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Lying Up a Storm: A Picture Book About Telling the Truth
A storm is brewing… Whenever Levi doesn’t like the truth, he kinda, sorta makes up other stuff to say. One day his mother explains to him that telling lies will damage the trust of his friends and make him very sad.
Whenever you tell a lie, your inside sun goes away.
Then a lying cloud forms, and glooms up your day.
Each time you tell a lie, another cloud starts to form,
and before you can stop it from happening, your insides start to storm.
This book is a great resource to help children understand not only the consequences of telling a lie, but also how one lie can often lead to telling several more. It will help parents and teachers understand that lying can be a normal and sometimes healthy response for a child and offers tools to help guide children toward truthfulness.
Whenever you tell a lie, your inside sun goes away.
Then a lying cloud forms, and glooms up your day.
Each time you tell a lie, another cloud starts to form,
and before you can stop it from happening, your insides start to storm.
This book is a great resource to help children understand not only the consequences of telling a lie, but also how one lie can often lead to telling several more. It will help parents and teachers understand that lying can be a normal and sometimes healthy response for a child and offers tools to help guide children toward truthfulness.
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2015
11 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Julia Cook
151 books197 followers"In order to teach children, you must enter their view of the world."
~ Julia Cook
JULIA COOK, M.S. is a national award winning children’s author, counselor and parenting expert. She has presented in thousands of schools across the country and abroad, regularly speaks at national education and counseling conferences, and has published children’s books on a wide range of character and social development topics. The goal behind Cook’s work is to actively involve young people in fun, memorable stories and teach them to become lifelong problem solvers. Inspiration for her books comes from working with children and carefully listening to counselors, parents, and teachers, in order to stay on top of needs in the classroom and at home. Cook has the innate ability to enter the worldview of a child through storybooks, giving children both the “what to say” and the “how to say it”.
~ Julia Cook
JULIA COOK, M.S. is a national award winning children’s author, counselor and parenting expert. She has presented in thousands of schools across the country and abroad, regularly speaks at national education and counseling conferences, and has published children’s books on a wide range of character and social development topics. The goal behind Cook’s work is to actively involve young people in fun, memorable stories and teach them to become lifelong problem solvers. Inspiration for her books comes from working with children and carefully listening to counselors, parents, and teachers, in order to stay on top of needs in the classroom and at home. Cook has the innate ability to enter the worldview of a child through storybooks, giving children both the “what to say” and the “how to say it”.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 9, 2017
The title of the book we’re going to read today is Lying Up a Storm. Look at the cover and explain to me, what do you think this book will be about? What is a lie? What does it mean to “lie up a storm”? Define “lie” and “lying up a storm” for students or clarify a student’s explanation so that everyone understands the title. Read pg. 3 & 4 where Levi is introduced and the book gives examples of when Levi lies. Ask students if they have every heard someone tell an itty bitty lie like Levi. Did the lie help the person or make things more difficult? Read remainder of story, stopping to point out how Levi’s lies may help him in the moment but then he must continue that lie or tell more lies to stay out of trouble and it all eventually backfires on him.
• Prompt predictions based on title
• Tell meaning of a key word
• Read some text to engage attention
This is the second in my text set that relate to social skills for young students. I chose this particular book because being honest, especially when trying to avoid getting into trouble is at stake, can be difficult for young children. Honesty is an important skill for students to understand early on to help them develop a stronger relationship with their peers and adults they work with. I felt it was important to share with students how the lies can end up alienating friends. Integrity can be hard to define for young students but understanding that lying can hurt one’s relationship with classmates and teachers is a good foundation.
Cook, Julia (2015) Lying Up a Storm. Chattanooga, TN: National Center for Youth Issues.
• Prompt predictions based on title
• Tell meaning of a key word
• Read some text to engage attention
This is the second in my text set that relate to social skills for young students. I chose this particular book because being honest, especially when trying to avoid getting into trouble is at stake, can be difficult for young children. Honesty is an important skill for students to understand early on to help them develop a stronger relationship with their peers and adults they work with. I felt it was important to share with students how the lies can end up alienating friends. Integrity can be hard to define for young students but understanding that lying can hurt one’s relationship with classmates and teachers is a good foundation.
Cook, Julia (2015) Lying Up a Storm. Chattanooga, TN: National Center for Youth Issues.
February 21, 2016
This is a very good book - very good - in my opinion. I think it serves well in teaching children about the consequences that can potentially awry when you lie. I think it's a little bit overly busy (or cluttered) in the early going, but I think the book is tremendous overall. I think both the words and illustrations are tremendous.
I give "Lying Up a Storm" a 5-star rating with very little hesitation.
Some details I noticed include:
* "Whenever you tell a lie, your inside sun goes away. Then a lying cloud forms, and glooms up your day." - quoted portion of the story from page 16 ... I really liked this quote. In the story, this is Levi's (the main character's) mother talking to Levi about lying. I think this is a good pullout quote and the illustration goes well with it as well - it's a picture of Levi with a storm brewing around him as he thinks about the lies he's told.
* The concept of "inside sun" that Levi's mother teaches him about. I love it. The book's author is directly correlating truth and lies with sun and storms.
* The book's very real. It's not idealistic. I mean this particularly with the fact the mother in the story - an adult - admits she and other adults like too. She explains the reasons people lie and that these reasons don't necessarily make it right, but it (lying) happens.
* There's an "Advice for Parents and Educators" section at the end of the book.
I give "Lying Up a Storm" a 5-star rating with very little hesitation.
Some details I noticed include:
* "Whenever you tell a lie, your inside sun goes away. Then a lying cloud forms, and glooms up your day." - quoted portion of the story from page 16 ... I really liked this quote. In the story, this is Levi's (the main character's) mother talking to Levi about lying. I think this is a good pullout quote and the illustration goes well with it as well - it's a picture of Levi with a storm brewing around him as he thinks about the lies he's told.
* The concept of "inside sun" that Levi's mother teaches him about. I love it. The book's author is directly correlating truth and lies with sun and storms.
* The book's very real. It's not idealistic. I mean this particularly with the fact the mother in the story - an adult - admits she and other adults like too. She explains the reasons people lie and that these reasons don't necessarily make it right, but it (lying) happens.
* There's an "Advice for Parents and Educators" section at the end of the book.
March 28, 2024
We need to rethink lying when it comes to children.
When I was a child with an Independent Fundamental Baptist for a father, nothing was considered more awful than lying in that culture. I got my bare behind whacked with a wooden paddle or whipped with my father’s leather belt for every lie I told and every lie I was accused of telling, but none of that made me more truthful. It just made me not able to connect with my father and feel safe enough to tell the truth to him.
My lies weren’t malicious though. I lied to my father when I made a wrong choice because I was terrified of him shouting at me and then spanking me. Then, when I finally broke down in tears and confessed, he spanked me harder and longer for not telling the truth the first time. He basically reinforced my lack of transparency by inflicting me with the very response I feared that made me tell a lie in the first place. This just made me trust him less and made me even more afraid to admit when I was wrong. If he wanted me to be more truthful, he should have created a safe and gentle environment where I knew I could admit my mistakes without being shouted at and spanked. My lying was a form of instinctual self protect me from that harm.
I also lied when I was ashamed and did not want to acknowledge my shame, which adults do all the time. I lied when I was afraid of feeling rejected for doing the wrong thing, or losing affection. Sometimes my lies were a form of magical thinking where if I said what I wished I had done, or what I wished happened, instead of what I actually did, maybe my wishes would come true.
I also experienced many occasions where I was not intending to lie. I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder in Kindergarten, and there were times where I processed what I heard incorrectly and was accused of lying. There were also times where I tried to express something verbally and what I said was not accurate and I was accused of lying and paddled.
This book made me yearn for a reality where I was treated the way the main character is for lying instead of the punishment and pain I received. Lying is a developmentally normal behavior for all children. It doesn’t mean they are wicked and deserving of authoritarian punishments. This book illustrates how to gently correct a child who is having difficulty with lying and provides resources and facts about why children lie, how it is normal, and how to handle it gently. This would have been a helpful book for me to read as a child. It certainly would have been more helpful than all the paddling that was supposed to magically make me more truthful.
When I was a child with an Independent Fundamental Baptist for a father, nothing was considered more awful than lying in that culture. I got my bare behind whacked with a wooden paddle or whipped with my father’s leather belt for every lie I told and every lie I was accused of telling, but none of that made me more truthful. It just made me not able to connect with my father and feel safe enough to tell the truth to him.
My lies weren’t malicious though. I lied to my father when I made a wrong choice because I was terrified of him shouting at me and then spanking me. Then, when I finally broke down in tears and confessed, he spanked me harder and longer for not telling the truth the first time. He basically reinforced my lack of transparency by inflicting me with the very response I feared that made me tell a lie in the first place. This just made me trust him less and made me even more afraid to admit when I was wrong. If he wanted me to be more truthful, he should have created a safe and gentle environment where I knew I could admit my mistakes without being shouted at and spanked. My lying was a form of instinctual self protect me from that harm.
I also lied when I was ashamed and did not want to acknowledge my shame, which adults do all the time. I lied when I was afraid of feeling rejected for doing the wrong thing, or losing affection. Sometimes my lies were a form of magical thinking where if I said what I wished I had done, or what I wished happened, instead of what I actually did, maybe my wishes would come true.
I also experienced many occasions where I was not intending to lie. I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder in Kindergarten, and there were times where I processed what I heard incorrectly and was accused of lying. There were also times where I tried to express something verbally and what I said was not accurate and I was accused of lying and paddled.
This book made me yearn for a reality where I was treated the way the main character is for lying instead of the punishment and pain I received. Lying is a developmentally normal behavior for all children. It doesn’t mean they are wicked and deserving of authoritarian punishments. This book illustrates how to gently correct a child who is having difficulty with lying and provides resources and facts about why children lie, how it is normal, and how to handle it gently. This would have been a helpful book for me to read as a child. It certainly would have been more helpful than all the paddling that was supposed to magically make me more truthful.
Read
August 6, 2025Julia Cook’s Lying Up a Storm is a clever and heartfelt picture book that addresses the topic of honesty in a way that’s both accessible and meaningful for children. With her signature blend of humour and insight, Cook once again tackles an important social-emotional skill—this time focusing on the consequences of lying and the value of telling the truth.
The story centres on a young boy who has developed a habit of stretching the truth. Whether it's to get out of trouble or to impress others, his fibs start to pile up—literally! As he continues to "lie up a storm," his world becomes clouded and chaotic. With the help of his mom and a little self-reflection, he begins to understand that lies, no matter how small, can grow and cause more harm than good. He learns that being honest may be hard, but it’s the right thing to do.
The metaphor of the storm is simple yet effective—an excellent visual representation of how lying can quickly spin out of control. Michelle Hazelwood Hyde’s illustrations bring the concept to life with expressive characters and colourful, stormy visuals that make the emotional journey more engaging for young readers.
What sets this book apart is its non-judgmental tone. Rather than shaming the child for lying, it gently guides readers toward understanding the why behind dishonesty and encourages better choices through empathy and reflection.
Perfect for children aged 5–10, this book is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, and counsellors looking to open conversations about honesty, trust, and personal responsibility. It can be used in classrooms, therapy sessions, or bedtime reading to reinforce the message that truth-telling builds stronger relationships—and clears the clouds from our conscience.
The story centres on a young boy who has developed a habit of stretching the truth. Whether it's to get out of trouble or to impress others, his fibs start to pile up—literally! As he continues to "lie up a storm," his world becomes clouded and chaotic. With the help of his mom and a little self-reflection, he begins to understand that lies, no matter how small, can grow and cause more harm than good. He learns that being honest may be hard, but it’s the right thing to do.
The metaphor of the storm is simple yet effective—an excellent visual representation of how lying can quickly spin out of control. Michelle Hazelwood Hyde’s illustrations bring the concept to life with expressive characters and colourful, stormy visuals that make the emotional journey more engaging for young readers.
What sets this book apart is its non-judgmental tone. Rather than shaming the child for lying, it gently guides readers toward understanding the why behind dishonesty and encourages better choices through empathy and reflection.
Perfect for children aged 5–10, this book is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, and counsellors looking to open conversations about honesty, trust, and personal responsibility. It can be used in classrooms, therapy sessions, or bedtime reading to reinforce the message that truth-telling builds stronger relationships—and clears the clouds from our conscience.
February 16, 2018
Levi knows not to tell a lie, but his lies are just itty bitty lies to make his life a little more comfortable. At least at the time, it feels better. But many people are beginning to suspect his itty bitty lies are becoming more and more a part of Levi’s life. Finally, his teacher sends a note home with Levi to give to his mom. Then the teacher calls Mom to let her know to expect a note from Levi. When Mom asks Levi about the note he has to think quickly, then tell another little lie. He can’t find the note; it must have fallen out of his backpack on the way home. But Mom’s have a way of knowing the truth. Is there any hope that Levi can begin to change his ways?
At the end of the book, there are a couple of paragraphs of advice to parents, educators and caretakers, and 11 thoughts and ideas of how to handle lying.
Cons: For a picture book it felt long. There was one place I liked, then it fell flat. When Levi goes around apologizing to everyone he has lied to they all immediately dismiss it and say all is okay. But one little girl is not so happy he lied to her (this part made it feel more real), but then his remark is, “It figures.” Like it was her fault/problem since she really should have immediately forgiven him and not been disappointed.
Pros: A good book to start discussions and new thoughts with children about "little" lies.
March 30, 2023
Great book for kids that are lying.
Great book for kids that are in that stage of lying. I love how it shows examples of small lies that seem innocent to big lies that become a storm.
Great book for kids that are in that stage of lying. I love how it shows examples of small lies that seem innocent to big lies that become a storm.
November 29, 2017
This book is very informational and a great way for kids to have a visual of what lying feels like and who it is hurting.
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December 14, 2019We cannot read the book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2023
داستانی دربارهٔ صداقت و دروغگویی. تمثیل کتاب جالب بود و به نظرم مناسب بالای پنج شش سال.
عنوان فارسی: وقتی راستش را نمیگویم چه طوفانی به پا میشود!
عنوان فارسی: وقتی راستش را نمیگویم چه طوفانی به پا میشود!
Want to Read
September 29, 2025E
April 8, 2021
Kids are some of the biggest liars and often times don't even realize what they are doing or understand the concept of lying, so this is a good book to clarify that to kids.
March 1, 2017
Good way to discuss the need to tell the truth in the classroom.
November 12, 2016
Parents and teachers struggle frequently with children lying and it seems to be a hard habit to help them break. This fun, entertaining book has just what kids need to see the error of their ways!
Levi knows tells lie, all the way from Whoppers to little “white” lies. He finds it easier to tell an untruth than face the consequences of his actions. At least he thinks it is easier.
Sometimes his falsehoods do the trick but many of his friends, family, and teachers see right through most of them. That doesn’t stop Levi. One day a note is sent home from his teacher and unknown to him she gives his Mom the thumb up it is on the way. Of course Levi tries to tell a fib.
Mom, knowing the truth, explains to her so how damaging lying is, and one falsehood always leads to telling another, and another and another, …… She points out all the ways lying hurts Levi. No reason is big enough to make it okay to tell one.
Starting then and there he decides he will try telling the truth every time. He begins my fessing up to what REALLY happened to the teacher’s note.
The next day he goes to each person he has been dishonest with and admits his lies from the day before. That took courage! He is amazed at how good it made him feel and how forgiving everyone was.
At the end of the book are advice and 11 thoughts and ideas to foster honesty in children. As always with Ms. Cook’s books are entertaining, though provoking and present the material in a non-judgmental or threatening way to the child.
Levi knows tells lie, all the way from Whoppers to little “white” lies. He finds it easier to tell an untruth than face the consequences of his actions. At least he thinks it is easier.
Sometimes his falsehoods do the trick but many of his friends, family, and teachers see right through most of them. That doesn’t stop Levi. One day a note is sent home from his teacher and unknown to him she gives his Mom the thumb up it is on the way. Of course Levi tries to tell a fib.
Mom, knowing the truth, explains to her so how damaging lying is, and one falsehood always leads to telling another, and another and another, …… She points out all the ways lying hurts Levi. No reason is big enough to make it okay to tell one.
Starting then and there he decides he will try telling the truth every time. He begins my fessing up to what REALLY happened to the teacher’s note.
The next day he goes to each person he has been dishonest with and admits his lies from the day before. That took courage! He is amazed at how good it made him feel and how forgiving everyone was.
At the end of the book are advice and 11 thoughts and ideas to foster honesty in children. As always with Ms. Cook’s books are entertaining, though provoking and present the material in a non-judgmental or threatening way to the child.
Read
June 9, 2016Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2006). Engaging readers in thinking and talking about texts through interactive read aloud. Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, k-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
Narrative:
“The book we are going to read today is Lying Up a Storm by Julia Cook. What do you think this story will be about based on the title? (Students respond) (Show cover) Do you think lying makes you happy or sad? (Students respond) Just by looking at the illustration on the cover I can see a big dark thundercloud, and the boy looks like he is sad. I think that maybe this boy told a lie and now he feels sad about it. Have you ever lied before? Tell me about a time that you lied and how did that make you feel?” (Students respond)
Opening moves:
• Prompt predictions based on the title
• Invites personal connections
Rationale:
I selected this book to use with my students throughout the school year to teach about the importance of telling the truth and the effects that lying may have. As a kindergarten teacher it is important that I am providing opportunities for my students to learn how to appropriately communicate with others. This book ties in with the other 3 books in my text set because they have a common theme of communication, as well as all four books are written by Julia Cook.
Narrative:
“The book we are going to read today is Lying Up a Storm by Julia Cook. What do you think this story will be about based on the title? (Students respond) (Show cover) Do you think lying makes you happy or sad? (Students respond) Just by looking at the illustration on the cover I can see a big dark thundercloud, and the boy looks like he is sad. I think that maybe this boy told a lie and now he feels sad about it. Have you ever lied before? Tell me about a time that you lied and how did that make you feel?” (Students respond)
Opening moves:
• Prompt predictions based on the title
• Invites personal connections
Rationale:
I selected this book to use with my students throughout the school year to teach about the importance of telling the truth and the effects that lying may have. As a kindergarten teacher it is important that I am providing opportunities for my students to learn how to appropriately communicate with others. This book ties in with the other 3 books in my text set because they have a common theme of communication, as well as all four books are written by Julia Cook.
June 12, 2015
1. The book we are going to read today is called "Lying up a Storm". We all know what a lie is right? A lie is when you don't tell the truth and make up something that isn't true. What do you think "lying up a storm" might mean? Do you think it's about a boy who tells one lie, or a bunch of lies? As I read, look at the pictures and see if you can 'infer' how the boy is feeling. Remember the author doesn't always tell us everything with their words so we need to use the picture clues and things we know to help us.
2. *Forshadow the problem of a story
*Prompt predictions based on the title
*Draw the listeners to notice details
3. This book is perfect for social skills! Last year I had a few kids who didn't tell the truth about all kinds of little things. This book will be perfect for talking about lies and what can happen if a child tells lies to their friends and their teacher. It fits in with talking about kindness, and being a good friend because good friends don't tell lies to each other. I can't wait to buy a copy of this book and use it this year!
2. *Forshadow the problem of a story
*Prompt predictions based on the title
*Draw the listeners to notice details
3. This book is perfect for social skills! Last year I had a few kids who didn't tell the truth about all kinds of little things. This book will be perfect for talking about lies and what can happen if a child tells lies to their friends and their teacher. It fits in with talking about kindness, and being a good friend because good friends don't tell lies to each other. I can't wait to buy a copy of this book and use it this year!
March 12, 2016
This is the best book I've run across on lying. The character of Levi is very believable, and the things that he lies about are relatable to children. I love the way his mother, when she catches him in a web of lies, describes his lying by telling him his inside sun won't shine and he'll have storm clouds inside. Also, this book is very visually attractive--both the way the print is set up--large, small, and colorful, and for the illustrations, which are excellent. It was fun to read because I wanted to know what I would find on each page and it didn't disappoint. I have shared this book with my current 2nd graders, and am planning to use it to help them learn to write a book review. I recommend this book highly to teachers, parents, or anyone who knows someone who tends to misplace the truth!
March 9, 2015
Another great story from Julia Cook. The topic this time, lying. As always, the story is engaging and the tips useful. A welcome addition to my therapy library.
July 3, 2015
Another great Julia Cook book I need to add to my classroom collection!
February 6, 2016
This book teaches children that it is better to tell than truth than lie. Overall, I felt that there was a lot of text on each page.
April 6, 2017
This series by Julia Cook is a great way to discuss undesirable behavior in a non-threatening way.
June 19, 2018
is good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews