The Hueys in It Wasn’t Me by Oliver Jeffers (review)

The Hueys, the beanlike beings with stick appendages from The Hueys in the New Sweater (BCCB 7/12), are back. In this outing, an observation of a fly prompts a discussion among the Hueys (in speech bubbles containing pictures rather than words) about flying. One pair thinks of a bird, which eventually segues into a communal thought of a flying elephant. This idea causes the Hueys to argue (a thunderous storm dwarfs the flying elephant in the speech bubble) until another Huey, Gillespie, intervenes and asks reasonably “What are you fighting about?” The Hueys realize that they don’t even remember the topic of disagreement, so when Gillespie asks them “Want to see a dead fly?” they return to their good-natured selves and bond over their desire to go look at the deceased insect (“How long has it been dead?” inquires one cheerfully). Jeffers’ tidy art remains as winning as in the first title, and the use of copious white space, simple lines, and a clear palette puts the emphasis on the Hueys’ words and actions. Although the topic addressed here—getting past an argument—is a good one for primary-graders to contemplate, the story is pretty slight, and the solution, while entertaining, is too random to be of much practical help to younger children. Still, fans of the first book will want to catch up with the Hueys here, and the simplicity of the art may inspire kids to come up with their own Huey adventures.