At first, he tries 'bending' The Truth (cue a highly unimpressed Truth, bent double!). But his friend Noah doesn't think Arthur's mother will be happy that a 'supercool princess' asked if she could have a go on the bike.
Next he tries 'stretching' The Truth. (Ouch! The Truth is well and truly stretched to skinniness!) But the whole idea of an alien having asked to borrow the bike so he could get home doesn't seem to be working either.
And so it goes on, as The Truth is covered up, disguised, hidden and finally just ignored altogether. Finally, Arthur has no choice but to speak to his mother and explain what's happened. He looks The Truth in the eye and says …
Sorry! You'll have to read the book to find out whether he manages to tell the truth or not!
This is a wonderfully clever concept that's brilliantly executed. It works perfectly as a very funny picture book, but has the added benefit of encouraging little ones — in a non-lecturing, entertaining way — to think about whether telling a little fib is necessarily the best idea!
Title: The Truth According to Arthur
Author: Tim Hopgood
Illustrator: David Tazzyman
Publisher: Bloomsbury, $14.99
Publication Date: July 2016
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781408864999
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book