The Lying King by Alex Beard is the tale of a warthog whose wish to be more results in the creation of an avalanche of lies that gets him exactly what he wants ... until he gets swept away in it.

A runt warthog's lies start out small to make himself feel better, but as that succeeds, he realizes he wants more. His lies become bullying and morph into such ridiculous and impossible things that the other animals begin to question what is real. What begins as bowing down due to confusion and intimidation becomes a rally cry to overthrow the king of lies.

While the rhythmic text and simple, whimsical watercolor illustrations are aimed at the intended audience of 4-8 year olds, the length of the book and the meaning behind the Aesop-inspired fable, belie that ... as does the dedication of "For Uncle Sam." While there is some value to this as a children's book, and it will certainly be a great jumping off point for discussion, it will definitely appeal to adults who can see the hidden meaning behind this 2018 book of an unlikely politician's rise to the top.

Thank you to the Greenleaf Book Group and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book to give my honest review of.

Artwork is really nice. For me, it’s hard to get into a kids book if I don’t like the artwork. The meter and rhyme of the book is also spot on. I can’t tell you how many kids books I have read that can’t get this one very basic, but hugely important thing right.

While the book is trying to teach the importance of not lying, it’s hard for me to like the book overall. I think because the main character is so unlikable. And maybe because it’s a little too close to reality....

cute. moral takeaway was a bit much for me, but I see the value for younger readers. Overall feeling is meh but I like the style

This is one of those books that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The adults will enjoy the references to the current political situation, whereas the children will see it as a humorous tale. The warthog bullies, lies and schemes his way to get to the top, but it is fun to see how he comes crashing down and get what he deserves.
The illustrations are simple, quirky and fun to go through and have a nice watercolor tone to it. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!

I appreciate the pun in the title! There's been recent interest in Aesop's Fables at our library so it's great to see a well executed retelling for the younger crowd.

All about the consequences of lying. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to see what else the author comes out with.

I did not enjoy this title at all- the pictures were not great and the writing was not fresh or interesting. I will not be purchasing this title for my library, but I won't past a negative review either. Thanks for the opportunity to preview it.

My son enjoyed the story and artwork. I liked the the plot line and overall theme. Would recommend it.

I found this book to be rather insightful, as well as full of cute rhymes. Lying never, ever, pays off. This story has a reasonable moral, and I liked it. I can see it being a good tool to work with children with, as well as some adults!

My copy came from Net Galley. My review is my own, left of my own free will. It's also an honest one, devoid of any lying.

Thank you, Greenleaf Book Group and NetGalley for the eBook to review. This seems like a timely picturebook that even grown-ups will find relatable. Kids will easily pick up on the message of the importance of being honest and recognize the consequences of lying.

The Lying King By: Alex Beard
Greenleaf Book Group Press
Children's Fiction 60 Pages
Pub. Date 4 September 2018
#TheLyingKing#NetGalley

I really like this book. The pictures are great and the story is cute. It is real easy to read and I think children will like this story. A child will learn a lesson from this story about lying. Don't want to give too much detail because it is a short book. It is about a warthog who lies. I recommend this book for your personal library. I gave it 4 stars.

Well, this is a timely book! While geared towards children, perhaps a few adults could learn from this...ahem. This is the story of a warthog who lied about literally everything, made his way to the top from nothing, and (of course) ultimately lost everything when his subjects finally come to their senses. A wonderful message for children - both about not lying, but also about how to respond to those that do before it gets out of hand. The illustrations are nice (added fun for children to identify all the animal characters!)

The message was good and a lot of kids will like the rhyming. I felt like this story dragged on too long. And I didn’t care for the illustrations. My toddler got off my lap while I was reading this to go find another book for me to read.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute story about a warthog who lies. The rhyming text and bright pictures show many of the animals in his kingdom. It helps to illustrate to children why they should tell the truth.

I read this book to my kids, they laughed and liked it but I think some of the messages may have been lost on them. The illustrations are fun. We enjoyed this.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a cute story that I could see myself purchasing for my niece

Can warthogs fly? Do tigers eat broccoli?
For answers, follow along as Warthog lies his way to the throne in this timeless, yet most timely, Tale from the Watering Hole.
Will the Truth catch up with the king?

​Find out as Alex Beard’s whimsical animals come to life to illuminate real world truths for children of all ages. With a nod to Aesop and Kipling, this funny and pointed parable has lessons for everyone, from the playground to the boardroom and beyond!

This was a cute and fun book and after all the lies the warthog finds out what happens after all the lies. The pics in the book were also really cute and this would be a great addition to a child's library,

An ethical tale in the contemporary era for young readers; seems ironic these days, but it is nice to see that this telling lies will lead to despair and downfall (or at least that's the idea). The Lying King has the rhythm and rhyme that small children enjoy and the teaching moments some parents love. The artwork is comely and enough white space that ensures it doesn't get lost on the page. However, the storyline gets a bit jumbled when Warthog loses his standing and it seems to jump to a quick ending without explaining the how and why. Obviously, an adult could figure out the implications and explain the inconsistencies, but the story suffers for it. A decent enough read for nightly storytime, but it didn't engage my young readers as much as I hoped.

What a fantastic fable for today!

Great art, wonderful story, and an excellent moral.

I really liked this…and will probably purchase it for my shelf.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

What would you do to get attention, feel important or appear bigger than you are? A warthog that is small starts to tell tall tales for attention. The next thing he does is tell lies. At first the others ignore him, but the warthog starts telling them lies about each other that gets them very upset. However the warthog becomes king and it doesn’t stop his lying. What will happen to warthog? What will his subjects do?

The story is iluustrated with ink and watercolors that goes perfectly with the story. This inventive humorous tale shows how truth is necessary and important in this time of fake news, different (alternate) facts and unrestrained lies.