Fake Gnus

Kid reporter Scoop Jackson asks readers to consider what is fake news and what is fact, while looking for the gnus -- pronounced nooz -- that have escaped from their pen at the zoo.

The gnu pen is empty! So where are the gnus? There are many different clues to follow, and it's up to Scoop to decide if the evidence he hears and sees is true ... or not! Someone tells Scoop they saw the gnus eating ice cream in Central Park. But this news site says they're climbing the Empire State Building. And here's a photo showing the gnus at a dairy farm. Can all of these sources be real gnus? Or are they fake gnus? Scoop reminds us that a fact is something that can be proven to be true. With every new source, Scoop always checks the facts!

This tongue-in-cheek introduction to fake news asks kids to think critically about what they see and hear from media sources. The book includes a quiz and an author's note that touches on AI and expands on the concept of reputable sources.

Key Text Features

illustrations

speech balloons

quiz

author's note

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3

With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

LESLIE HELAKOSKI has written multiple picture books, including Woolbur, When the Rain Came Down and Are Your Stars Like My Stars? She served as Regional Advisor for SCBWI Michigan. She is now RA Emeritus, and also runs a picture book workshop at the Highlights Foundation. She divides her time between Northern Michigan and Southern Louisiana.