More True Lies: 18 Tales for You to Judge

by George Shannon, John O'Brien (Illustrator)

A man is thrown in jail for picking up a rope. A student earns one hundred points on his math and history tests, yet fails both classes. A spider saves a fugitive from a legion of warriors. A farmer buys a cow, a horse, and a donkey, all with a single ear of corn.... Each of the eighteen stories in this book is true, technically. But each is also a lie.In his second collection of "true lies" from around the world, George Shannon challenges young readers to uncover the whole truth. But be careful: a word with more than one meaning can obscure the facts. And a hidden detail can mean the difference between honesty and a twisted truth that is, in its essence, a lie.

Can you tell the difference?
Can you discover:
"What's the truth,
the whole truth?
And where's the lie?"

Genres: Childrens, Folk Tales

64 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

George Shannon is a popular storyteller and former children's librarian whose many notable picture books include Tomorrow's Alphabet, Lizard's Guest, and White Is for Blueberry. Tippy-Toe Chick, Go!, illustrated by Laura Dronzek, was named a Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. George Shannon lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were, imo, slightly easier than those of the first book; I solved almost all of them and would have done even a few more if I'd been patient and worked through them. But they're also just about perfect for upper MG imo.

Shannon's puzzles really do teach critical thinking.
How does the Truth differ from the Whole Truth?
And they teach communication.
How can one give absolutely clear instructions, so that a deceptive person can't find the loophole?

Author's note gives origin and/or folklore type for every tale.
I really want to find more about the Turkish satirist, maybe from this: The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin. I could add other books to my to-read list from Shannon's notes, too.

Illustrations too much like the ones Peter Sis has done for other books by Shannon, though. :(

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever stories where the reader has to guess what is truth and what is a lie in each story. Some were easy, others were hard, or there weren't enough clues to figure out the answer. Overall, a lot of fun.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were really neat riddles, told in story form. I also got most of them, so I'm pretty proud of myself.

[Samantha Penrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I wanted to give this two stars but added an extra on because if I were 8 or 9 I may have been more into it. It was clever. It could however turn your child into a good liar...

"...a word with more than one meaning can obscure the facts. And hidden detail can mean the difference between honesty and a twisted truth that is, in essence, a lie."

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the idea of using trickster folklore tales from all over the world to introduce critical thinking and listening skills to kids ages 7-10.

[Kary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Traditional Lit unit. Really great for reading out loud and having students figure out the truth within the lie.

[Thomas Andrikus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceptive stories that can turn kids into aspiring grifters... Excellent!