The Tuttle Twins Learn About the Law Paperback – June 10, 2014

This is a wonderful book is a children’s version of Frédéric Bastiat’s 1950 essay, The Law. The book clarifies the proper role of government in human society by using an interesting narrative and excellent illustrations.Some people seem to miss the point. The author does not sugar coat anything in the book and is not politically correct. The book lays out a moral foundation for individual rights and argues that it is only natural law that matters because some laws passed by legislatures are immoral and need to be repealed.The book shows the Tuttle Twins being assigned a class assignment to interview someone who is wise. They go to see their neighbour Fred who teaches them about Bastiat's essay, The Law. He patiently explains the concept of individual rights and tells them that the proper role of government is to protect those rights. Fred talks to the kids about stealing. They kids agree that it is wrong to steal something from someone even if the person who wanted it used the police to get it. The use their ability to reason to figure out that if something is wrong for us to do it is also wrong for the people in the government to do it as well. Fred takes them to his kitchen and explains that some times he makes meals for people who have lost jobs or when a mom has had a new baby. He just wants to help out. But he also points out that sometimes the government forces him to help people too, even when he does not want to. The government takes things from some people and gives them to others. At times what is taken is kept or given to friends of the government instead of helping the needy that Fred is more concerned about. Fred repeats Bastiat's argument, "If a law lets the government do something I'm not allowed to do, then it is not a true law."As an aside, my 15-year old son, who wanted to look at the book because of the themes in it, recognized that the same points are also made by Sophocles in his Theban play, Antigone. When Creon tells Antigone to let her brother's body rot outside of the walls of the city she informs him that even though he is the king there is a higher law than his. Creon's violation of the natural law ends in disaster as Antigone is sentenced to be buried alive and her fiancee, who is Creon's son Haimon, kills himself. Creon's wife also kills herself because of what her husband has done.Fred teaches the kids that a true law protects people and their property from plunder and tells them that when there isn't any legal plunder people rely on voluntary actions to get the things that they need. But when the law allows plunder, the people turn against each other and many want to take instead of give. When the kids ask how they can fight back against legal plunder Fred concedes that it is very difficult because the power is in the hands of the people who are doing the taking but notes that it is possible to fight back by the use of ideas such as those that are found in the book, The Law. Fred tells the kids that wisdom is learning important lessons that are used in our daily lives and teaching others.My son did notice a bit of unintended irony. In the illustration on page 13 one of the books on the shelf was Nock's, Our Enemy the State. But Nock's advice in his great essay, Isaiah's Job, was to ignore the masses and pay attention to the Remnant. I think that Mr. Boyak was hoping that his book would reach the masses but will probably be read mostly by the Remnant. Given the fact that includes a huge market of home schooled kids he will probably do all right. I recommend the book highly for anyone looking for suitable material that covers libertarian ideas and political philosophy. Connor Boyack has done a masterful job and the kids that I know who have looked at the book had no trouble with the material. The book should be read by kids from around 6 to 12 years of age but may be even more suitable for their parents since it deals with subject matter not likely covered when they went to school.

I gave this to my great niece for birthday and her daddy read it to her and her sister. He said it was so wonderful and sparked some amazing questions from both girls. I hope many young people are able to benefit from this book

Love the series

Love, love, love this book. My 12 year old was able to really get into it and understand so much, it even helped me to understand why some things are the way they are lol

The boys loved the book, they were telling all kinds of facts about it and asking really good questions

This was a good tool to explain the basic principles of Natural Law Theory as articulated by Frederic Bastiat, and the ideas that underpinned the framing of our government, to my 10 year old. It may be a little dry for the likes of some kids (and parents), but it is also very short and has a lot of pictures to help offset this. The reviewers here that express anger, frustration and annoyance at the inclusion of “religion” in this little book have never read The Law by Bastiat, and presumably don’t understand the philosophy of government upon which it is based. Bastiat saw God as the source of rights and the role of government to protect those rights. That is as far as the “religious” aspect of Bastiat - or this little book - goes. Yet, this foundational concept supports the entire argument.

Loved this. Great for both my 10 and 7 year old. Help them learn more about our government

Love these books! Great learning for my 10 year old and even myself!