Chloe and the Closet of Secrets by Ginger Hubbard and Al Roland

Written in rhyme, this book follows Chole for a day. Every time Chloe tells a lie, a little, furry, mischievous “fluff” appears. She hides all the fluffs in her closet, but they begin to grow larger as time passes. Finally, at dinner time, her dad confesses that he told a lie at work. He asks for forgiveness and Chloe then musters up the courage to confess all of her lies. As she confesses and apologizes, the fluffs disappear! Chloe also confesses to Jesus and finds freedom from her sin in Him.

Addressing lying with our children can sometimes be difficult, but this picture book’s goal is to get the conversation started about this important subject. Because it’s written in rhyme, the text has a fun “sing-song” feel to it. The illustration style is a bit unique, but definitely bright and fun. I appreciate how the author addressed the idea that in keeping lies, they also tend to get bigger. While obviously big lies can be dangerous to keep, I like how the lies highlighted are small, off the cuff, or seemingly unimportant. Our children need to learn that these too are sins and must be confessed and repented of.

The last page also does a good job of pointing to Christ as the victor over this sin, “And then something changed, something deep in my heart. Through forgiveness in Christ, came a new and fresh start. My sins were all covered. Jesus took all my bad. Because of his grace, I don’t have to stay sad. I wiped all my tears. ‘I am clean now,’ I stated. God’s forgiveness is good. I should not have waited.'”

While not a complete gospel presentation, I think this is a wonderful resource for parents who have children struggling with lying.

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1. Why did Chloe put the “fluffs” in the closet?
2. What made her change her mind and tell her family?
3. Is every lie a sin?
4. Does telling a lie separate us from God?