Not Norman: A Goldfish Story

by Kelly Bennett, Noah Z. Jones (Illustrator)

Overview

"A sweet story that could be used as a springboard to discussion of the pitfalls of making snap judgments about pets — or people." — School Library Journal

Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know you wanted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763627638
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/11/2008
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 10.69(h) x 0.17(d)
Lexile:	460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kelly Bennett is the author of Not Norman: A Goldfish Story, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones, as well as Vampire Baby and Dad and Pop: An Ode to Fathers and Stepfathers, both illustrated by Paul Meisel, among many other books for children. Kelly Bennett divides her time between Westhampton, New York, and Houston, Texas.

Noah Z. Jones is the illustrator of Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett, as well as Those Shoes and A Bike Like Sergio’s, both written by Maribeth Boelts. He is also the creator of the animated television series Fish Hooks, Almost Naked Animals, and Pickle and Peanut. Noah Z. Jones lives in Southern California.

Editorial Reviews

This eye-catching book makes a satisfying read-aloud choice for pet day or any day.
—Booklist

This emotional turnaround never feels forced or pat, thanks to a strong partnership between Bennett's text and newcomer Jones's artwork. The off-the-cuff yet kidlike prose ideally suits the bright, crisp, digital drawings.
—Publishers Weekly

An inventive interpretation of the old adage 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' NOT NORMAN is the perfect book for dog-resistant parents to read to their puppy-worshipping kids-as long as they're willing to take on a new goldfish or two.
—Time Out New York Kids

From the Publisher

In Bennett's story, a little boy (African-American) gets a goldfish as a present. Not a dog or a cat, not a pet that can curl up on his bed at night, for goodness sake-a goldfish. He thinks maybe he will trade the fish for something more pet-like; maybe he could do a trade-in. But events conspire to keep Norman the goldfish in the boy's possession. Slowly, grudgingly, the boy starts appreciating Norman's qualities: He's a good listener, he likes the boy's tuba-playing and though he'll never curl up on the boy's bed, he's there to console in the deep of the night. Maybe-no, certainly-the boy will keep Norman, whose virtue just took a little time to surface. Jones's bold art-great cutouts of refined color and characters that might have stepped out of the Hey Arnold Nickelodeon cartoon show-give the rather bald text the warmth to teach that appearances are rarely the whole truth. (Kudos to the illustrator and publisher for deciding this child did not have to be a freckle-faced blonde.) (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews