FAKE GNUS

A lighthearted guide to the difference between truth and truthiness.

Taking advantage of the obvious pun (gnus/news), Helakoski sends light-skinned kid reporter Scoop Jackson out on the trail of a herd of shaggy fugitives from the zoo. Readers are invited to join Scoop in evaluating a series of claims about where they’ve gone as “real” or “fake” gnus, until the search ultimately ends at the zebra pen, where two sorts of both poop and tracks point to where the errant ungulates are really hanging out. Notwithstanding repeated reminders to “always check your facts!” and a cautionary comment at the end that no, “opinions” are not the same thing, the author herself occasionally seems a little hazy on the difference between the two. For instance, she subjectively asserts at the end that “the more unbelievable information is, the less likely it is to be true” and earlier, without offering actual evidence, that gnus and dairy cows wouldn’t get along because they don’t like to share the grass they eat. Still, along with encouraging a skeptical approach to evaluating clues and mixing a handful of “gnu” facts into a summary pop quiz, she does close with helpful basic guidelines for judging the general reliability of sources. In cartoon illustrations incorporating newsprint clippings, racially diverse human figures, including one wheelchair user, join a gaggle of amiable-looking wild creatures.

An amusing primer that should help readers begin sharpening their critical thinking skills.