A warm, engaging story about honesty and growing from mistakes.

When a boy sneaks off to play with a toy mom told him not to, he's surprised to learn, "Oh no, I have a conscience!" A wise, old tree steps in to help the boy learn that being honest is about more than not telling lies. Sneaking around because you know something is wrong is a kind of dishonesty too, and it doesn't feel good on the inside.

"A conscience is that voice in your head and feeling in your heart that tells you if something is right or wrong, even when no one is looking."

With heartwarming wisdom, the tree shows the boy how to make honest choices and to grow from his mistakes. The story teaches children how to listen to their conscience so they can feel the true reward of making good choices-that feeling of pride for having done the right thing, even when it's hard.

Find free printable activities that work with the story and build on the lessons on honesty, conscience, and growth mindset at TalkingTreeBooks.com .

Be Proud is Book 1 in the Talking with Trees Series of values books for kids. Written for grades K-4, Talking with Trees books and teaching resources engage children emotionally, helping them learn how to use their hearts and minds to guide them toward building good character traits. Talking with Trees books teach social emotional skills through lessons around honesty, respect, responsibility, and empathy.