Norman and the smell of adventure (it stinks!)

In Norman Didn't Do It!: (Yes, He Did.) (rev. 9/21), porcupine Norman learned how to share his best friend Mildred, a tree, with others; here he discovers that they "don't have to do everything together." Norman suggests to Mildred that they go try something new, which leads to a (one-sided) argument and Norman storming off ("Fine! I will do different things on my own!") with his pack of supplies (including camera and snacks). After exploring caves, rowing upriver, and encountering a moose, he climbs up high and realizes Mildred would love the tree-lined view. Norman returns to Mildred to apologize and relate his adventures, knowing that they can still share everything and pursue their independence. While the main narrative is straightforward, Higgins's trademark absurdity (e.g., Norman's thinking tree Mildred is even capable of going anywhere; he seeks advice from a potted cactus named "S-A-L-E...That must spell Sally!") will have storytime audiences giggling. Comic-book features incorporated in the dynamic digital illustrations provide extra playfulness. Expressive gumdrop-shaped Norman's evolving efforts to be a good friend -- despite excessive rationalizing and rash behavior due to his underlying insecurity and naivete -- will ring true for many young readers, as will the lessons he learns by himself: for one thing, it turns out even porcupines shouldn't try to hug a cactus ("Ouch!"). Cynthia K. RitterSeptember/October 2025 p.43 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Norman the porcupine yearns for new experiences, but his best friend Mildred, a tree, has other ideas. Fun though it is to read on a tree branch or watch birds together, Norman's proposal to seek out fresh experiences goes over like a lead balloon with Mildred, who's stuck in place. In the wake of an angry tiff, Norman marches off in search of adventure, following its scent down roads, over rivers, through swamps, and up mountains. Afterward, because Norman is used to carrying on both sides of any conversation with his tart but nonverbal plant buddy ("What?! I am NOT shaped like a gumdrop!"), he has no trouble explaining to a potted cactus he finds by the roadside that it's perfectly fine to try different things, but it's time to go home because he misses his friend and, anyway, he's running out of snacks. The ensuing happy reunion ensures that whenever the "smell of adventure" tempts Norman into future excursions, he'll always come back to a warm welcome: "What do you mean I need a bath?!" In the bright, simply drawn cartoon panels, Mildred is surprisingly expressive for a tree, and Norman really does look something like a gumdrop. A funny and sensitive exploration of friendship dynamics.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.