Hold My Hand: A Father and Son Book

Since the beginning of time, the hand has taken us beyond ourselves. It has played a unique role in the rapport between humans. It greets. It recognizes, assists, comforts and reassures. It caresses, prays, blesses, gives, teaches and leads the way. A veritable extension of the heart itself, the hand is the privileged link in the art of emotional communication. Without fanfare, it is silent – a representative of the unsaid. The hand in the Bernard Poulin, Dominic Bercier story ‘Hold My Hand’ speaks of the rite of passage as experienced and shared by one generation and another. Interestingly, the proffered hand described in this story is reminiscent of the relationship between the author and the illustrator. Poulin and Bercier met several years ago at the Centre d’Excellence Artistique De La Salle. The former was a professional visual artist, the latter a student. From that time forward, the author has been mentor to the younger illustrator. In essence, ‘Hold My Hand’ is a wondrous intergenerational collaboration. And, for the benefit of us all, let us hope it is not the last such project between Poulin and Bercier. From the Afterword by Jean-Claude Bergeron Founder and First Coordinator Centre d’Excellence Artistique De La Salle, Ottawa, Canada.