I Told a Little Lie

PreS-Gr 3–Little lies have a way of blowing up, even when they are never spoken aloud. The lie of omission can be a difficult concept for young children, but Henderson approaches it with clarity and gentle humor in her latest picture book. A yellow balloon drifts past, and a young Black girl reaches up to catch it. The bunnies know that balloons mean something special, and the ants quickly decide she must be having a birthday. They offer flowers, chat excitedly about cake and after a small storm of questions, eagerly ask if they can come to the party. The girl answers with a single word: yes. Ants Antoinetta and Bob hurry to the Official Rock to share the news and the story spreads as quickly as any lie. Soon, the ants gather expectantly for cake that does not exist, leaving the girl to reckon with how her unspoken fib grew, and why she did not correct it. Henderson skillfully captures the way small misunderstandings escalate, resolving the story in a reassuring, child-friendly way. The mixed-media illustrations amplify the rising excitement, with scattered bits of dialogue showing the ants’ busy chatter.