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A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue: A Picture Book that Helps Kids Learn the Difference Between Tattling and Telling
Josh the Tattler doesn't have any friends. He tattles on his classmates, on his brother, and even on his dog! He tattles so much that he wakes up one night to find that his tongue is yellow, unusually long, and covered in bright purple spots! Will a bad case of Tattle Tongue teach him a lesson? A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue gives teachers and counselors a humorous, cleverly creative way to address the time-consuming tattling-related issues that often sap classroom energy and thwart teaching opportunities. Parents who "battle the tattle" at home, on the playground, in the grocery store, or anywhere else, can use this book to both entertain and enlighten their children about "The Tattle Rules." Every adult that desires to help children understand the differences between unnecessary tattling and the necessity of warning others about important matters needs this book!
Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 12/1/2005 Pages: 32 Reading Level: Age 3 and Up
Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 12/1/2005 Pages: 32 Reading Level: Age 3 and Up
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2005
23 people are currently reading
799 people want to read
About the author
Julia Cook
159 books195 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 - 30 of 77 reviews
November 17, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a wonderful way to teach children when it is ok to tell on someone and when it is tattling to tell on someone. It absolutely does its intended purpose so I do recommend it. Still, there's a couple of things that bother me. The Tattle Prince that comes to visit Josh at night and teaches him the tattling rules turns out to be his teacher in some kind of secret identity. Although it may have been a dream, this isn't explicitly said and the implication is that his teacher sneaks into his bedroom at night and 'helps' him. That is not cool. The other thing that I find troubling is that the mother's advice does not help him, but actually makes things worse by making him afraid to tell when he should be telling, and the mysterious visitor sets him straight. Its not a great message to give children that they can't trust their parents but they can trust someone who sneaks into their bedroom at night. Someone should have given this aspect a second thought and maybe revised it to be a better overall message for children.
June 26, 2020
I'm sad to say that my kindergartener didn't get the right message from this book. He was already a quiet boy and needed to learn to speak up. After being read this book in kindergarten he said to me that he will check his tongue to make sure it is fine. His best friend in kindergarten was getting hit and pushed by another student daily. Was my child checking his tongue because he wasn't being a danger ranger? If nothing happens to his tongue than it proves that he wasn't supposed to tell, right?
Unfortunately, my son was never one to tattle but now I fear that if he is being bullied/molested or knows of someone being bullied/molested, I will never hear of it. How do I undo what has been done in his classroom?
Unfortunately, my son was never one to tattle but now I fear that if he is being bullied/molested or knows of someone being bullied/molested, I will never hear of it. How do I undo what has been done in his classroom?
April 30, 2018
National Center for Youth Issues, 2005, 32 pgs., Genre: Fiction, Grade level: 1-2, GR level: P, Lexile level: 610L
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue is a wonderful picture book due to its creative but effective life lesson. This books reveals the how there are consequences for tattling on others. In addition, it goes to show that you will often lose or not gain friends if you tattle. In the story, this is learned through the main character Josh who loves to tattle on everyone and everything around him. Suddenly, his tattling catches up with him and he grows a longer, yellow and purple spotted tongue.
Teaching ideas:
This is a picture book that should be taught and talked about. It would work well for a read aloud for a whole class in the elementary age group setting. You can easily create a lesson on tattling in comparison to telling to go along with this story. For this book, I would teach a lesson on tattling using the relationships between everyone Josh encounters as well as their reactions surrounding his actions. Before reading the book, I would have them discuss the differences they know between tattling and telling. Then, after reading the book, I would create an anchor chart for them to use as a reference. For the information on the anchor chart, I would have them turn and talk with their partner to discuss what a "tattling" situation entails in comparison to a "telling" situation. To conclude the lesson, I would have students explain a time or create a situation where they learned a lesson based on a time they tattled.
NYS ELA CCS:
RL.4.9, W.4.2b
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue is a wonderful picture book due to its creative but effective life lesson. This books reveals the how there are consequences for tattling on others. In addition, it goes to show that you will often lose or not gain friends if you tattle. In the story, this is learned through the main character Josh who loves to tattle on everyone and everything around him. Suddenly, his tattling catches up with him and he grows a longer, yellow and purple spotted tongue.
Teaching ideas:
This is a picture book that should be taught and talked about. It would work well for a read aloud for a whole class in the elementary age group setting. You can easily create a lesson on tattling in comparison to telling to go along with this story. For this book, I would teach a lesson on tattling using the relationships between everyone Josh encounters as well as their reactions surrounding his actions. Before reading the book, I would have them discuss the differences they know between tattling and telling. Then, after reading the book, I would create an anchor chart for them to use as a reference. For the information on the anchor chart, I would have them turn and talk with their partner to discuss what a "tattling" situation entails in comparison to a "telling" situation. To conclude the lesson, I would have students explain a time or create a situation where they learned a lesson based on a time they tattled.
NYS ELA CCS:
RL.4.9, W.4.2b
September 8, 2016
1) This book is all about understanding the differences between unnecessary tattling and the necessity of warning others about important matters. Josh the tattler, the main character does not have any friends in the book. From tattling on his classmates, his brother, and even his dog, he wakes up one night during the night find something strange on his tongue. He figures out his tongue is covered in purple spots, has turned yellow, and has grew about 5 times. Therefore, after he wakes up knowing that this is what happened to him after tattling, do you think Josh or your students would think twice about tattling again?
2) Grade Level: Preschool-3rd grade Age level: 5-8 years old
3) Appropriate classroom use for this book would be teaching about self control, and respect for the other students
4) Individual students who would benefit from this book would be students that do not understand the meaning between tattling and an emergency.
5) As far as small group use, I would use this book to teach my students about when it is appropriate to give a safety "warning" and when it is just tattling. This would be a center that all of the small groups would rotate too, and the others would be about different things like bullying, etc.
6) We would read this book aloud as a class, and then after the centers use from the small groups we would all come back together as group and I would give the students different scenarios to act out tattling or not tattling, and then the rest of the students would decide whether or not each one is a tattle, and each group would get to come up and act out a scenario.
7) Related Books: The Book With No Pictures, The Gingerbread Man Goes to the Zoo, The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
8) There is an activity and idea workbook to be used as a supplementary teacher's guide to go along with the book itself. There is everything from discussion questions to exercises to do with your students.
2) Grade Level: Preschool-3rd grade Age level: 5-8 years old
3) Appropriate classroom use for this book would be teaching about self control, and respect for the other students
4) Individual students who would benefit from this book would be students that do not understand the meaning between tattling and an emergency.
5) As far as small group use, I would use this book to teach my students about when it is appropriate to give a safety "warning" and when it is just tattling. This would be a center that all of the small groups would rotate too, and the others would be about different things like bullying, etc.
6) We would read this book aloud as a class, and then after the centers use from the small groups we would all come back together as group and I would give the students different scenarios to act out tattling or not tattling, and then the rest of the students would decide whether or not each one is a tattle, and each group would get to come up and act out a scenario.
7) Related Books: The Book With No Pictures, The Gingerbread Man Goes to the Zoo, The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
8) There is an activity and idea workbook to be used as a supplementary teacher's guide to go along with the book itself. There is everything from discussion questions to exercises to do with your students.
April 10, 2024
I normally like Julia Cook books, but this one wasn't my favorite. I didn't like that Josh was told by the Tattle Prince that it was tattling if someone takes something that belongs to you. That just teaches kids to keep quiet when someone does something wrong to them. The kid stole his pencil. What if a child is being hurt by an adult? It is absolutely okay to tell when someone steals your belongings or when someone does something that hurts you. Not only that, the Tattle Prince was his teacher? That's not creepy at all... *sarcasm*
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May 29, 2025Julia Cook’s A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue is a clever and engaging story designed to help young children understand the difference between tattling and telling. Through vivid storytelling and whimsical illustrations by Anita DuFalla, the book delivers an important life lesson in a fun and memorable way.
The story follows Josh, a young boy who tattles on everything and everyone—so much so that he suddenly finds himself afflicted with a literal "tattle tongue." His tongue turns yellow, itches, and even starts talking on its own! Guided by the “Tattle Prince,” Josh learns the four rules of tattling and discovers when it's appropriate to tell an adult and when it's better to handle things on his own.
Cook, a former school counselor, draws from real-life classroom dynamics to write a story that’s both entertaining and practical. The text is accessible and relatable for children, while also serving as a helpful tool for parents and teachers seeking to manage tattling behavior. Anita DuFalla’s colorful and exaggerated illustrations perfectly complement the humor and message of the book, helping to hold the attention of young readers.
What stands out is how the book doesn’t shame children for tattling—it instead gives them tools to think critically and develop social responsibility. The “Four Tattle Rules” are especially useful and can easily be reinforced in classrooms or at home.
Pros:
Clear moral lesson on an often confusing topic
Creative and humorous storytelling
Useful for both educators and parents
Memorable illustrations that engage young readers
Cons:
Some children may need additional explanation to apply the rules in real-life situations
A few scenes might feel exaggerated, which may confuse very literal-minded children
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue is a valuable addition to any home or classroom library. It's a book that combines entertainment with education, empowering children with the tools to build better communication and conflict-resolution skills.
The story follows Josh, a young boy who tattles on everything and everyone—so much so that he suddenly finds himself afflicted with a literal "tattle tongue." His tongue turns yellow, itches, and even starts talking on its own! Guided by the “Tattle Prince,” Josh learns the four rules of tattling and discovers when it's appropriate to tell an adult and when it's better to handle things on his own.
Cook, a former school counselor, draws from real-life classroom dynamics to write a story that’s both entertaining and practical. The text is accessible and relatable for children, while also serving as a helpful tool for parents and teachers seeking to manage tattling behavior. Anita DuFalla’s colorful and exaggerated illustrations perfectly complement the humor and message of the book, helping to hold the attention of young readers.
What stands out is how the book doesn’t shame children for tattling—it instead gives them tools to think critically and develop social responsibility. The “Four Tattle Rules” are especially useful and can easily be reinforced in classrooms or at home.
Pros:
Clear moral lesson on an often confusing topic
Creative and humorous storytelling
Useful for both educators and parents
Memorable illustrations that engage young readers
Cons:
Some children may need additional explanation to apply the rules in real-life situations
A few scenes might feel exaggerated, which may confuse very literal-minded children
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue is a valuable addition to any home or classroom library. It's a book that combines entertainment with education, empowering children with the tools to build better communication and conflict-resolution skills.
March 26, 2018
The book was good at describing what you should do and what not to do in life.
The setting was in modern time at school and at Joshes home. The tone was happy and sad because Josh had no friends but he then gains friends. The central conflict is Josh and his Tattle Tounge. Josh loves to tattle but it was hurting him so he had to fix it. Josh attempts to fix it by stopping what he does when he tattles but because of not tattling he put people in danger.
The writing was very powerful and it taught the lesson that was intended for the book. One weakness of the book was the word choice if they would have added one or two words for every sentence it would have flowed very well. The author did achieve her purpose by teaching people tattling can be a bad thing but also can help people in danger.
The book left me with the impression that tattling is a bad, but helpful thing and could save people from danger. I would recommend this book to young children that are still learning because tattling is an important thing to learn.
The setting was in modern time at school and at Joshes home. The tone was happy and sad because Josh had no friends but he then gains friends. The central conflict is Josh and his Tattle Tounge. Josh loves to tattle but it was hurting him so he had to fix it. Josh attempts to fix it by stopping what he does when he tattles but because of not tattling he put people in danger.
The writing was very powerful and it taught the lesson that was intended for the book. One weakness of the book was the word choice if they would have added one or two words for every sentence it would have flowed very well. The author did achieve her purpose by teaching people tattling can be a bad thing but also can help people in danger.
The book left me with the impression that tattling is a bad, but helpful thing and could save people from danger. I would recommend this book to young children that are still learning because tattling is an important thing to learn.
April 13, 2024
Joshua is a tattler. His tattling is so excessive that he doesn't even have friends. No one wants to sit with him at lunch. His mother is fed up. His tattling is ruining his entire life. His mother warned him that if he continued to tattle, his tongue would turn yellow, and purple with no itching or twitching.
But he really couldn't help himself. He had to tell everything! Until one day, Josh got a visit from the Tattle Prince. The Tattle Prince came and gave Josh the four rules for telling on someone. These rules are perfect guidelines for children who don't quite understand that not every infraction is an actionable offense.
By the end of the book, with gentle guidance from the Tattle Prince, Josh understood how and when to report an infraction or rule violation.
This book, written for children ages 4-7 years is great for a classroom as it provides rules for when to report on another student. So, it can be useful in establishment of classroom rules. I would use it!
But he really couldn't help himself. He had to tell everything! Until one day, Josh got a visit from the Tattle Prince. The Tattle Prince came and gave Josh the four rules for telling on someone. These rules are perfect guidelines for children who don't quite understand that not every infraction is an actionable offense.
By the end of the book, with gentle guidance from the Tattle Prince, Josh understood how and when to report an infraction or rule violation.
This book, written for children ages 4-7 years is great for a classroom as it provides rules for when to report on another student. So, it can be useful in establishment of classroom rules. I would use it!
November 1, 2025
- This book is a humorous story that helps children differentiate between tattling and telling. Josh tattles on everyone until he develops a bad case of tattle tongue. Through his experience, Josh learns when its important to speak up and when it's better to let things go. This book has engaging illustrations and a clear message that teaches social awareness and personal responsibility in a developmentally appropriate way.
April 13, 2022
This book can really help with teaching your students at the beginning of the year about the wrong and right times to bring the problems to the teachers. I really like this book and will keep it to read to each of my classes because it is good to start the students off with this lesson and it is a great lesson that all students need to learn.
November 6, 2018
I LOVE LOVE this book. After having daily problems with children tattling on each other this was a perfect book to show the students what is warning and what is tattling. I hope this book helps them!
November 22, 2021
Students will enjoy the little rhyme used throughout the book to reinforce the idea of not tattling. The four rules for tattling present a nice springboard for conversations. The Supplementary Teacher’s Guide has useful handouts and scenarios for discussion.
September 2, 2024
A good book about tattling!
What is tattling?
What happens when I tattle?
When is telling an adult necessary?
My kindergarten teacher read this book to our class! I just stumbled on it for the first time since, and was happy to find I still liked it!
What is tattling?
What happens when I tattle?
When is telling an adult necessary?
My kindergarten teacher read this book to our class! I just stumbled on it for the first time since, and was happy to find I still liked it!
September 27, 2017
Great book for all elementary grades. Loved reading it in kindergarten and watching some of them try to see if their tongues had spots too! Haha
May 25, 2018
This one had a fantastic message but it creeped me out.
Why does the teacher sneak into this kids window? No, just no!!
Why does the teacher sneak into this kids window? No, just no!!
April 24, 2019
This is a great book that I think could apply in multiple classrooms and even work settings!
September 9, 2019
This book severely scarred me as a child
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2020
Outlined rules of tattling well. I don't know how effective of an intervention this book would be.
April 12, 2021
This book is great for teaching young children the difference between what's important to tell and what is "tattling"
December 6, 2021
Josh learns to follow the tattle rules.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2022
"A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue" is a great book for the classroom and it's a good gentle reminder to your students when it comes that time of year when everyone is a little extra antsy.
May 3, 2022
This is another good book about being a tattle tale! It's a great book with excellent illustrations but I think you could find better books out there about tattle tailing.
February 21, 2023
This book was a solid read. It’s definitely a good read for a bunch of tattlers. I think this would be a great book for your class whenever. Pretty good book and a good lesson within it!
March 30, 2023
A sweet book and nice way of introducing to kids what we may need to tell adults and what may not always be necessary to say when it comes to our friends.
August 4, 2023
Loved the 4 rules poster and how they were explained.
September 21, 2023
I think it is very important to have a book talk about this book to help further explain the difference between tattling and warning.
February 3, 2024
Although, this book has a good lesson for younger children I feel that it could have used some more refining. To me there were too many words and font styles.
February 22, 2025
Helpful book for classes that need direct instruction on tattling vs reporting.
May 13, 2025
Great for middle elementary group reflection class
Want to read
September 29, 2025E
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews