“When Phineas Bump rode into the town of Tunbridge, he was heartsick, saddle-sore, and down on his luck.” The year is 1790, and Phineas is a tallyman working for the U.S. government’s first national census, counting every individual in the country. But the folks in Tunbridge don’t want to be counted, as they know it will mean taxes and conscription, so they trick Phineas into recording a population of one. When the tricksters discover that the count will determine the number of men allowed to represent them in government, they ask for a recount. This time they try to inflate the number of residents with farm animals wearing bonnets and cloaks. Finally, when they understand that the census will determine taxes, conscription, AND representation in national government, Phineas Bump (who it turns out is not easily fooled) gets an accurate figure and Tunbridge is included in the census “fair and true.” A fascinating author’s note gives further details about the census of 1790, including the way in which people were not counted equally at that time, with each slave recorded as three-fifths of a free person and Native Americans not counted at all. (Ages 6–10)

Are kids interested in learning about the very first American census? Probably not. Do young readers clamor for stories set in the very, very olden days of the late 18th century? Uh, not really. Okay, but do they like nutty cat-and-mouse trickery, wacky slapstick, and animals disguised as people? You bet! So let them have all that, and if they end up learning a thing or two about our country, its history, and the ways our government works, shhh . . . we won't tell!

Tricking the Tallyman accomplishes the tricky task of showing kids the way the 1790 census was tabulated (or tallied) and how the country's new citizens came to understand (after much misunderstanding) how it worked to help them and the country. Excellent for classroom use or to put in the hands of bright kids with a taste for the quirky and irreverent, young readers may enjoy this story so much they might not even notice how much they've learned!