Cover Image: Norman Didn't Do It!

Norman Didn't Do It!

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Member Reviews

Great, humorous read! A wonderful tale of how friends can have more than just you and you can have more than just them. Some laugh out loud jokes to really help kids understand jealousy.

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Ryan T Higgs, does it again. I absolutely love everything he writes, and I think kids do to. Norman is a nice addition to his cast of characters! And as always the art is perfect.

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What a cute picture book. The witty story of Norman the porcupine and Mildred the Tree. Children will love this one and it’s going in my library!

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Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes he did.) by Ryan T. Higgins. PICTURE BOOK. Disney, 2021. $18. 9781368026239

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

When Norman the porcupine’s best friend, Mildred the tree, shows signs of being better friends with a new tree in town, Norman gets very jealous. So jealous that he digs up the interloper and rehouses it far away. But when the guilt of his betrayal gets to him, he realizes that he needs to make things right.

Higgins sure knows how to write books that get to the heart of what friendship looks like! He must be a really good friend. His look at the effects of jealousy is a conversation starter for sure.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

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Norman and Mildred are best friends. Norman is a porcupine, and Mildred is a tree. They do everything together, and it’s perfect. Until the one day when another tree appears. Norman is fraught. He has so many worries about what this means for their friendship. Imagine if Mildred likes the new tree more than Norman??!! He hits a breaking point and decides to do something. Norman comes up with a plan to make sure the other tree never comes between him and Mildred ever again. Eventually, it’s just the two of them again, but it’s not the same. This prompts Norman to do some serious soul searching, and he comes up with a new plan that makes everyone happy along with some unexpected hilarity.

Author and illustrator Ryan T. Higgins creates another funny and heartwarming tale with a truly memorable character like Bruce. Kids will completely relate to Norman’s feelings and will be charmed by the expressive illustrations. This is ideal for a storytime or classroom read aloud. I hope more adventures from Norman and his friends are on the horizon.

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Norman Didn't Do It (Yes, He Did) is a delightful picture storybook about friendship and sharing, admitting your mistakes and taking responsibility for your actions. The artwork is fun and the text, while teaching good morals, is also fun and witty. A great story for all ages!

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Another wonderful Ryan T. Higgins book. This would be a great book for any time especially storytime.

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Norman is jealous when his best friend, Mildred the tree, starts interacting with another tree. He tries to break up this friendship and finally does something incredibly drastic to do it. Then, he realizes how sad his tree friend is and brings back her new friend.
Plenty of humor throughout along with the messages about jealousy and finding ways to adapt and still maintain friendships.

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An adorable friendship story about learning to make room for others and share your friends as well as your space. Highly recommended for children's collections.

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Adorable story of how jealousy can occur between friends. Very appropriate for the intended audience with great illustrations.

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Another hilarious picture book from Higgins that just begs to be read out loud! Norman adores his best friend, Mildred, who happens to be a tree. They enjoy lots of (one-sided) activities and Norman couldn't be happier...until a new tree springs up nearby. Norman takes drastic measures to protect his friendship, but things don't quite turn out as expected. Kids and adults will love this story about friendship, jealousy, compromise, and owning up to one's mistakes.

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Oh Norman... This book is a great lead in to discuss jealousy in friendships.

For Libraries: Super silly, but definitely for our older kiddos as some of this may be a bit hard to fully comprehend for our younger 'readers'. It will require some additional explaining.

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Norman didn't do it! Or did he? Ryan T. Higgins never disappoints. This laugh-out-loud picture book will have readers guessing what will happen next. Maybe there will be more books with the new porcupine character, Norman.

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Ryan T. Higgins does a fantastic job telling Norman's story of friendship with Mildred the Tree. This book addresses the jealousy that can sometimes happen in friend circles and the room for growth. The illustrations are comical, sharing Norman's full emotional range in a relatable way. Norman's side eye is epic (and adorable)! Cute and funny read for both kids and their grown ups.

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Norman is a devoted friend, and when his best friend meets someone else, his jealousy knows no bounds. He attempts to make good choices (spoiler: he doesn't). Compersion, and funny animal expressions, save the day. I also love the idea of one's best friend being a tree.

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Higgins pulls off an amazing feat, making the relationship between a porcupine and a tree seem totally believable. Norman and Mildred, the tree, are best friends until a new tree grows between them. The book is great fun and teaches important lessons about friendship, admitting wrong-doing and making right situations caused by a person's (or porcupine's actions) without sounding at all didactic. Sure to be a hit!

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Thank you to Disney and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I don’t normally review picture books but I received this one from the U.S. Book Show and it’s Ryan T. Higgins. Norman, a cute porcupine, is best friends with a tree called Mildred. They do almost everything together until there’s a big change – a sapling is growing right next to Mildred! What’s Norman to do? He takes drastic action that he may come to regret. This story is very cute and emphasizes the meaning of friendship.

#NormanDidntDoIt #NetGalley

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Super cute story about taking responsibility, thinking about a friend and their feelings, and doing the right thing.

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This is probably one of the most adorable picture books I've read in awhile!

Norman and Mildred are best friends. They do everything together! Norman and Mildred, Mildred and Norman. Until a new tree sprouts, and Norman is feeling left out! What will he do to make sure things go back to how they always have been?

This was such a cute story about friendship and making new friends - sometimes change is good and it's okay to let in someone new! It doesn't mean you and your old friends have to be any less close. So sweet, and such a good illustration of this for little ones.

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This book is fun and teaches some great lessons! My kids loved hearing about Norman’s antics and talking about what they learned about friendship!

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