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Lyttle Lies #2
Lyttle Lies: The Stinky Truth
The second Lyttle Lies book featuring Sam Lyttle, the small boy who tells BIG lies. Fans of Tom Gates willl love this laugh-out-loud stinky story from well-known cartoonist Joe Berger.
It's the school holidays and Sam and his best friend can't wait to see Cry Wolfe, the first movie starring their favourite crime-fighting hero. But Sam's mum has set him a challenge. He can only go and see the movie IF, and only if, he can make it through the entire holiday without telling a single fib.
Can Sam go six whole weeks, without a single porky!?
WARNING: contains fibs, farts and zumba-dancing mums
Praise for The Pudding Problem :
‘‘… truly funny, with verbal, visual and fart jokes appealing not only to those who find reading heavy going.’ Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times’ Children’s Book of the Week
'Offers a fairly high level of subtly, sensitivity and sophistication.’ Financial Times
‘Comic-strip frames, drawn with energy and silliness, are interspersed with a smattering of text, all the way to the entertaining twist. [Sam’s] arrival is to be welcomed.’ The Sunday Times
It's the school holidays and Sam and his best friend can't wait to see Cry Wolfe, the first movie starring their favourite crime-fighting hero. But Sam's mum has set him a challenge. He can only go and see the movie IF, and only if, he can make it through the entire holiday without telling a single fib.
Can Sam go six whole weeks, without a single porky!?
WARNING: contains fibs, farts and zumba-dancing mums
Praise for The Pudding Problem :
‘‘… truly funny, with verbal, visual and fart jokes appealing not only to those who find reading heavy going.’ Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times’ Children’s Book of the Week
'Offers a fairly high level of subtly, sensitivity and sophistication.’ Financial Times
‘Comic-strip frames, drawn with energy and silliness, are interspersed with a smattering of text, all the way to the entertaining twist. [Sam’s] arrival is to be welcomed.’ The Sunday Times
240 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2018
7 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Joe Berger
63 books20 followersJoe Berger is the illustrator of Hubble Bubble Granny Trouble.
When Joe Berger was sixteen, his mum admonished him for “doing nothing but whizzing about entertaining himself”.
Now in his early forties, Joe continues to whizz about entertaining himself – but tries to include as many other people as he can in the process – as a children’s author, illustrator and cartoonist who also makes the occasional award-winning animated short film and title-sequence.
He is co-creator of the Berger & Wyse food cartoon in the Guardian magazine each saturday, and has illustrated numerous books, inside and out, for children and grown-ups.
When not working he loves to play modern family strategy boardgames.
Joe lives in Bristol with his wife, three daughters, two cats and a small dog, all of whom refuse to play boardgames with him. His mum still wishes he’d calm down and start being sensible.
from http://nosycrow.com/authors-etc/joe-b...
When Joe Berger was sixteen, his mum admonished him for “doing nothing but whizzing about entertaining himself”.
Now in his early forties, Joe continues to whizz about entertaining himself – but tries to include as many other people as he can in the process – as a children’s author, illustrator and cartoonist who also makes the occasional award-winning animated short film and title-sequence.
He is co-creator of the Berger & Wyse food cartoon in the Guardian magazine each saturday, and has illustrated numerous books, inside and out, for children and grown-ups.
When not working he loves to play modern family strategy boardgames.
Joe lives in Bristol with his wife, three daughters, two cats and a small dog, all of whom refuse to play boardgames with him. His mum still wishes he’d calm down and start being sensible.
from http://nosycrow.com/authors-etc/joe-b...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 28, 2020
3.75 stars
School’s out and Sam’s looking forward to the neighborhood carnival where they’ll be showing a movie he’s been dying to see. When his mom catches him in yet another lie, she lays down the law. If Sam wants to go to the carnival, he can’t tell a lie up until it starts - a whole three weeks away. He learns quickly that it’s not as easy as he thought.
I like the fact that this graphic novel has a fun story and teaches a lesson. Kids (especially boys) will enjoy the potty humor and will learn a little along the way. The illustrations are terrific.
School’s out and Sam’s looking forward to the neighborhood carnival where they’ll be showing a movie he’s been dying to see. When his mom catches him in yet another lie, she lays down the law. If Sam wants to go to the carnival, he can’t tell a lie up until it starts - a whole three weeks away. He learns quickly that it’s not as easy as he thought.
I like the fact that this graphic novel has a fun story and teaches a lesson. Kids (especially boys) will enjoy the potty humor and will learn a little along the way. The illustrations are terrific.
January 24, 2022
I like that the main character had to try not to lie for three weeks but I didn’t like the ending.
May 25, 2018
This book is about a boy called Sam Lyttle. Sam tells a lot of big lies and gets into a lot of trouble. Sam wants to go see a film during the school holidays, with his favourite crime fighting hero. His mum says he can only go if he doesn't tell one single lie in the holidays.
I think this book will help children to learn you should not lie ever and always tell the truth. My favourite part of the book is when Sam goes through the 'Swamp of Truth' and faces his challenges along the way. I also liked the Scratch and Sniff sticker on the front. Guess what it smells like?
It will appeal to boys and girls from 7 years old and is a funny book.
By Ella
I think this book will help children to learn you should not lie ever and always tell the truth. My favourite part of the book is when Sam goes through the 'Swamp of Truth' and faces his challenges along the way. I also liked the Scratch and Sniff sticker on the front. Guess what it smells like?
It will appeal to boys and girls from 7 years old and is a funny book.
By Ella
March 3, 2019
We’ve all read this funny little book this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s fast paced, perfect for a nine year old (and his parents!) and has a great message about the importance of telling the truth.
June 17, 2018
Walks the Tightrope
Middle grade message books that try to be funny and edgy strike me as maybe the trickiest middle grade books to write. They aren't as straightforward as good guy/bad guy fantasies, or school daze comedies, or antic adventures, or feel good puppy tales, or the like. This book appealed to me because it took on the challenge and pretty successfully maneuvered through the minefield.
The setup is that our hero, Sam, is an inveterate liar. Big lies, small lies, sneaky lies, get out of trouble lies. After a cascade of lies Sam's Mom declares that he must adhere to a strict regimen of truth telling for the six full weeks leading up to the big community carnival, or he won't be able to go to it. You can sort of see where this is going to go.
Now, when we first meet our hero Sam he's a sneaky liar. You can only make that so cute before it gets really old and off-putting. You can exaggerate the lies to try to make them funny, but it's still weasily. Luckily, the author moves to the truth-telling challenge very early in the book, and shifts the focus to Sam learning about white lies and diplomacy. We also get to grow along with Sam as he starts to feel better about taking responsibility and not being a sneak. The book has lots of authentically funny bits and characters and situations, and between those and Sam's growth into an appealing kid the whole tale quickly becomes more upbeat and entertaining.
You know, of course, that there's going to be some sort of big truth telling test right at the end of the three weeks, but by the time you get there you're actually rooting for Sam to do the right thing and pull it all together. NO SPOILERS, but I was pleased with how the story, the lesson, the loose threads, and the various sub-plots all came together at the end. We made it safe and sound to the other side of the tightrope, and both Sam and the reader were the better for the experience.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Middle grade message books that try to be funny and edgy strike me as maybe the trickiest middle grade books to write. They aren't as straightforward as good guy/bad guy fantasies, or school daze comedies, or antic adventures, or feel good puppy tales, or the like. This book appealed to me because it took on the challenge and pretty successfully maneuvered through the minefield.
The setup is that our hero, Sam, is an inveterate liar. Big lies, small lies, sneaky lies, get out of trouble lies. After a cascade of lies Sam's Mom declares that he must adhere to a strict regimen of truth telling for the six full weeks leading up to the big community carnival, or he won't be able to go to it. You can sort of see where this is going to go.
Now, when we first meet our hero Sam he's a sneaky liar. You can only make that so cute before it gets really old and off-putting. You can exaggerate the lies to try to make them funny, but it's still weasily. Luckily, the author moves to the truth-telling challenge very early in the book, and shifts the focus to Sam learning about white lies and diplomacy. We also get to grow along with Sam as he starts to feel better about taking responsibility and not being a sneak. The book has lots of authentically funny bits and characters and situations, and between those and Sam's growth into an appealing kid the whole tale quickly becomes more upbeat and entertaining.
You know, of course, that there's going to be some sort of big truth telling test right at the end of the three weeks, but by the time you get there you're actually rooting for Sam to do the right thing and pull it all together. NO SPOILERS, but I was pleased with how the story, the lesson, the loose threads, and the various sub-plots all came together at the end. We made it safe and sound to the other side of the tightrope, and both Sam and the reader were the better for the experience.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
January 2, 2019
Loaded with silly illustrations, difficult moments, and hilarious outcomes, this is a book which fans of series like Wimpy Kid are sure to enjoy.
Sam does have a tendency to shoot out lies. Constantly. This has never been a problem for him, but when his mother has had enough, she unfortunately has the greatest tool in the world to make him think twice about his far fetched tales—the showing of the best movie showing ever, Cry Wolfe. He and his best friend have been waiting to see it for months, and now, it's only three weeks away. But if he wants to see it, he'll have to keep those lies at bay. All of them. Not only is this a challenge for him, but the truth has other unexpected results.
Humor reigns as Sam attempts what he assumed was impossible—to always tell the truth. It's not that he loves to lie...which makes him sympathetic...rather, situations push him to panic and out comes a tale which saves him. A tale which is never true, and the ones he recites are funny. It was a predicament easy to relate to because most kids would rather squiggle out of trouble if they could.
While every page packs quirky, goofy and simply funny moments, there is a lovely message built in too. Lying is more a part of daily life than anyone wants to admit, and the truth can be much more powerful and saving than any lie ever could be. This message is loud and clear as Sam squirms through the most wonderful predicaments...and each one is not out of the realm of reality. Every situation is one (more or less) that can take place or even does. The story hits home and guarantees giggles galore. Not only for kids.
I received a complimentary copy and found it so fun that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
Sam does have a tendency to shoot out lies. Constantly. This has never been a problem for him, but when his mother has had enough, she unfortunately has the greatest tool in the world to make him think twice about his far fetched tales—the showing of the best movie showing ever, Cry Wolfe. He and his best friend have been waiting to see it for months, and now, it's only three weeks away. But if he wants to see it, he'll have to keep those lies at bay. All of them. Not only is this a challenge for him, but the truth has other unexpected results.
Humor reigns as Sam attempts what he assumed was impossible—to always tell the truth. It's not that he loves to lie...which makes him sympathetic...rather, situations push him to panic and out comes a tale which saves him. A tale which is never true, and the ones he recites are funny. It was a predicament easy to relate to because most kids would rather squiggle out of trouble if they could.
While every page packs quirky, goofy and simply funny moments, there is a lovely message built in too. Lying is more a part of daily life than anyone wants to admit, and the truth can be much more powerful and saving than any lie ever could be. This message is loud and clear as Sam squirms through the most wonderful predicaments...and each one is not out of the realm of reality. Every situation is one (more or less) that can take place or even does. The story hits home and guarantees giggles galore. Not only for kids.
I received a complimentary copy and found it so fun that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
January 3, 2021
School is out for the summer, and Sam Lyttle, and his best friend Charlie are looking forward to the street carnival, and seeing their favorite TV show on the big screen. However, Charlie as been challenged by his mom to go three weeks without telling a lie, and he can watch the show. Is Charlie up to the challenge, and why is his cat Pudding emitting horrible stinky farts? Laugh along as Charlie, and his family count down the days.
June 27, 2021
It's a really good book because it shows you why you shouldn't lie and why you should tell the truth. It is a very funny/weird book.
March 1, 2019
Lyttle Lies: The Stinky Truth by Joe Berger, 231 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster, 2018. $14.
Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Summer break is looking bright for Sam until his mom informs him that he can’t see the show he is most looking forward to unless he can refrain from lying until then. This is a big task for Sam, who is prone to lying, but a challenge he is up for. It turns out the truth is annoying to most of the people around him but, in the end, has an important lesson to teach Sam.
The illustrations in this book are black and white, but they have the ability to draw the reader in without much effort. The book is easy to read visually and textually. The humor is mostly situational - a grandpa who specializes in pickled radishes and a mom who has been tricked into hosting a Zumba marathon, for example. Many readers will identify with Sam’s struggles with truth telling.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Summer break is looking bright for Sam until his mom informs him that he can’t see the show he is most looking forward to unless he can refrain from lying until then. This is a big task for Sam, who is prone to lying, but a challenge he is up for. It turns out the truth is annoying to most of the people around him but, in the end, has an important lesson to teach Sam.
The illustrations in this book are black and white, but they have the ability to draw the reader in without much effort. The book is easy to read visually and textually. The humor is mostly situational - a grandpa who specializes in pickled radishes and a mom who has been tricked into hosting a Zumba marathon, for example. Many readers will identify with Sam’s struggles with truth telling.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
May 13, 2021
A clever plot for a simple story. I read this with my eight year old daughter and she enjoyed it. She didn’t follow the Wolfe Stone clips, not being familiar with the genre, but she liked the mix of comic and writing.
May 9, 2020
I can see why kids would like this.
Read
May 10, 2020Students who like Diary of a Wimpy Kid will like this new series. I only had the second one so read it. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not starting with the first one in the series.
November 1, 2018
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC.
I haven't read the first book in this stinky series, but I won't be taking the time to, either. I enjoyed the comics but wasn't impressed with the plot or the characters; the main kid is not one that I'd want to be around, and the fact that his character's claim to fame is his outrageous lies isn't amusing to me. That's not to say kids won't like it, however, especially his (poor, sickly-looking-even-though-the-vet-says-he's-fine) farting cat.
I would probably grab one copy for my library, but I don't see this flying off the shelves in the same way Diary of a Wimpy Kid does - it's just not entertaining enough. The words are unnecessarily intricate and the dialogue takes up a lot of space without saying anything. I did like the ending redemption arc, but won't be selling this to many kids.
I haven't read the first book in this stinky series, but I won't be taking the time to, either. I enjoyed the comics but wasn't impressed with the plot or the characters; the main kid is not one that I'd want to be around, and the fact that his character's claim to fame is his outrageous lies isn't amusing to me. That's not to say kids won't like it, however, especially his (poor, sickly-looking-even-though-the-vet-says-he's-fine) farting cat.
I would probably grab one copy for my library, but I don't see this flying off the shelves in the same way Diary of a Wimpy Kid does - it's just not entertaining enough. The words are unnecessarily intricate and the dialogue takes up a lot of space without saying anything. I did like the ending redemption arc, but won't be selling this to many kids.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews