Slowing down and telling the truth is a lesson every child needs early. Lay a foundation of biblical wisdom with the relatable example of Sid Squid.

Sid Squid and the Fib That Snowballed

Sid Squid loves games, especially hiding among the coral at Deep Waters Aquarium. But he is not so great at slowing down. He rushes through everything: his chores, his food, even brushing his tentacles.

When his mom asks him to clean his room before he heads out to play baseball, Sid rushes through the job and stuffs everything out of sight instead. When his mom asks if he really cleaned, he tells her yes, and a small cloud of ink appears around him.

Sid does not understand the ink at first. But every fib he tells the rest of that day, to Stella Starfish about a torn glove, to his dad about a broken lamp, brings another cloud with it. By the time his dad walks in on a room full of ink, Sid cannot hide the truth any longer.

His dad helps him see what has been happening. Being faithful in little things is what makes us faithful in big ones. Being dishonest in small things is what makes us dishonest in bigger ones. Sid learns to slow down and think hard about the truth before he speaks, and by the end of the day, he feels lighter than he has all along.

Scriptures and Wisdom in this Title

• The key bible passage for Sid Squid Fibs is Luke 16:10 (NIV): "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."
• The wisdom nugget comes from Sid Squid's dad: "The Bible says that if you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in big ones. But if you are dishonest in small things, you won't be honest about bigger things."

This book offers a gentle way to discuss honesty, fibbing, and the freedom of telling the truth with young children, helping them understand that owning up to a mistake, even a small one, is always better than covering it up.

About the Aquarium Pals Series of Books

In the Aquarium Pals series of picture books for ages 3-10, a community of coral reef creatures face challenging emotions (fear, jealousy) and sinful tendencies (lying) with biblical wisdom and the love of a caring aquatic family.

Vivid illustrations reinforce the story and give you more to discuss as you enjoy this book together with children.