An all-time favorite of my kids when they were young- even VERY young- was The Judge: An Untrue Tale, by Harve Zemach, illustrated by Margot Zemach. I read it today in the Kindergarten class to an enthralled group of kids.

"Please let me go, Judge, I didn't know, Judge, that what I did as against the law.
I just said what I saw.
A terrible thing is coming this way...creeping closer day by day.
Its eyes are scary, its tail is hairy, I tell you, Judge, we all better pray!"
Great repetition throughout the book, as five prisoners are brought before the Judge and tell their tales. Are they untrue? The end will tell...and children thoughtfully look at it and like to discuss it, then ask for it to be read again.
Harve and Margot Zemach, a great husband and wife team, wrote and illustrated many, many books. I recommend any of them.
When our kids were young, the children's librarian-the beloved Katrina- in our local library made a HUGE wall display of "the terrible thing." I think our children remember it to this very day.