Lies We Tell Our Kids

A quirky book that has some beautifully drawn pictures that illustrate the lies perfectly. Some of the lies I had previously been told but some of them were new to me. An easy read that made me laugh and think about some of the lies I'm now telling my grandchildren.

We all know that there are a few things that our parents told us--lies that were meant to stop our questioning or acting out. This book covers more of those than I ever remember hearing my parents tell me--a coconut tree can sometimes grow owlets? What?! Some of the lies that the book points out are a little scary, like a rabbit finally developing a hunger for flesh--but the majority are hilarious and take a lot of imagination from the parents that provided them.

Along with each lie---maybe we should call it an "explanation" and give our parents the benefit of the doubt, a bright illustration is provided.

Hilarity abounds with this book.

This book is quircky although I had never heard of the majority of the "lies". Some made you think on why they would be told to children but a few did bring back memories of my childhood and what I told my daughter.

It was a fun read, you have to read it with a bit or irony and humor. One or two of the lies my mom told me, and it was nice to see them included. I hoped for more of the "universal" lies tho, in order to relate to the book more. Most of these lies I can see babysitters telling the kids just to have them stop asking questions. Thinking of this while reading the book made me laugh.

A few of the lies were over the top, and I would like to see more "nice" lies in stead. But maybe this is the charm of the book?

I thought that this book was ok, I can honestly say that as a child I hadn't been told many of the 'lies' mentioned! 3 stars from me for this one, some of the illustrations were really good

I don't think I've ever been told any of these, though I did like the idea of space penguins. A fun little picture book.

Hilarious and charming. I was entrenched from the first picture to the last words.

I loved the idea behind this book, and the illustrations and layout are absolutely fantastic. However, only a handful of the 'lies' are things that I have ever heard, such as 'if you cross your eyes they'll stay that way' and 'if you pick your nose your finger will get stick'. The rest of the 'lies' seemed to get more and more obscure. This lead me to question who the target audience is for this book - if it's for adults it's not quite funny enough, and would be read in 10 mins and that's it. If it's for kids (which was my initial impression), some of the lies told are more likely to instil fear into children than allow them to see the funny side. Want to give your kid an aversion to sleep? Tell them the monsters will get them if their fingernails or on show. Or their vegetables will eat them if they don't eat them first. I can just see these ideas doing more harm than good. So for me, this book seems to fall into a grey area where there is no obvious target audience, as it's certainly not for kids, and doesn't do enough for adults. Perhaps it's meant to be a 'toilet' book, you know those books that some people have in their bathrooms for people to browse whilst they spend a penny?! Who knows. I really do love the premise of it, but maybe it just needs a bit of refining.

I absolutely loved the animations in this book they're really quirky and cute. This book genuinely made me LOL especially the sunwoofer page I have a two and three year old and although I wouldn't lie about something that would scare or hurt them I don't mind a little white lie now & again. I've never actually thought about it until reading this book but it really makes you think

A bizarre and unusual concept that should be laugh-out-loud funny, but was let down by some of the lies, which were bizarre to the point of being weird. About 80% had to have been made up (please note, I'm British and I make that comment from a Brit perspective); many of the obvious ones were missing (again, from a Brit perspective) and some were a little scary.
On the plus side, the layout was fun and the pictures were cute. A great book to give to new parents... on what to never say to a kid unless you want to scar them.

It's a cute book for children. I can imagine a 7 or 8 year old telling his friend, "see I told you, this was all lies" .

The illustrations in this book are outstanding! The color and whimsy really caught my eye and my funny bone. But having said that, the majority of the 'lies' didn't seem to fit the description given for the book. I expected the lies we tell our chikdren to be those that motivated kids to perform a task, discontinue a poor habit, keep them from fidgeting, etc.. In stead most were simply silly little lies, and some weren't silly, but scary. I probably wouldn't read this to my little one (even IF he's now eighteen).

This book wasn't my cup of tea, but I don't think a 33 year old mother is exactly the intended audience. Reminiscent of the "Grossology" series by Sylvia Branzei, this title seems aimed more at boys ages 7-10. The illustrations are quirky and humorous and the sayings are downright weird. Overall a funny book, perfect for the amusement of the right demographic.

As a coffee table tome this book is great with quirk factor aplenty. Its short, sharp recollections of amusing, nonsensical anecdotes and half truths, mistruths and downright lies may crack a grin or two. The irreverent sentiments in the book are a personal collection of thi gs that the author has heard or uttered himself. Many of them I have never heard of. Some of the anecdotes shared are comical, others went over my head.

The illustrations in this collection are simply delightful. It is for this reason that the book would make a quirky gift for a friend with a dry sense of humour. However, I do not think that this is a book that one would pick up more than once or twice before the novelty has faded and the humoured aged aalongnwith the rest of us fibbing parents.

Cute illustrations of "lies" told to kids. I haven't heard most of them, but it was still a cute little book.

It's a very cute and fun book. For parents to be or parents, it would be so sweet to read those lies. Some of them we have heard of, and some of them are not familiar, but it shows the "white lies" that parents created for their kids hoping that there will be a story in the kid's mind. It shapes something.

It would be a nice gift for people who are expecting kids or parents, grandparents that are already looking back in their lives.

I thought this book was hilarious and brilliant. I'm not a parent, but it was funny to see just how many lies that my parents and my grandparents had told me that were in the book. My favourite thing about the book were the pictures because they were fun to look at and were very creative. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone my age, but I would definitely recommend it to parents and grandparents.

The book is very cute a few days hints I have said Tommy children an few that I have heard others say, most I have not heard before. Illustrations were great and fit well with the text. I would recommend this book because it is cute but most of the lies parents tell Thier kids did not make any sense to me.

A sweet collection of lies accompanied by amusing illustrations.
Lincoln fighting the Civil War in VR or Communist Red Pandas?
Would making an amusing gift.

I loved these lies and the illustrations that accompany them, but I want to know who are the parents that concocted these lies. Some of them are scary and all of them are pretty far out there.

After reading this book I am pretty sure neither my parents have told me these lies, nor have I, or will I, ever tell my kids these. I don't think I even knew what a narwhale was until I was in my twenties

This book is the most hilarious, crepy picture book I have ever read. Hopefully parents will not read it to their children but it had every library employee laughing hysterically. Wonderful book for a good laugh in your day.

Very well illustrated. As for the written content I could only connect with half of the sayings as here in England there are many sayings that I would have swapped. All in all a great lounge book for a quick read and laugh. I wouldn't buy this for myself but great as a gift ..

A cute book that might be a fun gift for new parents or parents of young children. Some of the drawings are pretty cute and funny. If the price is right this might be a good small gift.

I expected a book of funny things that are commonly took to kids and illustrations to match. I got a taste of that but the majority were more obscure things that I've never heard told to kids but may have been something the author heard a friend or a friend of a friend or even another kid tell to a child. Some are funny, many are strange, but it was worth the quick read-through for the few little laughs that I got.

This book is a collection of lies that adults tell their kids, with illustrations of the said lies. I have to admit that I haven't heard of any of these. Certain lies mentioned here were to discipline the children into good and healthy habits and that made sense. What I don't get in this book is the point of certain lies that are deceptive for no valid reason. To me, this was a strange book because I couldn't really wrap my head around the whole idea of lying to kids. However, I did enjoy the art and the cute presentation of the lies themselves.

Really good observations about things I would have never thought about twice!!!! Accurate and I am actually guilty of many of these, lol

Quick and entertaining read! I loved the illustration style and page layouts. I hadn't previously heard of a lot of the lies so it was quite funny.

This book is a collection of lies that adults tell their kids with illustrations. I must admit the book is humorous and as a previous educator of small children, it was quite funny. Sometimes telling kids the reasons for doing things isn’t convincing enough for them to comply. So, these little “lies we tell” make sense… Lol The illustrations were BEAUTIFUL!!!

The illustrations in this book are what makes it so great! They add to the humorous tone and explain some of the sayings. I would definitely recommend this book to some of the art classes to show students how drawings can convey meaning and humor while appealing to adults and children, no small feat. Many of the sayings I did not hear of or heard different versions, but I do believe that children around 9 - 13 will think this is hilarious. It is a quick read and can add a bright spot to your day.

This made me chuckle. There are so many of these 'lies' I was told as a child. A lighthearted read which shouldn't be taken seriously.

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

Do not under any circumstances let this book fall into your children's hands! It's a highly whimsical and hilarious illustrated guide to the lies we tell our children to make them do things they otherwise might be lax or loathe in doing if we didn't scare the little pests into it!

If any children found this, the game would be up, and beleaguered parents everywhere would be disarmed! We cannot let this happen.

Some might even question the wisdom of committing these treasured secrets to paper in the first place, especially since there are relatively few of them, but there's a ready answer to that and it's not that trees are evil, although this is what we tell our kids to explain why we have a bark-load of paperbacks and hardbacks sitting in our personal library. I will think of the reason before this review is finished, I promise you!

So, if you ever wondered what the personification of the poetical "Mittens are made out of recycled kittens" or the creepy "The toothpaste ghost haunts your plaque" mottoes look like, then this is your go-to book. It covers all the common ones and many you may never have heard of. Indeed, some might question if some of these are really parental lies at all, but if they are not, then they should be, and anyone who disagrees will undoubtedly lose their car keys in the morning. Not that cars really have keys anymore in this electronic day and age, because the babies have swallowed all the keys! Yes!

I promised you a reason why this book had to be committed to paper. You'll kick yourselves when you read this, and probably pull a ligament doing so, because you know I'm right, and the reason is not the one you were thinking of: that your kids inevitably write on any blank paper they find, so the author had to cover the sheet with printing ink otherwise the kids would have vandalized perfectly good and pristine sheets. You know what I'm talking about!

No, the real reason - and this is backed by extensive scientific research - is that children cause Alzheimer's. You know it's true. You've been thinking this selfsame thing yourself - or you were, before you lost track of the thought. As soon as kids come around pestering you for something, you completely forget what you were doing. This is why we need these lies written down, and why we need to have this book handy, so we can speedily dispatch the kids out of our hair (for those of you who still have hair), and get back to what's most important in family life: making more kids!

So, I recommend this book for a fun read, and some pretty decent art into the barking.

A fun little read, illustrating all those little lies we heard as kids, and the ones we tell our kids today. Seeing them illustrated, you realize just how silly they all are. I'd recommend this one for the whole family - a good laugh.

These lies are soooo tongue in cheek. Loved reading it. Recommended if you like reading morbid things.

Art is fantastic and descriptive titles are inventive. Based on description, I was expecting humorous stories or examples when the sayings were used. In any case, my favorite is, "FDR once said, "We have nothing to fear but bears by themselves.""

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to others!

<i>Lies We Tell Our Kids</i> is a book with a lie written on one page and an illustration of it on the other. The art in this book was a very good selling point. Many of the pictures themselves were what made me laugh because they were just so ridiculous and did well in showing how ridiculous and stupid these lies sound to us now. I also really enjoyed the illustration style, which for some reason reminded of the movie Tangled, which I think is a testament to how realistically they were drawn. The problem was I had never heard of most lies, the exceptions being the ones about your body getting stuck in certain ways, so the laughs were more so for the ridiculous situations and the lies were just there as captions for me. It probably didn't help that I was reading these on an ereader, so I couldn't see the colour of any of the pictures, therefore the ones about colours, like turning teal if you swallow mouthwash, didn't really affect me in anyway. All in all, this is a fun book to flip through and cut stuff out of to paste on your walls, but I don't find it particularly relatable.

I feel like the book would have been better named LIES WE WISH OUR PARENTS THOUGHT OF WHEN WE WERE KIDS. Some of the standards are in there ("Thunder is angels bowling") with an up-to-date twist ("lightning is when they take selfies"), but there were also some hysterical ones I'd certainly never heard before. I asked my husband if he thought if he'd heard "Bubblegum you swallow would make you fart bubbles" he'd have swallowed any piece he could get his hands on. The answer was an automatic "Of course".

In line with books like GO THE F*CK TO SLEEP, this book is intended to amuse adults and it truly does just that. Thinking it needs to be added to the "Books for new parents" list we keep to give as gifts.

I'm not too sure what I think about this book. It has a good premise but I can't actually see parents telling their kids 90% of these things. The editing choices were great and I liked the pictures, it's just, as an adult, I don't really believe what is in the book is really told to kids and it doesn't seem to be a book for kids. However, I think this would be a brilliant book for trickster parents to read to get ideas to mess with their kids' heads. If your into that sort of thing.

While only two of the "lies" were ones that were actually told to me while growing up, the remaining "lies" were quite clever and a couple made me laugh out loud, like the one about screech owls stealing babies and selling them to storks. The illustrations are also very good and were perfect for the text.

This is for those parents with a very dark sense of humour. The lies in the book are mostly new to me, and I would consider them to be lies that I wish I could tell my kids. The illustrations are beautiful.

Nice illustrations. A
Hadn't heard of a lot of these lies. Very short read

This is a darkly humorous book with really wonderful illustrations from Brett E. Wagner and Animal Media Group. The illustrations are beautiful. The 'lies' are not really commonly told lies so much as weird 'what ifs'. I wasn't familiar with most of them, though a few (if you pick your nose, your finger will get stuck, if you cross your eyes, they'll get stuck that way, etc) I had heard in my misspent youth. Many of them were straight up odd and seemed a bit like the author was trying to think of anything to pad out the book somewhat.

That being said, it's a short (105p.) book with gorgeous illustrations by a very talented author.

If you think of it in the same vein as Go the F**k to Sleep or Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book then it's quite a bit funnier. I enjoyed it.

PS If my mom told me dragons came from stinky shoes, I guarantee I'd never have changed my socks or shoes again, just on the off chance of getting my own dragon :)

This book is really funny and had me laughing out loud as I can remember my parents telling me quite a number of these things! Especially "Sticking you finger up your nose" and "Crossing your eyes". The illustrations are done very well too!

This book of compilation of some of the witty things that parents tell their kids is really entertaining to read. While reading, I just remember some of the silly lies used by my sister and cousins as a way to scared me when I was still young. Some of those are: a snake or worm will come out of unhealed wound; a monster will try to get me if don't take an afternoon nap; and lastly if you cross your eyes, they'll get stuck that way.

I would definitely recommend this to my friends who already have kids on their own. Let's see if they will also use these lies to scare their child.

This short volume is the perfect gift for your former college roommate who is now a new parent. These delightfully warped lies are wonderfully illustrated. One of the few "traditional" lies in the book is "If you cross your eyes, they will stay that way". These lies may start silly, but sometimes go dark (think rats with two heads and dragons hatching from your shoes to the absurd (George Washington in space). Delightfully zany.

This book is one of those "Santa is not real" moment. It is so funny. I never expected it to be like this. It's a quick reads. I love the arts that accompanied each lies our parents told us. And how ridiculous it sounded now that we're an adult and the drawings made it much more ridiculous.

This review was written from an advance copy of the book in ebook format. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an amusing if quick read. The pictures are of course the best bits the supposed lies are very odd in my experience but maybe i didn't have a very imaginative mother?
Something for the stocking I would say - a light fun book by a very good artist.

This is a cute, quirky, fun book for children and adults of all ages to enjoy. The "lies" range from common to surreal, and the illustrations are gorgeous. I was delighted with each turn of the page!

Possibly the most random book I have ever read, which of course made it incredibly funny. My personal favorite was the slot!
If you're looking for something fun, quirky and quick with some cool illustrations, then check this one out. It's definitely a great pick for a giggle.

I like the personification of ordinary things used in daily life and the illustrations are amazing.

Brett Wagner has created a book with incredible art work which tells a story in themselves and matches them with sayings our parents warned us with as we were children showing us how dark and wild some of the things we were told really were.

This is a nice book to flick through and laugh at the sayings while admiring the art work, some of which would make a great tattoo! I especially loved the saying about how you should eat your vegetables or they will eat you accompanied with the image of a killer carrot.

Quirky, yes, but not all are funny

Lies We Tell Our Kids by Brett Wagner is a collection of made-up stories that adults tell kids in the hope of scaring the little ones to do what we want them to do. A very short read that can be finished in one sitting. The book brings back childhood memories, of times when we were kids who believed everything adults told us, however fantastical these stories may be.

Only a few of those stories included in the book were familiar to me, and I think the book’s illustrations are more scary than funny, really.

This book is funny. It has a lie and then on the next page it has a picture of the lie. The pictures made me laugh so hard.

Some "nice" lies that parents tell their kids. Some I had heard of before but quite a lot that I hadn't but did have a chuckle to myself as I read them!

This was an interesting take on the lies that parents tell kids. I was once a kid, and I have a lot of siblings but a majority of these lies were really weird, somewhat scary and I had never heard at all. There were a handful that I recognized but most were very left-field for me.


Each lie comes with text and then a drawing of the lie. The drawings were awesome and very fun, but the lies were so strange. Who tells their kids that spiders eat people? Wouldn't that have the opposite effect of what you are trying to do?... maybe I just need a kid to understand a few of these. They might be satirical too and I just missed that - it is possible.

The illustrations gave this book an extra star for me, otherwise I was not too impressed.

This book was really just ok for me. Because of the awesome illustrations, I gave it a three-star rating. I'm a mom of two boys, and as I read the book, I found myself unfamiliar with most of the sayings. That was a huge letdown for me. I wanted to laugh at loud as I reminisced about tales my parents and grandparents told me, but I never connected with the book. Do we tell our kids fibs? Sure, we do!

I laughed so hard while reading this. Honestly, it's a really funny book with fun illustrations. I wouldn't necessarily read this to kids (why expose the lies) but it is perfect for adults, whether you have kids or not!

This book is a giggle from start to finish. There a numerous lies children have been told accompanied with hilarious illustrations. This book made me laugh out loud many times.

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Net Gallery/Animal Media Group.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

I found this book to be surprisingly touching.  In general, I must say that I am not in favor of lying to children.  It is fairly common, unfortunately, for children to ask a lot of questions, not all of which they genuinely wish to know, but all the same I believe that children should receive honest but age-appropriate answers to the concerns that they have and that their curiosity in the world around them should be gratified and encouraged to the greatest extent possible.  I expected this book to be a lot more cynical and sarcastic than it was, and found the book surprisingly touching.  If I feel that the book is mislabeled as humor [1], at least I feel that this book has something to offer that is genuinely touching and much of the artwork here is gorgeous.  The author has done a really good job of taking ridiculous scenarios and showing how they would work out as drawings, and this is a work that has to be seen to be believed, and perhaps even read to children for them to laugh at.

This book is designed very simply and repeats its pattern consistently.  First there is an obviously untrue statement, followed by a drawing that presents what it would look like if this statement was true.  Some of the statements sound like things people would tell their children, like the fact that monsters under the bed just want to read, or that dinosaurs died because they couldn't swim, or that Abraham Lincoln simulated the Civil War with a VR headset or that George Washington was the first president in space.  Other ones seem far darker, like the screeching of screech owls coming from the babies they steal or the fact that the storks are also involved in the baby trafficking ring.  The lies seem set up to show of the virtuoso drawing skills of the author, to point out that perhaps he has a bit too much of an imagination when it comes to telling his kids untruths, and to demonstrate a concern about subject matter children are interested in.  At the very least, while some of these obvious untruths seem particularly frightening to many small children, they at least seem like the sort of thing that children would enjoy reading.

Overall, I think this book is directed at children to prompt them to ask questions or want to create obviously imaginary stories.  Some of these setups will bring a smile and a laugh to tolerant adults, who will no doubt appreciate the talent of the artist as well as the creativity of his untruths.  Even so, this looks like a book whose main audience is young, with monsters that could have come out of Where The Wild Things Are or The Princess In Black or any other related story like that.  The humor is often of a fairly immature but amusing nature, and one can at least see adults--not least the author--trying to fob off irritating questions with stories like these.  For adults, this book is likely a reminder that fiction can be a good place to start a story when, as in this book, it is framed as imaginary and not factual and where there is no attempt to pass them off as true, but merely use them as the origin source for an amusing or heartwarming tale.  Warning children not to accept donuts from gators can be an introduction into discussing dangerous strangers, while telling children that monsters under the bed want to read can point out that even powerful and frightening beings may have surprising vulnerabilities.  These are all things that could help spur the emotional and moral development of children, which is all the more surprising given the silly tone of much of this book.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/12/24/book-review-40-humorous-british-traditions/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/11/30/book-review-the-humor-of-jesus/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/12/29/book-review-real-ponies-dont-go-oink/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/10/26/book-review-spurious-connections/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/10/26/book-review-101-two-letter-words/

Cute book. I hadn't heard most of these coloquolisms. But the illustrations were funny. Would buy as a joke gift.

luckily for my brother and I, it does not appear our parents lied too much during our childhood. Haha! Half the stuff in this illustrated funny book are filled with little sayings that I had never heard. Such as, " beavers play hockey with a literal biscuit" or "bats are just birds dressed up for Halloween." On the other hand, I often heard that" thunder was just angels bowling. " Also, that if you" cross your eyes they will stay like that."
Somehow I do think certain children would find it funny.

Contains odd and end lies that "we" tell our kids. As I was going through this... realized I think these are lies Brett tells ~his~ kids. Loved the artwork that went alongside the lies.

This book had some interesting tidbits about little lies that parents tell their kids and illustrations for each one. It was very different. I enjoyed the illustrations.

*I will add a review to Amazon and Barnes and Noble when it releases.

This has to be one of the strangest books I have ever read.
It is a collection of colorful illustrations based on white lies parents have told their children.
I recognized very few from my own childhood, but the sheer absurdity of them made me laugh multiple times. The artwork is really cool and super creepy.

I would definitely recommend you do not read this book to children, but that you enjoy it as an adult.
It is the perfect book for a quick read on the go.

Interesting fantasy stories that we used to hear during our childhood days. Good to have revisiting through this one.

This short humorous book is definitely targeted to adults, not children. The illustrations are clear and concise; they really add to the visual impact of the book. I did relate to some of the anecdotes, although some were completely foreign to me! The "monster under the bed" and a few others would probably be relatable to most folks.

Thanks to Net Galley and publishers for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book you shouldn't read around your children. Some of the images may scare them. I think it was a nice corny book. Some of the sayings I have never heard of in my life. The images were a bit strange and odd but it definitely goes with the book. It didn't make me laugh like I thought it would but it was okay.

I give Lies We Tell our Kids by Brett E. Wagner a solid 3 stars because it was an extremely quick read that had me chuckling. While I consider it quirky and humorous, admittedly I had never heard many of these “lies”.

The author, Brett Wagner, is a very creative man as he not only wrote but also illustrated the book. The illustrations are very unique.

**Spoiler alert: some of the humor was a little too much for me:
“Cookies and Cream is made out of bird poop” or
“Bluejays are used to give blueberry pie its color.”

I believe there is a target-audience for this book; it’s one I’d expect to find on a side table in a Dad’s office or in a therapist’s waiting room.

Funny, funny this is a book of humor. If you, remember the white lies your parents and grandparents shared you will appreciate this book. It’s great for memories as well as things you may have shared with your own children. History and memories and fun. I enjoyed this book as I took it not seriously but a treasure of good humor moments

Some of the illustrated lies in this book were truly outlandish. Others were lies that I have heard told to children (usually jokingly). The illustrations were amusing, and added to the general experience.

While I have no idea who the general audience is for this book, I found it greatly amusing. I can only assume the intended audience was me.

I don't know where all those "lies we tell our kids" came from (I've never heard any of them), but this is a cute book, with really nice illustrations to each of the "lies". Some of the lies are actually funny, like the one that says that bats are birds with a Halloween costume. It is a quick read, and probably an interesting book to read and show to bigger kids, especially because of the illustrations.

This is a cute, though very brief book. It would have been cool to flesh out the illustrations with some text to expand. As it is, the illustrations are great and the topics very telling -- I think they would make a great calendar or mug series. Very witty and something that makes you think about your parenting choices and the crazy situations of the world!
I could not find this on Amazon or a review option on the publisher site.

A quick book filled with funny lies that parents tend to tell their children... some of which are almost idioms. A perfect coffee table book. I laughed at a few, and think this book could be a fun gift for anyone who has a few middle aged children.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This little book is a mixture of hilarious, adorable and terrifying things people supposedly told their kids. The lie is printed on one page with a quirky illustration opposite. It's a very short book, but would make a fun present for someone with the right sense of humour.

Hilarious and funny! Brett gives an overview of the sweet lies that our parents and grand parents provide us to explain events and facts around our world. A nice book to read with young children to demystify their curious world and don't forget to provide them the true answer

Lies We Tell Our Kids by Brett Wagner is a lovely, quirky little book with great illustrations. I found myself smiling almost at each page as I read this book. While I hadn’t heard many of these “lies”, I could appreciate the humor of them. It is an easy read and sharable with your kids. This would be a perfect gift for parents. The illustrations are just great!
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley/author/publisher for giving an opportunity to read this book.

Some of the lies are funny, and some are unbelievable. Unless the kids are quite young it would have been hard to get by. All in all, ok read. I picked it partially to see how many i have been told and how many i have told my kid. The ones with chewing gum and eyes crossed are gems that i guess will get passed from generation to generation!

Lies We Tell Our Kids is a book of lies that parents have told their kids - and some cute and creepy illustrations of them.  Like George Washington was the first president in space and fish don't sleep so we can. I am not sure how many of these are actually told by parents - but there were a handful that I had heard at one point or another! Really cute book that gave me a few good laughs.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

A grownup book full of old and new tall tales we heard as children and maybe even tell our own. The warnings around gum swallowing, nose picking, eye crossing, and thunder brought back memories and there were lots of new tales I had never heard of which I found interesting. The art work was beautiful, although scary in places. More a book you give your adult siblings with pages folded down marking the family lore than a book you give children.

I received a copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a quirky, funny book for adults which makes fun of some of the things parents tell their children and things that we’ve been told by our parents. It was nostalgic for me and I definitely got a chuckle from it. The illustrations were great. I love that type of style and it worked in collaboration to bring the point home on how ridiculous some of the little white lies can be. It was a one and done kind of book. I finished it in 15 minutes but I was smiling when I finished it. It’s cute and original.

It is quick and enjoyable read. Illustrations are cute and creepy at the same time. Some lies are creepy as well. I've been told some of them too. I really enjoyed it.

Too funny and so true, LIES WE TELL OUR KIDS will have every parent, if they’re honest enough, rolling in the aisles because they can relate! 5/5

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy, in exchange for my true review.

#LiesWeTellOurKids #NetGalley

This is a cute little book that parents and children will both enjoy. The illustrations are so cute in this book and compliment the "lies" perfectly. I will admit a lot of these I had never heard or used myself. But there are some classics used in the book such as if you cross your eyes they will stay that way. Some of them were really out there such as bats are just birds dressed up for Halloween. Grab a copy of this book and enjoy it with your kids.

As I grew up, the lies my parents told me became pretty obvious. You never know who is reading a review, so I will just say that many holiday traditions and who facilitated them, were not exactly(or even closely) related to what I was told as a child. I thought this book might expose some other 'lies' that I had forgotten, but unfortunately, I didn't recognize/remember my parents( or any adult) every telling me any of the 'lies' in this book. Maybe they are ones the author tells/told his children?
I am not a parent and perhaps that is more the target audience. For me, I just couldn't relate and I just didn't find the book humorous nor was it a trip down memory lane or a conversation starter with friends I grew up with. I will say the illustrations that accompany each 'lie' were very well done.
I think I will buy a copy of Lies We Tell Our Kinds for my best friend, who is a mom. Perhaps she will find some humor when her own little 'monsters' are giving her grief.
I received an e Arc from Animal Media Group through NetGalley.

Funny, quirky, over the top, and at times a bit aggressive, but the book certainly manages to achieve the goal the author began with when creating this book.

I really enjoyed Lies We Tell Our Kids. I thought the statements were really funny, perfectly summing up the essence while also exaggerating the extent of parents' lies for laughs. The artwork was phenomenal, so simplistic but detailed, with a vibrant color scheme that made it so eye catching. It was a lovely read.

Does anyone actually tell their kid these lies? I have never had of any of them.

Growing up, my parents, with emphasis on my mom told me a lot of lies. Some of them were so pointless I don't even know why they bothered. Maybe it is some kind of tradition? Lying to your kids.

Anyway, Lies We Tell Our Kids is based on the little white lies parents tell their children. This is a short book filled with colourful illustrations that compliment the lies on each page. For example, the lie-Thunder is the sound of angels bowling. Lightning is the flash when they're taking selfies is followed by the illustration of an angel taking a selfie while holding a bowling ball.

I enjoyed reading this book. However, it would have been better if I had heard of any of the lies(which I hadn't). It would have made the book a lot funnier and interesting

Really cute! It's a pitty, it's so short. I enjoyed reading this e-book and I'm considering of buying it for my loved ones. Thank you #netgalley!

Brett E. Wagner, nailed it, with “Lies We Tell Our Kids”. The book is filled with parenting humor, from the silly illustrations to the very creative lies we tell our kids. Lies that, now as a parent, I realize my parent’s also told me.

The lies are very creative and even a bit spooky for my taste, to think that someone may have used some of these makes me wonder what in the world had their child done to receive such an extraordinary lie, lol.

All in pure fun.

A great read for when you, as a parent, are having “one of those days” because we all have them, don’t you worry. And for those parents-to-be, start gathering up the lies shared in this book to have ready for your children. Because children can sense hesitation if you are put on the spot and have to think up something to say to keep them at bay.

Enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of the book.

This is a short, quirky volume which can serve as a conversation starter on a coffee table or with the kids in your life who have big imaginations. A number of lies is told accompanied by a unique illustration for each. I'd heard about 1/3rd of these previously and the rest ranged from utterly ridiculous to a little bit disturbing! Enjoyable nonetheless.

Rating: 3/5 stars

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Lies We Tell Our Kids by Brett Wagner is a short, entertaining book is that more appropriate for adults than children. This book is an example of some of the lies parents tell their children, mostly to keep them in line and behave well. It is funny as a "look back" to the lies we were told as children and, in return, told younger children. I remember my grandmother telling me that thunder was caused by angels bowling. That lightning occurs when angels take a picture was new to me.

This book is less than 100 pages and each page states a "lie" that is one sentence so it is a very fast read. For every lie, there is a corresponding, colorful illustration which are imaginative and allow for eye rolling and shaking of my head. I have heard of a few of the lies mentioned but most of them were new to me and gave me a good chuckle.

I read reviews of this which were posted on Goodreads. Many reviews rated it low. I think they should have taken into consideration that this book is not intended to be taken seriously. Just enjoy its quirkiness and have fun!

A cute quick read. Many of the lies included in the book are new to me, but the illustrations are cute, fun, and adorable. I only wish that more of the lies were ones I recognized.

This is a tough book to review. On one hand the art is beautiful. On the other, I'm not really sure who this is for. While some of the "lies" I've heard, others are way out there. I'm not sure if this is satire or what.

As an adult I got a couple of chuckles. If it is meant for kids it would also be a tough sale. At what age do most kids get a joke such as "seals like clubbing" that has an illustration of a seal dressed as a DJ?

2.5 stars - This was a quick read. I believe this book is meant to be a humorous book for parents, but I was not familiar with some of the lies, so it wasn't as funny as it could be for me.

I found this light and enjoyable. I recognize many of the lies as ones I’ve been told or have told and often laughed out loud. The pictures were great and quirky.

"The monster under your bed just wishes she could read".
"Stinky feet breed dragons"

Who here who have kids themselves, or young brothers and cousins and even small kids that live nearby but somehow still talk and like you. Now who of these percentage of people haven't let it slip a small white lie so that the kid went to bed, brushed their teeth and whatever? This is the book collection all the inane and the crazy small lies we tell the kids in a humorous way and with very nice art.

Haven't used the "cat with different collered eyes have already used one of their nine lives" but I'm sure someday the time will come, as well as the scientific name for the dogs "woofers" and "subwoofers".

Easy and fun reading, the kids would have a blast and would wow and waah probably if I read all this 'facts to them' which really, just the scenarios makes it a nice book.

A quirky, funny book with really well-done illustrations! This is a quick read and it's sure to amuse most parents. While many of these were new to me, I admit I was not above the occasional fib in the best interest of getting my kids to go along with my agenda and as such, this book resonated with me and I really enjoyed it!

Is this book silly? Absolutely, which makes this a fun read in your boring adult life! The illustrations are bright, cheery, and colorful. Some of the "lies" I have heard but many are new ones I have not. While not for younger children many older ones will find amusing.

It combines some well-known colloquialisms with vivid and beautiful drawings as well as drawing some truly bizarre and creative conclusions. I feel that each segment could easily amuse readers thinking of how some of these lies could be physically achieved.

Honestly don't remember requesting this. However it wasn't a total waste of time.

This was a total 'WTF' book. A majority of these lies I have never even heard of, and those that I have heard were from the internet.

What the hell is wrong with these adults?! Lmao

Are they that dead-set on fucking up their kids.? I mean, I'm Hispanic and we have are own sayings that are a right-of-passage to learn of growing up. But they aren't this superficial, and/or grotesque. And the illustrations were seriously amazing and surely gave me asco.

This is a short, humorous book of pretty accurate tales we tend to tell our kids. There were a few I actually used with my three, now adult, children.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!

A quirky book about lies/fibs/tall tales we tell our kids to get them to do something.
a bit of humor and sarcasm.

This was a quick, quirky little book. It took me no longer than 10 minutes to read it. The book is comprised of a number of statements/lies and an accompanying illustration. Some of these are definitely lies that I've heard of parents telling their kids (if you pick your nose your finger will get stuck in there) but some, not so much (Penguins can't fly because they come from outer space so they only know how to float). Maybe they are a lie someone told their kids but they aren't very commonplace.

I found some of them amusing but there weren't any true "laugh out loud" moments for me.

“If you pick your nose, your finger will get stuck up there” (8). A few of the ‘lies’ this book offered made memories of my time working in Pre-K flood back quickly. Others I was left thinking...’what?’ or ‘hm?’ because 1) I’d never heard the ‘lie’ before and 2) it didn’t really make sense. An example would be, “Beavers play hockey with a literal biscuit” (84). It was really all something that I either knew, had heard of, or didn’t have a clue. I loved the companion artwork though.
Thank you publishers for the opportunity to read this book!

This was a quick illustrated read and although I really enjoyed the illustrations, a lot of the "lies" seemed entirely made up. Some made me chuckle, but most seemed far-fetched and too unbelievable even for a child.