Book Review: Truth: The Merchant of Dreams by Zak Maymin
Disclaimer: I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested.
“Don’t lie.” “Honesty is the best policy.” “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” That’s what we tell our children. But then we hedge. “Sometimes it’s best just not to say anything.” “A white lie won’t hurt.” “It’s okay to lie to Nazis to protect people.”
This is the first in a series of children’s books about ethical subjects, designed to teach them how to think about dilemmas that might come up in their lives and understand how to make the best choices. The book is aimed at children roughly kindergarten to third-grade level, and is best used in conjunction with a parent or other trusted adult who can help talk the child through the situation.
As the introduction for adults notes, small children generally do not yet have the life tools to fully understand such concepts as probability analysis, cost/benefit ratio, or hidden consequences. Thus they will often misjudge when it is appropriate to lie or tell the truth. The introduction for children is a bit wordy, at about a fifth-grade reading level.
The body of the book is a series of vignettes about Chloe and her friends as they decide not to tell the truth. For example, Jay decides to tell Chloe a lie as a joke. Then justifications for two different views of the situation are presented, and the child must choose one. (Because this is for small children, the choices are kept binary.)
The final scenario, “Lying to Strangers” will need special finesse on the part of the adult helper, as it is Chloe’s truth-telling, not her earlier lie, that causes bad consequences.
There is an answer key at the back where Mr. Maymin gives his own opinions, but your mileage may vary.
Finally, there’s the short story that lends itself to the title of the book. It’s a fairy tale about a lie destroying a marriage. The story is dull and didactic, and honestly not very good. If you’re reading this book to your child, you might want to skip it.
The illustrations are adequate.
The idea of this book is solid, and it may be of use to parents who do not already have another book on hand that teaches their preferred values about truth and lying.
