Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun, vivid story of jealous porcupine and his tree bestie.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In NORMAN DIDN'T DO IT, Norman is a porcupine whose best friend, Mildred, is a tree. The two of them play games, read, relax, and do everything together. Norman is happy—until a sapling starts growing near Mildred and she starts paying attention to it, too. He decides he needs to get rid of it, but after digging it up and moving it far away, he starts thinking that might not have been the best plan. Can he make things right?
Is It Any Good?
An expressive face draws readers in to this wonderfully offbeat story of a porcupine who get jealous when his best friend—a tree—starts paying attention to a new tree growing nearby. In Norman Didn't Do It, short phrases on every page are great for emerging readers to sound out while helping convey Norman's frantic, jealous state of mind. The illustrations are colorful, high-energy, and full of personality, pulling readers in to look for details. This is a lovely book to read aloud, as it's captivating while offering some great conversation starters around jealousy, friendship, and doing the right thing even when it's hard.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like when you feel left out of a situation, like Norman felt in Norman Didn't Do It. How do you react when you feel like others are having fun without you?
What would have been a better way for Norman to address his feelings?
How does Norman come to realize the mistake he's made? How does he try to fix his mistake and show empathy to his tree and the new tree? Does it make a difference? Have you ever done something "wrong" when you've felt left out? What happened and how did it turn out? Would you do things differently next time?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Ryan T. Higgins
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship
- Character Strengths : Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : September 7, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 6
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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