The Iheards

by Emily Kilgore, Zoe Persico (Illustrator)

Mason is struggling with his Iheards in this picture book about gossip from the author/illustrator team behind The Whatifs .


It didn't matter if the Iheards were true or made-up, harmless or hurtful.
As soon as Mason thought about them, the Iheards burst out.

Mason is constantly gossiping about everyone. Because of this, the Iheards love him. They sneak up to him and whisper all kinds of rumors in his real things or pretend, innocent or mean. As he prepares for an upcoming history presentation, the Iheards buzz all around, making him blurt out more rumors than usual. Will he be able to change from spreading gossip to sharing something more positive?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

Published September 6, 2022

Reviews

[Charlotte Offsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gossip is a hard topic to address with children but author Emily Kilgore handles it beautifully.

Mason is constantly gossiping and because of this, the iHeards swarm around him making him blurt out hurtful rumors about his classmates. As Mason's classmates pull away from him, the iHeards get louder and louder until a kind friend helps Mason discover the power in embracing positive iHeards instead.

This is a great conversation opener for anyone looking to address gossip with kids. In an easy-to-understand way, it clearly shows children the harm that can come from spreading gossip and shows them the power that comes from choosing and spreading kindness instead.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mason is a magnet for Iheards. And he can't keep them inside once they get to him. Soon, Mason doesn't have any friends at all. Can anyone help him deal with the Iheards?

A creative way to teach kids about rumors and gossip and how spreading those can hurt others and yourself. There's an author's note for kids and parents with practical helps of how to be a better friend and stop spreading rumors and gossip, and also how to deal with someone spreading gossip about you.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mason loves to gossip, saying whatever he hears or thinks about other people, whether they are true or not. As a result, the sneaky and shifty iheards love to add more fuel to the fire by feeding him more rumors to spread. Soon, no one wants to be around Mason and when it comes time to find a partner for a project, no one wants to work with him.

I liked how practical helps were given to deal with the iheards and why the iheards can be hurtful to others and to us.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "I heards" are everywhere. Mason has a difficult time ignoring them and blurts them out. Unfortunately, this causes issues and he realizes no one wants to be his partner or be with him. Another classmate helps him figure out how to share the positive "I heards" and keep the negative ones to himself. Terrific book to use with classes.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem with repeating secrets you might hear and passing them on. How gossip affects a boy's life whether harmful or hurtful he repeats what he hears even if it doesn't prove to be true. There are ideas in the author's note for talking to others who are spreading rumors about you or someone you know. And when to get help from an adult.

[Lisa Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful message! At a certain age, kids tend to say “I heard so and so…” and want to be the one to know everything, even when they don’t. It’s great to have a book to teach kids that kind words matter.

[Adria Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so easy to gossip or pass along little tidbits that you don't know the full story on or don't have the full context for. The Iheard explores how this can cause problems, and offers a positive solution. Every library needs a copy of this one!

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Kimberly Wright Oelkers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first one more.

[Ryann Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addresses an important topic with a kid friendly approach and great illustrations.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brightly colored book is an engaging way to start a discussion with children about gossiping.

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

7yo had indeed encountered some Iheards of her own

[Katrina Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome story about gossiping. It explains how there are some things you hear that shouldn't be shared and some that you should.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading age
4 - 8 years


Why rumors are bad.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty didactic...which isn't my favorite type of story - but this one is worth the time. No one likes being around a gossip

4Mar2024: Very positive experience with my class!
We have a Mason in our class so we had to change the name of the main character. Ivan!

This book struck a chord. We ran out of time so we will have a discussion about it tomorrow. The good news was right after we read it, some boys decided to spread positive iheards. It warmed my heart!

[Cheryl Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Iheards is a book that has everything it needs to tackle the problem of rumors and gossip for elementary aged kids. Emily Kilgore writes a beautifully written story of little Mason plagued by the Iheards- little flying insects that buzz words into his ears that he always gives into and spreads around to others, usually unkind and full of exaggeration. The illustrations of Zoe Persico bring the Iheards to life in a colorful, imaginative, and compelling way. I absolutely love the message of examining our words before they come out of our mouths and the power that negative words have on the people around as well as well as how positive words can build relationships with others. Emily Kilgore’s education background shines with such brightness and help for kids with this issue of using words wisely. I think every parent, grandparent and educator would benefit by having this well crafted, beautifully illustrated story in their library. 5 stars.