Lyttle Lies: The Pudding Problem
Sam Lyttle has a colossal gift for lying. Whether it’s to get out of scrapes, to impress the school belle or just to pass the time, he’s the emperor of fibbery. What he’s not so good at is extricating himself from his inventions, especially when the bully of Parsley Primary, Pete Feeney, has got his number. One more run-in with Pete and it’ll be curtains for Sam: Carl Curtains, to be precise, Sam’s former classmate and the wraith-like victim of Feeney’s wrath. How can Sam protect himself and his cat Pudding from Pete’s almighty fist?
This début graphic novel from illustrator Joe Berger is several laughs a page. Bold black and white cartoons, a strong voice and great narrative timing combine to pack a witty punch. Tucked into the fun are a few serious points too; Sam pictures The Truth as an elephant blocking his path – heavy, worrying and wrinkled – and finds it easier to skirt round the beast than to face it. Then there’s Grandpa, the Great Wonderoso, a master of gardening and imagination, who teaches Sam to deal with difficult situations by reinventing himself as a hero and with dull sandwiches by pretending they’re cheeseburgers. Where is the line between imagination and lying? Where is the broken-off ear of Mum’s china dog ornament? And most importantly, where are the potatoes Grandpa dug up for dinner? Answers lie in this joyful, deceptively simple romp that will delight Wimpy Kidders and any students of alternative facts.
