cbr14bingo Question Level 2
What are The Iheards? Emily Kilgore answers that in their book of the same name. And that was the question I asked myself when I saw the cover, and why I have chosen it for the Question category. Well, first I said, “Well that’s a bright cover. What is it about?” Then I saw, The Iheards. Then I said, “What are the Iheards?” And I assumed they were probably rumors and I was right. It is about the rumors and gossip we hear every day.
Mason likes to tell the thoughts in his head, without any thought to if they are true or not, or if they will be hurtful or not. And when it comes time for the school history project, he realizes that nobody wants to pair with him. And this causes an interesting situation for him. One that takes a real friend in the form of a girl called Natalie to help fix.
We adults know that the point of the story is do not gossip or spread rumors. Though sometimes something you heard actually might be good. But the reader/listener will learn with Mason the idea of which Iheards are good and should be repeated and which Iheards can be hurtful.
Zoe Persico illustrates this clever book with large, bubbly images. The illustrations are colorful to the bold extreme. The Iheards are represented by funky (and frankly adorable) buggy-like creatures. The cartoon nature would lend itself to being easily animated and I could see this as a short movie for a station like Nickelodeon or whatever is the hot new “kid station.” It would work well as a “Magic School Bus” like series even.
All ages can enjoy but probably would work best for the at least kindergarten and up groups.
