D.W. Read

Dora Winifred Read is one of the main characters in the PBS Kids animated series Arthur.

Biography
D.W. is the younger sister of Arthur Read, and the middle child of the family. She was four years old for much of the series, and attended preschool during most of the series' run. In later years, she turned five and attended kindergarten. She loves watching Mary Moo Cow (which irritates Arthur) and used to listen to the song "Crazy Bus" until it was retired out of respect for Joe Fallon, a writer for "Arthur" who left the show after season four. True to her last name, D.W. is a great reader, and unlike most kids her age, is able to read complex writing. She is named after Grandma Thora's late aunt Dora Winifred, as revealed in the special "The Rhythm and Roots of Arthur". D.W. is based on series creator Marc Brown's personal experiences with his three younger sisters. In the flashforward seen in the series finale "All Grown Up", D.W. got a job as a police officer.

Personality
D.W. is known for her bossy attitude. She has a sibling rivalry with her older brother Arthur, and often argue with each other when their personalities clash. Though she's often portrayed as rude, she does have a good heart at times.

Voice Actors
Throughout the entire series, D.W. is voiced by young male actors, who are usually replaced by another when one grows out of the role. The boys who voiced D.W. are Michael Caloz, Oliver Grainger, Jason Szwimer, Luciano Rauso, Ryan Ehrenworth, Robert Naylor, Jake Beale, Andrew Dayton, Christian Distefano, and Ethan Pugiotto. The only female actress who voiced D.W. was Nissae Isen, who voiced an adult version of her in the series finale "All Grown Up".