D.W. pretends that she sees a penguin. Arthur tells her that penguins don't live in the woods. She says that it must be a lost penguin, needing juice and a map.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: D.W. spends the whole week watching a deer she names Walter, imagining they'll become friends. When the family leaves, it's revealed that "Walter" was thinking the same thing about D.W., being flattered that she was hanging out with him. He says that he wanted her to stay with them. His father dissuades him about the notion, saying humans are happier in their homes.
- You Never Asked: In D.W.'s Imagine Spot where she takes Walter home, he cries about how he misses his parents and his numerous siblings (which he names off). D.W. guiltily comments on how that's a lot of siblings, to which Walter responds by sadly remarking how she never bothered asking him.
Mr. Ratburn has assigned book reports, so the kids are prepared to stay up late reading. Everyone except Buster, that is, who claims they're "no sweat" for him. After writing a book report on a monster movie, Buster must read a "real" book when Mr. Ratburn gives him an extension, but he believes he's doomed. Arthur and Francine struggle to find a story he can finish in a matter of days, especially with Buster's Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Aesop Amnesia: It seems Buster learned from his previous near-flunking to work harder in class, as seen when he answers a complicated math problem correctly. Then he blows off writing his book report in favor of watching a monster movie and thinking that was based on a book. When Mr. Ratburn gives him an extension, Buster goes back to his "doomed" mindset from "Buster Makes the Grade", not even trying to find a story he'll like. Francine and Arthur expend a lot of effort trying to find a story that he can finish, to the point that they spy on him with binoculars. Just like last time, Buster does a last-minute cramming rush job and admits that he ought to have put in the work in the first place to find something he liked to read.
- Apple of Discord: Arthur asks his friends on the playground what Buster's book should be. Brain recommends a book on molecular theory, Francine says to find an easy book, Fern says ditch the science and go with a mystery book, and so on. In the end, Arthur has to shout at all of them to stop talking at once and lends a Scare Your Pants Off book to Buster.
- Both Sides Have a Point: It's discussed if Buster should read an easy book, or a fun one. Francine brings up the legitimate point that reading an easy book means that you are more likely to finish it and pick up another book for your enjoyment. Trying out something hard, in contrast, may turn you off from reading. Arthur sees if Buster can finish a fun book first, lending him The Curse of the Jumping Peanut because he reasons that Buster already likes the series and being scared. Buster only made it to page two despite loving the series, and Arthur goes with Francine's idea to find something easier. In the end, Buster nearly finishes Robin Hood and admits he should have found something fun in the first place.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Parody: One of the books that Arthur and Francine try to get Buster to read is called Sam and the Sandwich Company. It's about a kid who finds a golden sandwich and tours a sandwich factory but lost all his teeth while going hungry. Buster only makes it to page three because he got hungry reading it.
- Comically Missing the Point: Brain offers a book on molecular theory to Buster for his report. Francine points out that a first book should be easy because when you read something hard, you never want to read another book for a while. Brain insists that since molecules are small, the book will be easy like "small things".
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot:
- At the end, Buster admits that he should have been choosing the books to review, rather than having Francine and Arthur choose books for him. Then he would have found something that he liked.
- Mr. Ratburn tells Buster that taking a shortcut by watching a movie meant he did more work this week than if he had simply read a book and turned in his assignment on time.
- Dramatic Drop: After Brain does a Spit Take, Francine drops her fork when Buster confesses he's never read a full book in his life.
- Epic Fail:
- Arthur confronts Buster for doing this. He says that doing a book report on a movie is pretty dumb, especially ones from the Monster Channel. Buster blithely says "All movies come from books," only to go Oh, Crap! when Arthur shakes his head. They confirm with Miss Turner that there is no book of Pa-Kanong: Creature with the Big Face.
- At the end, Arthur screams at Buster that he's going to flunk on learning he couldn't finish a baby book about the color blue. Buster, fortunately, did a report on Robin Hood, but admits that he wasn't interested in the stories that Arthur and Francine were recommending.
- Expy: One book that Arthur and Francine try to get Buster to read is "I Don't Want to Go to Afkaphazoom," a parody of Dr. Seuss's books.
- Expy Coexistence: The first and third books Arthur and Francine tried on Buster are spoofs of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Dr. Seuss. Just a season after this episode "Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival" states that both "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and Dr. Seuss exist in the universe.
- Foreshadowing: While trying to find a way out of failing his report, Buster says that his dad's a pilot, so he could fly him out of the country. This becomes important in the next episode.
- Hand Wave: Arthur points out that Buster surely has read entire books, namely the Scare Your Pants Off stories, Buster confesses that he watched the TV show, meaning he was lying. Though it raises the question of why he was waiting in the library for the new ones to come out early.
- Hates Reading: Deconstructed with Buster. The gang learns that he has never read a whole book in his entire life, much to Arthur's horror. With a book report coming up, Arthur and Francine keep trying to introduce Buster to simple, easy-to-read books, only for Buster to lose interest time and time again with each book. It isn't until Buster picks up Robin Hood out of curiosity that he finds himself able to read it, coming to the conclusion that all this time, he just wasn't able to find a book that he enjoyed.
- Head Desk: Buster does this when he admits to Arthur that he's never finished a Scare Your Pants Off book, using the TV show to catch up properly. He bangs his head on the cafeteria table with his ears flopped. This causes a Mass "Oh, Crap!" from his friends.
- Laborious Laziness: As Mr. Ratburn points out, Buster did more work that week trying to find the right book for a report as opposed to if he had just read a book from the start. Buster himself admits that he was struggling so much for nothing.
- Medium Awareness: The characters of "I Don't Want to Go to Afkaphazoom" once Buster stops reading.Piece of the Moon: Why did we stop?Baringster: Well, nothing happens if no one's reading the book.The Car With No Driver: And it was just getting exciting.Boy: Well, I didn't wanna go anyway.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Mr. Ratburn proves to be this. He's not mad when Buster comes early to confess that he did his book report on a monster movie, and says he can get an extension until Friday. It has to be a real book and a good report.
- Skewed Priorities: As Arthur puts it, the important thing isn't if Buster likes the book or not. He has to finish a story or Ratburn will give him an F. Yet, even when the book is only a few pages long, Buster keeps finding reasons to stop even when his grade is on the line.
- Spit Take: The Brain, when Buster reveals that he's never read an entire book.
- Stating the Simple Solution: Arthur's first attempt to get Buster to read a book is to lend him something he will like: the newest Scare Your Pants Off book. It's a pretty good idea, but Buster admits he only made it to page two the next day.
- Story Arc: This episode directly leads into "Arthur's Faraway Friend", and its arc over the remainder of the season.
