The Tuttle Twins book series is growing in popularity, and there’s a good reason why. Too many books that are currently being marketed towards kids contain content that is honestly just not appropriate for children. Explicit topics and images are being shown to an increasingly younger and younger age range of children, and the psychological damage is already showing.
This is where books like the Tuttle Twins series steps in.
These books fight back by not fighting back. They don’t go out of their way to combat every single Left-leaning talking point, but instead they focus on wholesome and educational content. Lessons about the economy, American law, the way certain things in American society works, and morality are out forth with a sweet and edifying style.
Now, let’s jump into what I think about book #2 in this series — The Tuttle Twins and the Miraculous Pencil.
Overall Review . . .
“Do your kids know how the free market works? Ethan and Emily Tuttle have grown up taking for granted the many things they use: clothes, cars, homes, backpacks — even something as simple as a pencil. In this fun adventure to an amazing factory, the twins learn why even the common pencil is a miracle–one that nobody actually knows how to make–and how the process by which it is made is the key to prosperity in our modern age.
“Based on the classic essay, ‘I, Pencil’ by Leonard Read, your children will learn about the economic principles of spontaneous order, division of labor, competition, trade, and the free market — and why these things bring the people of the world together in peaceful cooperation.”
This book explains the economy and its basic functions in a way that is easily understandable and digestible for kids. The Tuttle Twins, along with the rest of their school class, go on a field trip to a pencil factory to learn how pencils are made. At first, all the kids thought the trip was going to be boring, but soon they discover that the process to create a pencil is far more complicated than they could ever have imagined.
There’s a glossary of definitions in the back of the book, along with discussion questions and a link to the activity workbook. The definitions are for words like “central planning,” “economy,” and “division of labor,” which is especially helpful for young children. The target age range for these books is ages 5 to 11, so these definitions are helpful and even necessary in teaching children.
At the very end of the book is a letter from Leonard Read, the author of the essay, “I, Pencil” upon which this book is inspired. It’s a nice addition and adds to the reading experience. I think this was added more so for the parents benefit than directly for the child(ren), but that’s just what I think.
My Opinions . . .
I appreciate that this book is devoted to explaining the economy in particular, as that’s something that’s not even explained to most high schoolers, let alone young children. I think this is fantastic. Honestly, I found this book helpful to me personally in terms of learning and reminding about the functionings about our current economic system.
I’m also appreciative how it doesn’t talk down to the kid(s) and really speaks to them, and not over them. Boyack does his best, and I think he accomplishes it well, to explain important and everyday concepts in an easily digestible way for kids, and the illustrations convey those messages in a fun, colorful, and kid-friendly way that they will want to go back to.
With all that’s going on in school libraries in our country and the kind of materials that is being added for younger and younger children, I’m grateful that books like these are out there for children to learn about things they should actually begin to understand at their ages. In tandem with that, I don’t think there’s anything even remotely inappropriate in any of the illustrations or literature.
Diversity has been an unexpected bonus. I like how the illustrations are diverse in people’s apparent ethnic and racial backgrounds without heavily focusing on them necessarily.
I like the illustrating style and how the characters are presented. It’s a simple atmosphere with wholesomely designed characters and settings. Again, I feel like it harkens back to simpler times when some of my generation, and pretty much all of those who came before me, had a more wholesome childhood that just focused on simply being a kid and enjoying those precious growing up years. Fun, whimsical, and wholesome illustrations that are colorful and refuse to be beige! 😀 If you don’t understand, I will link a Brett Cooper video here: https://youtu.be/ICU4J7RqpHk Ms. Cooper does a great job in covering this odd fad in our society.
For conservative parents, or parents who just simply want something wholesome and non-WOKE, these books are a fabulous choice!
Final Thoughts . . .
After reading this book (and others from the series myself), I think this is a great alternative to the crap that is currently being written for children and put into library systems for them (that’s a whole other article for another day 😉 ).
A Word from Me . . .
I think this book, as well as the others in the series, are truly safe and educational. They contain much more wholesome themes and visuals than most other content that is currently being made for children and young folks. I personally would recommend this book to anyone with children in the age range for these books.
A Word from You . . .
What’re your thoughts on this review for the Tuttle Twins Book : The Law? Do you agree or disagree with my assertion that the part with the elderly neighbor might be somewhat problematic? What do you think overall on the topic of current children’s literature? I’d love to know in the comments! 🙂
*BONUS*
From now until July 31 (2023), you are eligible for a chance to win an ALL EXPENSES PAID trip to Boston, MA when you buy or preorder the new Tuttle Twins History Books!! This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in some quality educational material for your children AND possibly win a trip to Boston, Massachusetts — a beautiful city full of American history. From Benjamin Franklin to the American Civil War, Boston is full of museums bursting with historical artifacts, many of the same streets that the first Patriots would’ve actually walked, and some of the oldest architecture in America! It’s a win-win kind of purchase 😉
When you order from my link, you are entered into the drawing for this spectacular trip for 4! https://tuttletwins.com/history/ref/MyjasThoughts