White Ravens’98/Belgium(French)/61387
Jamar, Corine (text)
DeKemmeter, Laurence (illus.)
Donne-moi la main, Arthur
(Give me your hand, Arthur)
Bruxelles: Casterman, 1997. [28pp]
(Les albums Duculot)
ISBN 2-203-55364-2
Weakness - Protection - Compensation
Arthur is small for his size and sickly. He compensates for this weakness
by always wearing boxing gloves and taking an aggressive posture. With all
their indulgence and encouragement his parents still cannot talk him out of
it. With a subtle gesture a girl at his school is finally able to find a way past
his armour and show him that friends shake hands trustingly, without
gloves, in order to get along well. The illustrations convey considerable
sympathy for the child’s basic need for security. Humorous details prevent
Arthur’s problem from appearing to be a psychological abnormality. (5+)

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