The Truth According to Arthur is an amusing picture book from Tim Hopgood and David Tazzyman.
Arthur is not very good friends with Truth at the moment. Truth, ingeniously, has been personified as a grey figure following Arthur around as he struggles with his conscience.
The problem is that Arthur has scratched his mum’s car … when riding his brother’s bike … without permission.
As he chats to his friends he tries to bend the truth (it was a supercool princess), he tries stretching the truth (an alien needed the bike to get home) and even tries ignoring the truth. But none of these feel quite right. When Mum asks Arthur what happened … what will he say??
Hopgood’s narrative in The Truth According to Arthur flows seamlessly as he depicts Arthur’s wrestle with right and wrong. The elements of humour ensure little readers engage with Arthur and his dilemma.
Tazzyman’s illustrations effectively highlight the absurdity of Arthur’s excuses … prompting just the right reaction from little readers
Telling the truth is a conversation that always comes up with little people … at some point. Hopgood and Tazzyman deal with it quite brilliantly, using imagination and a sprinkling of humour to point little readers in the right direction.
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