I don't agree with the final truth of the story "'Cause that's in the end how it always goes down... the king who tells lies loses his crown." It's a nice thought, but there are examples in history of lying kings who didn't lose their crown and died natural deaths still in power.

Though “The Lying King” is described as a children’s book, I have to agree with other reviews I’ve read that I think it’s more effective as a social commentary for adults or teens. Children will probably enjoy the spare but elegant illustrations and the rhyme that tells the story of a lying warthog who turns truth on its head, bullies his way to power and then learns his lesson the hard way (karmic payback from black biting flies and mosquitoes is hell), but I’m not sure young children will be able to grasp the lesson being delivered to the lying king. I would have liked to see the king show signs of learning his lesson and not just enduring his payback and also see his former subjects righting his wrongs. My vote is for the Mouse to take over. B

The copy of the book provided (e book) had about 45 blank pages of 63. I also tried to read it on my laptop as advised, but I was not able to open the PDF. So frustrating!

The pictures I could see looked clear and cheerful. I wish I could have read the whole thing, but I think I had 5 pages of text and 3 illustrations. So sad. Looked cute.
Someone who was able to read it... Is this about Trump? Thanks!

"A runt who wanted to be a huge pig..."

The Lying King, wordplay noted, is a wonderfully illustrated, hilariously told modern day fable about a warthog who wanted to be king. He made promises he couldn't keep, told lies that grew more preposterous with each telling and bullying all who got in is way. He lied to get money, questioned whether the truth was actually the truth and pitted those in the kingdom against one another to gain favor for himself.

Hmmm... why does this sound so incredibly familiar? No idea. Soon, the king's lies catch up to him and bring about his folly. <sigh>

Written for children and obviously for adults who never learned the very important lesson that LYING is not acceptable and, ultimately, you will get caught; this book is utterly delightful for "kids" of all ages. Beard is an artist as well as a writer and his illustrations are a beautiful, captivating addition to the book. I read this out loud to guests staying with us and everyone loved it - especially the kids! It's a perfect "lesson" book that can teach all of us the importance of the truth in this era of "fake news" and alternative facts. FIVE brilliant shiny stars for The Lying King - no lie!

I'm super happy to have received this book from #Netgalley and to #AlexBeard for his collection of children's books. Although this was a download originally, I'm now the proud owner of his entire collection. They are too good not to own!

This book read like an Aesop's fable. It was a tale about lying and how destructive it can be to a kingdom. A quick read that leaves you with something to consider--you can't believe everything that you hear or read. The book has very interesting illustrations.

Initially, my kids thought the talking animals was just hilarious. Yes, they get it’s fiction, but talking animals amuse my children. Let alone, a talking warthog that wants to be king, I deem hilarious as well. Of course, me being a visual person, I LOVED the illustrations. The water-colored pictures were beautiful and definitely attracted me to the book immediately. My daughter and twin boys, (8 and 6), were drawn to the book due to the bright colors and vivid imagination of Alex Beard of having animals come to life in order to teach a lesson.

Teaching the lesson of not lying is definitely a steady feet in the world of parenting and what a creative way to teach it. I’m a visual person, so this book definitely made the lesson fun and I loved the art work. My kids were able to easily understand and enjoy the concept of the book and it flowed very nicely. My children were definitely amused by the talking animals and the “crazy” warthog as my son had mentioned. I found the story to be witty and smart, and will recommend the book to other parents.



Kirkus Review: “When other animals fail to take a stand, a lying warthog becomes their king with devastating results. This witty, contemporary fable brilliantly champions truth in an era of fake news, alternative facts, and rampant lies. (Picture book. 4-8)”

Very obvious, almost infantile, parody on today's political situation. I guess I was hoping for something at a higher level.

A pleasant moral book for family story times. The artwork is pleasing and the words rhyme, but the plot felt a little flat. Simple enough for new and reluctant readers to read on their own. I did wonder if there was some political agenda hidden behind the simple message: leaders who lie don't stay in power. However, I could be over thinking it.

Between the clever title and the blurb I was fully intrigued by The Lying King, and I have been looking forward to pick it up. Unfortunately it wasn't quite the reading experience I was expecting. While I like the simplicity of the cover, I don't think the same style works as well for the picture book itself. I personally found the illustrations too simple and bare; there is a lot of white on some of the pages and I don't think it will be all that attractive for children. As for the story: the idea behind The Lying King is clever and it has a strong moral message. As you might have guessed, the message is that lying is wrong and lies will only come back to haunt you... As shown in the case of the lying warthog king. Still, I don't think that children will actually be able to pick up on that message from reading this story. I felt that it was told in a too 'adult' way to be able to actually work as a way to teach children not to lie. All in all sadly this picture book didn't reach its potential for me.

An allegorical saga in the vein of Aesop’s Fables, this tale from the watering hole chronicles the dire consequences of lying. Warthog desperately wants to be important, but he chooses to make himself seem prominent by telling lies.
Finally, he becomes the king.
Eventually, as his lies grow, he turns the other animals of the African savannah against each other until one day the lies are so big the animals realize that something must be done about their lying king.

With whimsical illustrations and a witty, satirical rhyming verse, readers will immediately recognize that lies are dangerous and there is untold value in the truth. Although marketed as a children’s book, adults will find the thinly-disguised commentary on the current political climate impossible to miss, especially with the “Uncle Sam” dedication page. Whether “The Lying King” serves as a morality lesson for children or as a timely reminder for adults, its lesson is one of the value of truth and the danger of lies . . . and there is truth within these pages.

Highly recommended.

Rare political humor in children’s format. Loved it. Christmas gifts for those who love our country.
The lying king gets his come upons when his lies turn against him

I really enjoyed this modern-day fable about fake news and the power of the truth. Warthog becomes King by lying his way to the throne. The other animals know he can't be counted on to tell the truth - but too few speak out, so Warthog reigns supreme. Will he stay in power? Will the animals figure out how to depose their untruthful King?

I'm not sure anyone could read this book without seeing obvious parallels to current American politics. It's clever and hopeful - and teaches young readers the importance of telling the truth and standing up for what is right.

The Lying King is the story of a warthog who thinks a little too highly of himself and begins to think that he is a more important than he actually is. Although it is a picture book, the vocabulary and language make this book enjoyable for "kids" of all ages. The illustrations lend themselves perfectly to the story line and the labels that accompany them are perfect! This book would be a great discussion starter!

I liked the story but I kept thinking about Donald Trump as I read it. Great message for kids and adults alike.

I liked the illustrations in this book, but I think the message was too transparent . It's clear who the "warthog king" is in "real life". The ending, although a nice thought, is probably not realistic.

Note to other reviewers who may had this problem: I had some trouble getting the pdf to launch, because of a new computer and need to re-install Adobe reader with a fresh ID (i.e used another email not associated with previous pc).

Politics and children's books, not two things that I would expect to go together. Yet Alex Beard, in The Lying King, weaves a story of a warthog that rises to power through a series lies and the (supposed) inevitable outcome of such actions.

While this tales is definitely a nod to Aesop and/or Kipling in its style, I found it a bit disturbing. While I can't lay my finger on what exactly unnerves me about the story, I can say that the plot seems to be written more for adults than children. While the illustrations are engaging and the rhyming prose keeps us turning the pages, the story just feels off to me.

I will say that Beard's tale is a cautionary tale of choosing to look the other way when faced with overt lies. Children may be able to glean the notion that lying is bad from this fable, but in the end, it isn't one I would put on our bookshelf.

This fabulous fable should be read by everyone. It is a tale for children that all adults need to read as a reminder that truth is truth and up is up no matter how much a king likes to lie and say differently.

The Lying King is a perfect teaching book. Beard teaches the importance of honesty and integrity all while rhyming. The Lying King begins by fibbing to get his way and to convince his subjects to agree with him. But, as the story continues, his loyal subjects start to waver and decide they don’t want a liar as a king. Unfortunately, the king has to suffer the consequences and lose his crown.

I will use this book as one of our daily read alouds in my classroom. This is a perfect book to emphasize the importance of having good character and integrity. The illustrations are simple yet fun, and the rhyming adds a nice cadence to the story. Definitely a recommended read for me!

An absolutely delightful morality fable for our troubled times. Though I was given access to an e-galley of this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I have already pre-ordered a hard copy for my bookshelf of children’s books. After all, we must teach the young about the mistakes of the past so they will not be repeated. The satire and clever wit and rhythm of the writing is a treat for adults who need something to make them smile these days. The illustrations are delightful, with plenty of additional commentary on the tale, that has been so cleverly dedicated to Uncle Sam.

I downloaded this free from NetGalley to read to my kids, but as soon as I saw that it was rhyming and the pictures were amateur at best, I didn't even bother. I skimmed it, and was irritated to have my time wasted. This is the type of story that should've been self-published with a handful of copies for his descendants. There is a reason indie picture books don't do well. Mostly because anyone that can draw well has already been snatched up by the big five.