Customer Reviews

Juan Verdades: The Man Who Couldn't Tell A Lie

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Juan Verdades is the foreman on a ranch. The owner of the ranch places a bet with another rancher that Verdades will never lie. He places the whole ranch on the line. The other rancher then sends his daughter to live with the first rancher and beguile Juan. The daughter succeeds in getting Juan to give her the apples from the owner's favorite tree. When Juan is called on the carpet in front of the two owners and questioned about where the apples went, he says that a fool picked them, and admits that he was that fool. Juan is eventually rewarded for his honesty by getting a ranch and the beguiling daughter. In addition to the moral lessons about truth and gambling, there is also some potential for learning about the life of yesteryear in New Mexico. The book is rather long, with about 2400 words, suitable for older kids.

This book is excellent. I am a senior in college graduating with a degree in elementary education, and I wrote a lesson plan last semester using this book. It is a wonderful book for 3rd to 4th grade children, as it helps them to develop their reading skills by identifying unknown words using the context of the story, and it also shows them an area of the world and a culture that is different from their own. In addition, the storyline is beautiful, about an honest man that would rather confess his wrongdoing than lie about it. He is a great model for honesty. The more times I read the book, the more I liked it!

With the ending never in doubt (check out the subtitle), the story drags on 4-5 pages too long, like a familiar joke burdened with too many details. Author Joe Hayes states in his closing note that he has "given the tale a more literary treatment than I usually do." The result is a story better suited for older readers (ages 7-10) than for a read-aloud bedtime book.

As negative as that sounds, I actually like Hayes' book and his effort to fill out this adaptation of "The Faithful Servant." Each character's decisions and the solemn consequences are richly detailed in both the narrative and artist Joseph Daniel Fieldler's earthy, full-page paintings.

My sons (ages 8 and 6) would have enjoyed the suspense, not knowing if Juan Verdades would be faithful to his employer, don Ignacio. However, the first words on the inside dust jacket flap are "Juan Verdades is an honest man." Combined with the unnecessary subtitle it was difficult to build suspense. There are a couple twists along the way but I won't spoil these. The rewards for Juan's honesty far exceed expectations.

After the first reading to my sons, we discussed the other choices Juan could have made and the likely consequences of those actions. The conversation helped reinforce the book's valuable moral lesson.

Rating: Four stars.

Have you ever done something horrible and had to think of something so the person wouldn't think you were responsible? Well Juan Verdades did.
There is a plot on Juan saying that he can't ever tell a llie and this other man and his daughter thinks they can make him tell a lie. Juan is a worker for Don on his ranch. He tends to the cattle and Don's wonderful apple tree. Don is the owner of the ranch that Juan works at. This story is set in mexico how I know that is that they speak spanish. This is a fiction story that has been retold by Joe Hayes. Joe Hayes really used some good descriptive words to get a picture in your mind. I would recommend ths book to young adults and little kids because its a fun book.
All in all "the man who couldn't tell a lie" was written very well for both young adults and kids in kindergarden threw first grade. The book has a very interesting ending and I think you would enjoy reading it to.

Juan Verdades The Man Who Couldn't Tell a Lie by Joe Hayes is an excellent story. THe end will be a surprise to anyone who reads it. Hayes did an awsome job at creating an unsuspected twist at the end. This story is realsitic fiction. It takes place in the Western country of the U.S. during the late 1800's and early 1900's. It was so good I couldn't stop reading.
Juan Verdades The Man Who Couldn't Tell a Lie is about a wealthy rancher, don Ignacio, who had a fine apple tree on his land, which is cared by a foreman, Juan Verdades, who couldn't tell a lie. But a friend of don Ingacio, Don Arturo, made a bet with don Ignacio that the foreman would lie to him. In time, Juan is tempted by Don Arturo's daughter to steal all of the apples from the fine apple tree, and he does because she is so pretty. Will Juan tell a lie to don Ignacio about stealing the apples?
Even though this book is meant for kids, the story has a powerful meaning. The meaning I am talking about is to never lie. Joe Hayes shows and tells this meaning in a very exciting way through this story. Juan Verdades THe Man Who Couldn't Tell a Lie is great for all ages.