“What are the best Children’s books about Honesty?” We looked at 97 of the top Kids Honesty books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 19 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Kids Honesty” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 75+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
Top 19 Best Children’s Books About Being Honest
19 .) A Big Fat Enormous Lie written by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Third Hour
A child’s simple lie grows to enormous proportions.
18 .) David Gets In Trouble written by David Shannon
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Goodreads
When David gets in trouble, he has excuses right up until bedtime, when he realizes he really is sorry.
17 .) Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big written by Berkeley Breathed
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Motherly
Edwurd’s little sister comes to the rescue when Edwurd’s humongous fib lands him in trouble with a three-eyed alien from another galaxy.
16 .) Eli’s Lie-O-Meter: A Story about Telling the Truth written by Sandra Levins
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Mommy Evolution
Eli learns about the consequences of his fibs and the value of telling the truth. Includes note to parents.
15 .) Jackalope written by Janet Stevens
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Third Hour
A jackrabbit who wishes to be feared asks his fairy godrabbit for horns and becomes the first jackalope, but there’s one condition: he must not tell lies.
14 .) Let’s Be Honest written by P.K. Hallinan
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Third Hour
Introduces the concept of honesty as a young child describes why it is best to tell the truth at all times.
13 .) Liar, Liar written by Gary Paulsen
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Third Hour
Fourteen-year-old Kevin is very good at lying and doing so makes life easier, but when he finds himself in big trouble with his friends, family, and teachers, he must find a way to end his lies forever.
12 .) Molly the Great Tells the Truth written by Shelley Marshall
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Third Hour
Superheroes always tell the truth . . . or do they? When Molly puts on her clever crown and Ben ties on his courageous cape, this duo can accomplish anything. However, even superheroes must sometimes be reminded to be honest.
11 .) Tell the Truth B.B. Wolf written by Judy Sierra
Lists It Appears On:
- Mommy Evolution
- Talking Tree Books
When Big Bad Wolf, who now lives at the Villain Villa Retirement Residence, is invited to tell his story at the library, he faces the truth about what he did to the three little pigs and decides to make amends.
10 .) That’s Mine, Horace written by Holly Keller
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Mommy Evolution
Horace loves the little yellow truck that he finds in the schoolyard, but he has a problem when a classmate tries to claim it.
9 .) The Emperor’s New Clothes written by Janet Stevens
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Mommy Evolution
Two rascals sell a vain emperor an invisible suit of clothes.
8 .) The Stories Julian Tells written by Ann Cameron
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Third Hour
Relates episodes in seven-year-old Julian’s life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother Huey, planting a garden, what he did to try to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend.
7 .) The Wolf Who Cried Boy written by Bob Hartman
Lists It Appears On:
- Goodreads
- Motherly
Little Wolf is tired of eating lamburgers and sloppy does, but when he tricks his parents into thinking there is a boy in the woods, they could all miss a chance for a real feast.
6 .) Victory Vault written by Jake Maddox
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Third Hour
Kayla is the best gymnast on her team. When she misses her vault at an important gymnastics meet, no one sees her mistake except her best friend, Chandra. When Chandra pressures her to tell the truth, Kayla must decide if keeping her trophy is worth losing her friend.
5 .) Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie written by Laura Rankin
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Mommy Evolution
- Third Hour
Ruthie loves tiny things and when she finds a tiny camera on the playground she is very happy, but after she lies and says the camera belongs to her, nothing seems to go right.
4 .) The Boy Who Cried Wolf written by B.G. Hennessy
Lists It Appears On:
- Mommy Evolution
- Motherly
- Talking Tree Books
A boy tending sheep on a lonely mountainside thinks it a fine joke to cry “wolf” and watch the people come running–and then one day a wolf is really there, but no one answers his call.
3 .) The Berenstain Bears and the Truth written by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Goodreads
- Mommy Evolution
- Motherly
- Third Hour
Brother and Sister Bear learn how important it is to tell the truth after they accidentally break Mama Bear’s most favorite lamp.
2 .) The Empty Pot written by Demi
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Goodreads
- Mommy Evolution
- Talking Tree Books
- Third Hour
When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.
1 .) The Honest-to-Goodness Truth written by Patricia C. McKissack
Lists It Appears On:
- Early Childhood Education Zone
- Goodreads
- Motherly
- Talking Tree Books
- Third Hour
After promising never to lie, Libby learns that it’s not always necessary to blurt out the whole truth either.
The 75+ Additional Best Kids Books About Honesty
| # | Books | Authors | Lists |
| 20 | A Hen for Izzy Pippik | Mommy Evolution | |
| 21 | Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock | Eric A. Kimmel | Goodreads |
| 22 | And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street | Mommy Evolution | |
| 23 | Arthur and the True Francine | Marc Brown | Goodreads |
| 24 | Arthur’s Computer Disaster: An Arthur Adventure | Marc Brown | Goodreads |
| 25 | Be honest and tell the truth | Talking Tree Books | |
| 26 | Be Proud | Talking Tree Books | |
| 27 | Being Fair: A Book about Fairness | Mary Small | Goodreads |
| 28 | Being Frank | Talking Tree Books | |
| 29 | Being Honest | Cassie Mayer | Goodreads |
| 30 | Berenstain Bears and the Truth | Talking Tree Books | |
| 31 | Character Building Day by Day | Talking Tree Books | |
| 32 | Creepy Carrots | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 33 | Dessert First | Mommy Evolution | |
| 34 | Do Unto Otters: A Book about Manners | Laurie Keller | Goodreads |
| 35 | Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib | Darren Farrell | Goodreads |
| 36 | Fancy Nancy: My Family History (I Can Read Level 1) | Mommy Evolution | |
| 37 | Finding the Golden Ruler | Karen Hill | Goodreads |
| 38 | Franklin Fibs | Paulette Bourgeois | Motherly |
| 39 | Grody’s Not So Golden Rules | Nicole Rubel | Goodreads |
| 40 | Grrrrr! | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 41 | Honestly, Mallory! (Mallory (Darby Creek)) | Mommy Evolution | |
| 42 | Honestly! | Kelly Doudna | Goodreads |
| 43 | Honesty | Cynthia Roberts | Goodreads |
| 44 | Honesty | Kristin Thoennes Keller | Goodreads |
| 45 | Honesty | Kathryn Kyle | Goodreads |
| 46 | I Am Honest | Sarah L. Schuette | Goodreads |
| 47 | I Did It, I’m Sorry | Caralyn Buehner | Goodreads |
| 48 | I Repeat, Don’t Cheat! | Margery Cuyler | Goodreads |
| 49 | I Want My Hat Back | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 50 | I’m Telling the Truth: A First Look at Honesty | Pat Thomas | Goodreads |
| 51 | It Wasn’t Me! | Udo Weigelt | Goodreads |
| 52 | It’s True | Mercer Mayer | Motherly |
| 53 | Jamaica and the Substitute Teacher | Juanita Havill | Goodreads |
| 54 | Jamaica’s Find | Juanita Havill | Goodreads |
| 55 | Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook | Barbara Park | Goodreads |
| 56 | Kevin | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 57 | Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 58 | Listen to My Trumpet! | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 59 | Little Croc’s Purse | Lizzie Finlay | Goodreads |
| 60 | Lying up a storm | Talking Tree Books | |
| 61 | Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 62 | Marvelous Mattie | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 63 | Mr. Peabody’s Apples | Madonna | Goodreads |
| 64 | My Big Lie | Bill Cosby | Goodreads |
| 65 | Pinky Dinky Doo: Pinky Stinky Doo | Jim Jinkins | Goodreads |
| 66 | Pinky Promise: A Book About Telling the Truth | Early Childhood Education Zone | |
| 67 | Princess K.I.M. and the Lie That Grew | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 68 | Princess Kim and Too Much Truth | Maryann Cocca-Leffler | Goodreads |
| 69 | Sam Tells Stories | Thierry Robberecht | Goodreads |
| 70 | Sam, Bangs & Moonshine | Mommy Evolution | |
| 71 | Should I Share My Ice Cream? | Mo Willems | Goodreads |
| 72 | Strega Nona | Tomie dePaola | Goodreads |
| 73 | Tell a Lie and Your Butt Will Grow | Dan Greenburg | Goodreads |
| 74 | Telling the Truth: Learning about Honesty, Integrity, and Trustworthiness | Early Childhood Education Zone | |
| 75 | The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare | Stan Berenstain | Goodreads |
| 76 | The Berenstain Bears and the Tic-Tac-Toe Mystery | Stan Berenstain | Goodreads |
| 77 | The Big Fat Enormous Lie | Early Childhood Education Zone | |
| 78 | The Big Lie, a Katie Woo Story | Talking Tree Books | |
| 79 | The Big Tee Ball Game | Larry Dane Brimner | Goodreads |
| 80 | The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot | Early Childhood Education Zone | |
| 81 | The Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables | Mommy Evolution | |
| 82 | The Colour Thief | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 83 | The Dog That Stole Football Plays (Passport to Reading Level 3) | Mommy Evolution | |
| 84 | The Dog Who Cried Woof | Nancy Coffelt | Goodreads |
| 85 | The Golden Rule | Ilene Cooper | Goodreads |
| 86 | The Great Paper Caper | Oliver Jeffers | Goodreads |
| 87 | The Noodle Game | Larry Dane Brimner | Goodreads |
| 88 | The Skull of Truth: A Magic Shop Book | Mommy Evolution | |
| 89 | The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs | Jon Scieszka | Goodreads |
| 90 | The Weasel Puffin Unicorn Baboon Pig Lobster Race | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 91 | This is Not My Hat | Children’s Library Lady | |
| 92 | Touchdown Trouble (Fred Bowen Sports Stories: Football) | Mommy Evolution | |
| 93 | Trouble Talk | Trudy Ludwig | Goodreads |
| 94 | Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale | Mommy Evolution | |
| 95 | Winners Take All (All-Star Sports Story) | Mommy Evolution | |
| 96 | Yoko’s World of Kindness: Golden Rules for a Happy Classroom | Rosemary Wells | Goodreads |
| 97 | Zip, Zip…Homework | Mommy Evolution |
7 Best Children’s Honesty Book Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| Children’s Library Lady | Honesty Book List – Book Lists |
| Early Childhood Education Zone | The 15 Best Children’s Books About Telling the Truth |
| Goodreads | Popular Honesty Integrity Books |
| Mommy Evolution | Children’s Books About Honesty & Integrity (Virtues Unit Study |
| Motherly | 7 Books that Prove Honesty is the Best Policy |
| Talking Tree Books | Picture Books about Honesty for Kids |
| Third Hour | 12 Perfect Children’s Books about honesty |